The Digital Repository Top 5: the most popular newly digitized materials of 2021

As we near the end of 2021, we’re sharing the most popular items that State Publications Library staff added to our digital repository over the past year. While this list shows a smattering of the information available online, the digital repository has thousands of state publications easily accessible for you to explore from the comfort of…wherever you might be! You can find the State Publications Library digital repository at this link.

The list below shares the top 5 most popular items that were added to our digital repository in 2021 but are not necessarily newly published items. Onto our top 5!

1. Glenwood Canyon: ancient treasure, modern marvel (Colorado Department of Transportation, 1992)

Glenwood Canyon has been on many Coloradans’ minds this year due to the mudslides and road closures of I-70, a stretch of highway that many of us take for granted. This half-hour video from the Colorado Department of Transportation tells the story of how this very stretch of highway was built. Although it’s an older video, come for the 90s fashion and glamour shots of the canyon and stay for the fascinating story of the feat of engineering that is I-70 through Colorado.

Learn more about the construction of I-70 in our previous blog post.

2. The home ignition zone: a guide to preparing your home for wildfire and creating defensible space (Colorado State Forest Service, 2021)

With several severe fire seasons on record over the past few years, it’s no surprise that wildfire protection resources were popular items for library users. The Colorado State Forest Service put together this practical guide on how to prepare your home and the surrounding land to reduce the impact of wildfire. The guide is easy to understand and is chock full of useful diagrams, photos, checklists, and definitions.

3. The state of Colorado’s biodiversity 2011 (Colorado State University, Colorado Natural Heritage Program, 2011)

As a state full of people who love the outdoors, publications concerning conservation of Colorado’s wild places are frequently viewed in our digital collection. This report from the Colorado Natural Heritage Program uses a scorecard developed by the Nature Conservancy to evaluate the status of Colorado’s ecological systems. Unfortunately, only two of Colorado’s 18 ecosystems are considered “effectively conserved” according to this report. However, the report also provides suggestions for conservation efforts that can be targeted to restore ecosystems that are most in need.

4. Identity theft repair kit (Colorado Attorney General, 2021)

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States. This recent publication from the Colorado Attorney General is a step-by-step guide for how to protect yourself and what to do if you become a victim of identity theft. One tip I’ll be taking into 2022 is to always use a password manager!

5. Post-wildfires hazards: mud slides, debris flows (Colorado Geological Survey, 2021)

Following the trend of library users looking into wildfire information, this short pamphlet from the Colorado Geological Survey covers the basics of post-fire mudslides and debris flows. Do you know where mudslides are most likely to occur? Or how to listen for the sounds of a debris flow? If not, take a look at this pamphlet for important tips and information.

 

We hope you found as much fascinating information in our digital collection as we did in 2021. Be sure to keep an eye out for even more great information that will be added to the digital repository in 2022!