Friday Grab Bag, April 26, 2024

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

Let’s open the Friday Grab Bag!

Fandoms & Friends

Aurora Public Library invites adults to World Building with Sci-Fi and Fantasy on May 4 at Central Library. The class will include creative writing and drawing activities using Pop Culture Classroom.

Jefferson County Public Library’s Anime Prom is back! Teens are invited to Standley Lake Library on April 27 at 5:30 pm for an evening that includes a costume contest, games, food, and other activities.

Join La Veta Public Library at the Francisco Center for the Performing Arts to celebrate May the Fourth be with You with a showing of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. The fun begins at 6:00 pm.

Longmont Public Library’s Tween Club is hosting a Star Wars Party on May 2 at 4:00 pm. Join them for an afternoon of activities from a galaxy far, far away.

Enjoy Free Comic Book Day at Mancos Public Library on May 4 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Pick up some comic books, eat popcorn, and watch comic-related movies with other fans.

Outdoor Life

Estes Valley Library is hosting a May Day Celebration on May 1 at 3:00 pm. Come dance around their Maypole, make a flower crown, braid ribbons, and check out their seed library!

Garfield County Libraries New Castle Branch is partnering with New Castle Recreation to offer Nature Journaling for All Ages, an event series that runs from May 3 through July 19. Participants will meet at VIX Park to explore and write in their journals.

Lyons Community Library is hosting backcountry and wildlife expert David Neils for Backcountry Survival 101 on May 3 at 6:30 pm. Get ready for your summer adventures by learning the essentials of backcountry safety and survival.

Green Thumbs-Up

Buena Vista Public Library invites you to Xeriscape with Native Plants on April 27 at 1:00 pm. Attendees will learn to support pollinators and wildlife using xeric plants native to the region.

Lone Cone Library is hosting a Spring Plant Swap on April 27 at 11:30 am. Bring cuttings, starts, or mature potted plants and enjoy light refreshments as you swap with other participants.

Summit County Library and the U.S. Forest Service invite you to Before You Plant: Invasive Species at the North Branch on May 2 at 6:30 pm. Be informed about species to avoid when planting your summer garden.

Arts & Culture

Basalt Regional Library welcomes local chamber orchestra High Country Sinfonia for a concert on May 2 at 7:00 pm. Enjoy music by Heinrich von Biber and Astor Piazzolla, among others. Join the musicians for refreshments before the concert at 6:30 pm.

Pine River Library invites you to attend the Pine River Valley Art Collective Artists’ Reception on May 3 at 5:00 pm. Come celebrate these local artists and enjoy their work currently on display at the Library.

Pueblo City-County Library District welcomes Grupo Folklórico del Pueblo for a performance in celebration of Dia del Niño / Day of the Children on April 30 at Rawlings Branch. The group will pay homage to the child’s well-being and role in society.

In the News

The Scribe, student newspaper of University of Colorado Colorado Springs, recently published the article Subject librarians, an overlooked academic resource for students. It featured interviews with three UCCS subject librarians and highlighted the work they do to support student research.

A story from Poudre Libraries has recently appeared on several news sites (including Smithsonian Magazine)—that a book checked out in 1919 was returned after over 100 years, back when the library was known as Fort Collins Public Library. Maybe the book in question, Ivanhoe: A Romance, was just too good to put down!

Accessibility Corner

News, tips, and resources to support technology accessibility

• About Screen Readers. A brief introduction to screen readers for authors of digital content.
• Keeping Your Social Media Accessible for All to Enjoy. Best practices for making social media content that is accessible for your community.

What’s New at Colorado State Library

Digital Collections Stewardship

• Apply now through May 15 for Digital Collections Stewardship, a free collaborative learning opportunity

Program Spotlight

• Broomfield Library’s Taylor Swift Friendship Bracelet Bonanza

Book Club Resource

• Exploring Our Varied Humanity Through the Colorado Book Club Resource.

Colorado State Publications Blog

• Colorado State Parks: Paonia

Learning Opportunities

• Colorado OER Conference
  • May 17 at the Auraria Campus in Denver
  • Registration is free; travel scholarships are available
• CAL Makerspace Interest Group Workshop
  • May 20, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm at LINC Library Innovation Center in Greeley
  • Registration $55 – $80
• Community Conversations for Election 2024
  • May 21, 1:00 – 2:00 pm, online
  • Registration required
• How to Operationalize the New Colorado Public Library Standards
  • May 22, 9:30 – 11:30 am, online
  • Registration required
• CSL in Session: Bienvenidos: Creating Welcome for Hispanohablantes and Latines at Your Library
  • May 28, 12:00 – 1:00 pm, online
  • No registration required
• Cultural Humility: A pathway to improving libraries (Colorado only)
  • May 28 & June 4, online
  • Registration required; participants are required to attend both both sessions
• De-escalation Skills Workshop (Colorado Only)
  • May 29, 12:00 – 2:00 pm, online
  • Registration is full – email Christine Kreger to get on the waitlist
• HESTL EdCON (statewide K-12 library conference)
  • June 6 in Lone Tree
• Find even more learning opportunities by browsing the Libraries Learn Calendar from Colorado State Library or the Continuing Education Calendar from Maine State Library (note: all MSL events are listed in Eastern time).

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.

• Applications Specialist – Library Automation Services – City of Westminster, College Hill Library
• Kids & Families Librarian – Evergreen Library – Jefferson County Public Library
• Patron Experience Associate – Evergreen Library – Jefferson County Public Library
• Bilingual Patron Experience Associate (Part Time) – Call Center – Jefferson County Public Library
• Project Archivist for the Glenn Miller Collection – University of Colorado Boulder Libraries
• Library Assistant/Youth Services – Dolores Public Library
• Access Service Specialist – University of Colorado – Denver
• Library Specialist -Southglenn – part-time – Arapahoe Library District

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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, ahitchner@coloradovirtuallibrary.org.

All images are from the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection, a service of Colorado State Library.