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!
Library Events & Programs
Create and Participate
High Plains Library District invites entries to their Teen Rubber Duck Cosplay Contest. Beginning March 6, pick up a rubber duck from Carbon Valley Regional Library, dress it up in a costume inspired by your favorite fandom, and submit a photo by March 23.
Estes Valley Library, in partnership with Macdonald Book Shop, invites teens and adults to the Booklover’s Ball: A Regency Romance on February 27 at the Stanley Hotel Pavilion. Step into an evening of elegance, imagination, and literary charm that celebrates a shared love of books and Regency-inspired themes. Guests of the free event will enjoy a night of dancing, creative crafts, and interactive experiences.
West Custer County Library invites tweens to join their Adventure Quest Club that meets every Thursday. Players will learn how to participate in role-playing games using collaborative, fantasy storytelling within a rule-based structure.
Denver Public Library seeks nominations through March 2 for the Eleanor Gehres Award. Nominees should be individuals or organizations whose contributions have impacted the Denver Public Library’s Special Collection and Archives. An award ceremony will take place in the spring.
Chocolatey Goodness
Aurora Public Library’s DIY Hot Cocoa Lab is your chance to experiment with a new chocolate concoction. Unleash your cocoa curiosity on February 27 at Tallyn’s Reach Library.
Boulder Public Library is hosting a Teddy Bear Hot Chocolate Party for children on February 28 at NoBo Library. Enjoy bear-themed books, songs, crafts, and an episode of “Little Bear” while sipping on hot chocolate.
Delta County Libraries invites their community to Celebrate National OREO Day at Cedaredge Library on March 6. All are welcome to drop in and try different kinds of Oreos and vote on their favorite!
Always Learning
Jefferson County Public Library invites adults to Tech for Travel: Create the Itinerary for Your Dream Trip on March 3 at Belmar Library. Learn how to use tools for creating, managing, and sharing your trip schedule and maps.
Pikes Peak Library District welcomes wildlife biologist and author Joe LaFleur for Birds of the Pikes Peak Region on February 28 at Cheyenne Mountain Library. This audio-visual presentation will teach you how to identify local raptors like owls, hawks, and falcons.
Montrose Regional Library District invites you to join special guests from the Black Canyon Audubon Society for The Wonderful World of Bird Migration, February 28 at Montrose Library. The event will include presentations on spring migration and adaptations for bird safety, instructions on how to build a birding station, and a bird walk.
Eagle Valley Library District is offering Personal Finance: Intro to Money Management on March 2 at Eagle Public Library. The course is designed to help workers in the Vail Valley manage their money and plan for the future.
Westminster Public Library invites adults to Wild Edibles with Rocky Mountain Foraging on March 3 at College Hill. Participants will learn expert tips on identifying, harvesting, and safely enjoying nature’s bounty.
What’s New from the Colorado State Library
Colorado State Publications Blog
Colorado state parks: State Forest. State Forest, located in north-central Colorado, is open to a variety of recreational activities, including moose watching.
Technology
Filtering Bot Traffic in Google Analytics. Learn specific techniques and tools within Google Analytics to filter out the bots that are likely impacting your website traffic statistics.
Learning Opportunities
All events are online except where a location is noted.
- The Importance of Monsters: How Engaging in the Horror Genre Sparks Bravery
- March 4, 4:00 – 5:00 pm
- Colorado Employment Law Overview
- March 5, 2:00 – 3:00 pm
- Youth Services Prototype Feedback Session 1
- March 10, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
- Connecting Colorado: Empowering Library Leadership with Modern Recruitment Tools
- March 12, 2:00 – 3:00 pm
- Youth Services Prototype Feedback Session 2
- March 17, 2:00 – 3:00 pm
- Youth Services Prototype Feedback Session 3
- March 18, 9:00 – 10:00 am
- Youth Services Prototype Feedback Session 4
- March 26, 1:00 – 2:00 pm
- Find even more learning opportunities:
- Libraries Learn
- Maine State Library’s Continuing Education Calendar (note: all MSL events are listed in Eastern time). A different view of these events is available at Free Online Learning Opportunities for February 2026.
Library Jobline
Are you considering a job change this year? Check out Library Jobline for hot new library employment opportunities, like this selection from around Colorado.
- Innovation Technician – High Plains Library District
- Librarian, Archive – High Plains Library District
- Human Resources Manager (Bilingual Spanish speaking preferred) – Anythink Support Services at Wright Farms
- Supervisor, Smoky Hill Library – Arapahoe Library District
- Mobile Services Library Program Associate – Denver Public Library
- Executive Director – Garfield County Libraries
- Makerspace Manager – Boulder Public Library District
IMLS Grant Opportunities
IMLS Opens FY26 Grant Funding Cycle, Encourages Library and Museum Applications. Visit Grant Programs for the listing of grants, descriptions, and deadlines.
SIPA Micro-Grant application opens on March 1, 2026. The Micro-Grant program ($250 to $10,000) is designed to connect Colorado residents to government by putting more information and services online.
This post is part of the Spotlight on Sharing initiative, which aims to increase the visibility of Colorado library programs and resource sharing.
Do you have a story from your library to share? Email Amy Hitchner, [email protected].
All images are from the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection, a service of Colorado State Library.
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