Friday Grab Bag, January 12, 2018

The Friday Grab Bag is a weekly series that highlights fun, unique, and interesting happenings in Colorado libraries, and includes news from the Colorado State Library.

Let’s open the Friday Grab Bag!

Reaching More Communities

Summit County Library’s Outreach program partners with Community & Senior Center’s Mountain Meals on Wheels to provide books, CDs, and DVDs to homebound individuals along with meal deliveries. Contact the library if you know someone who could use this service.

Learn American Sign Language for Beginners from ADA Advocate Dale Buterbaugh, January 13 from 12:00 to 1:30 at Rawlings Library. This class is not for ASL Certification.

Colorado Culture

Art Show: Black Canyon Artists is a collaboration of nine local artists. Visit an exhibition of their work at the Ridgway Library on Saturday, January 13 from 4:00-7:00 pm.

Author Ed Sealover explores various aspects of Colorado culture in his book, Colorado Excursions with History, Hikes and Hops. Attend his presentation at Longmont Public Library on January 25 from 7:00-8:00 pm.

Bud Werner Memorial Library is seeking submissions for GROUNDED, a free community storytelling event to honor Colorado Public Lands Day on May 17. Submissions, due April 2, can be any type of original performance, writing, or artwork on the topic of public lands. Read all the details.

GROUNDED is a community storytelling event at Bud Werner Memorial Library on May 17, 2018.

Just for Teens

Crafty teens are invited to make loose leaf tea at Basalt Regional Library on January 18. The class is part of the library’s Teen Winter Workshops, a series devoted to eco-friendly DIY projects.

Last Wednesday, January 10, teens shared their ideas and feedback with staff from Lafayette Public Library during their Teen Town Hall.

STEAM Connections

Come learn about new technologies at the 2nd Annual Mesa County Libraries Tech Expo, January 23 from 4:00-7:00 pm at the Central Library. The Expo will include tech demos, new gadgets, local vendor services, library digital content, and robotics.

The first meeting of the Mancos Public Library Robotics Club is January 12 from 1:00-4:00 pm. The club is for kids age 9-13 and will meet weekly through May 11, 2018.

The Sterling Police Department invites kids in grades K-5 to learn about solving crimes with forensic science. The Sterling Public Library will host this STEAM program on January 16 at 4:30 pm.

Libraries in the News

Shelf Life is a monthly column in the Durango Herald written by La Plata County library directors. In this month’s column, A La Plata Library Breakdown, Pine River Library director Shelley Walchak explains the different funding structures for public libraries as identified in Colorado’s library law, C.R.S. 24-90-101.

Construction has begun on the remodel of Hot Sulphur Springs Library, part of Grand County Library District. The library is projected to open on February 13, 2018.

What’s New at the Colorado State Library

Learning Opportunities

CSL in Session: When a Patron Needs More than a Book: Transformation has No Due Date | Jan 18, 2018, 12:30-1:00 pm MDT

Visit the Library Learning & Creation Center for resources on a variety of topics. What do you want to learn today?

Research Institute for Public Libraries (RIPL)

The next national RIPL event is July 29 – August 1, 2018 in Atlanta. In this hands-on, immersive learning experience, 110 participants will gain tools for evaluation, confidence in building research into their activities, and a network of colleagues for future learning and success. Early bird registration opens January 17 at 11:00 am MDT/1:00 pm EST.

2018 Teen Video Challenge

Encourage teens at your library to enter the 2018 Teen Video Challenge, sponsored by the Collaborative Summer Learning Program. This year’s theme is music. Contest deadline is Feb 28; winners will be announced in April 2018.

Colorado State Publications Library Blog

Webinars from Growing Readers Together

Incorporating Play and Movement into Storytime | Jan 23, 2018, 10:00-11:00 am MDT. Join the Adobe Connect room (no registration required).

Partnerships between Public Libraries and Family Resource Centers | Jan 30, 2018, 1:00-2:00 pm MDT. Join the Adobe Connect room (no registration required).

Read more about Growing Readers Together.


This post is part of the Spotlight on Sharing initiative, which aims to increase the visibility of resource sharing in Colorado libraries. Do you have a story from your library to share? Email Amy Hitchner, ahitchner@coloradovirtuallibrary.org. Also, be sure to follow Colorado State Library on Twitter and Facebook.

Amy Hitchner
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