Friday Grab Bag, July 27, 2018

This week, enjoy the sweet sounds of summer and learn about STEM opportunities at the library.

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!

Sounds of Summer

Polish up those ruby slippers—Poudre River Public Library District is hosting a Wizard of Oz Sing-a-long, July 28 from 2:00 to 4:00 at Old Town Library. No musical talent required!

Join Bud Werner Memorial Library for an outdoor concert featuring San Diego-based mariachi band Jarabe Mexicano, July 30 at 12:00 pm on the library lawn. Bring a lunch and enjoy this energetic concert, which will include an opportunity for kids to make their own egg shaker maracas. Jarabe Mexicano will also perform at the Basalt Regional Library on July 27 from 5:30 to 6:30 pm.

The Delta/Grand Junction Women’s Choir will perform Grand Mesa A Cappella, a free concert at Delta Library on July 28 from 1:00 to 2:00 pm.

Garfield County Libraries is hosting an air guitar competition for tweens and teens ages 10-18, July 31 at 2:00 pm at the Rifle Branch Library. Teens are encouraged to strut their stuff in this epic competition of riffs, solos, and lip-syncing skills. Air guitars will be provided to the first 24 participants.

Montrose Regional Library District is celebrating their summer learning program with a Rockin’ Readers Concert. Enjoy music, food, games, and a photo booth on Friday, July 27 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm on the library’s east lawn.

Pick ‘n’ Mix

The Native Voices traveling exhibit is coming to the Ignacio Community Library. This interactive exhibition, developed and produced by the National Library of Medicine in partnership with ALA, examines concepts of health and medicine among contemporary American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawai’ians and features interviews with more than one hundred tribal leaders, healers, physicians, educators, and others. Attend the grand opening on Saturday, July 28 beginning at 1:00 pm.

In collaboration with the City of Thornton, Tri-County Health Department, Palizzi Farm and the American Heart Association, Anythink is now hosting a Farmer’s Market at their Huron Street branch every Tuesday through October 9. In addition to fresh food, the events will feature cooking demos and health and wellness information, as well as preventative health screenings on the second Tuesday of each month.

Join Attorney General Cynthia Coffman and AARP Foundation ElderWatch Colorado for 10 Scams Targeting Older Coloradans and How to Prevent Them, a program to be held at Mesa County Library’s Main Branch, July 31 at 1:00 pm. Register online.

Science & Technology

Broomfield Library is starting a new Code Club for kids ages 9-18, where they will learn to make games, animations, apps, or their own inventions. Join the launch party on August 22 from 4:00 to 5:30 at inventHQ. The group will meet every other Wednesday. Registration recommended.

The latest edition to the Elizabeth Library is a Weather Tech weather station. Patrons can monitor the humidity, wind speed and direction, rain amounts, barometer, etc. Future plans call for a second console so data can be posted on Weather Underground and the library’s webpage.

Weather Tech station at Elizabeth Library.

Curious about virtual reality and how it can be used for gaming, music, and exploring the world? Grand County Library District is offering the opportunity for tweens, teens, and adults to experience virtual reality on July 28 at Kremmling Library and July 29 at Hot Sulphur Springs Library. Sign up for a 25-minute slot that includes a tutorial and a chance to try some applications.

Pikes Peak Library District, in partnership with several other organizations, is putting on the 5th Annual Colorado Springs Mini Maker Faire on October 20. The event is a venue where engineers, artists, scientists, crafters, and other makers can showcase their hobbies, experiments, and projects. This year’s Mini Maker Faire will also include an art contest, Ars Technica. Registration is optional but encouraged.

Libraries in the Media

Red Feather Lakes Community Library was one of five public libraries to receive funding from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, MidContinental Region (NNLM MCR) to develop creative public library health information outreach projects. Read about their project, which allowed participants to learn about food and its connection to healing chronic disease, living longer, and living better.

9News recently covered two items from Denver Public Library. On July 16 they published a story about Wheelie the Book Bike, a vehicle that visits outreach events. Then, on July 17, 9News visited the Park Hill Branch during the #Book4Tat event, when folks could upload their G-rated tattoos to DPL’s Facebook page and receive book recommendations from librarians. Nearly 200 tattoos photos were submitted over 72 hours. Read the story.

What’s New at the Colorado State Library

Learning Opportunities

Tackling Wicked Problems through Deliberative Engagement, with Martin Carcasson.

  • August 6 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm
  • Loveland Public Library
  • Free; lunch provided
  • Register

CSL in Session: Create a Knock-out Collection in 60 Minutes a Week or Less, with Bob Bennhoff.

  • August 8, 2018 from 12:00 to 1:00 pm
  • Free! Join online

Digging into Assessment Data: Tips, Tricks, and Tools of the Trade, with Linda Hofschire and Lynn Silipigni Connaway.

  • August 14, 2018 from 1:00 to 2:00 pm
  • Free! Register to join online

Colorado Public Library Association (CoPLA) Mini Conference: Privacy and Intellectual Freedom in Libraries.

  • August 3, 2018 from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm
  • Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library (Denver)
  • CAL members: $30. Non-CAL members: $40.

View these and other learning opportunities at the Library Learning & Creation Center. The Wyoming State Library also maintains a professional development calendar. View offerings for July 2018.

Plains to Peaks Collective (PPC)

With school is just around the corner, teachers and students will be looking for primary sources, especially related to Colorado history. Did you know that the Plains to Peaks Collective (PPC) contains over 46,000 digital objects, including photographs, oral history recordings, postcards, yearbooks, pamphlets, quilts, clothing, and other cultural artifacts? Check out the PPC collection in the Digital Public Library of America.

Strategies for Coaching & Consulting

CSL’s Sharon Morris recently authored an article for the Global Family Research Project, Learning from Library Leaders: Strategies for Coaching and Consulting. In it she outlines the 5 principles that guide her team’s work with their constituents.

Colorado State Publications Library


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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