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
Love is in the Air
Head to Aurora Public Library’s Mission Viejo branch for a Valentine’s Painting Date on February 14. Spending the afternoon sharing a painting lesson and some mocktails with your sweetheart.
Broomfield Library welcomes you to Valentine’s Day at the Depot, February 14 at the Broomfield Depot Museum. Learn about the history of Valentine’s Day while you craft a vintage-style card.
Estes Valley Library, in partnership with Macdonald Book Shop, announces Romance in Estes Park: The Heartbreak Hotel With Ellen O’Clover on February 13. Colorado author Ellen O’Clover will speak about and sign her novel.
Create something cozy at Anythink Wright Farms’ Love your Community: Fleece Tie Blankets on February 14. In this season of love, take a moment to love your community by making a warm fleece blanket that will be donated to a local shelter.
Book Club Bonanza
Bemis Public Library offers three book clubs: an evening book club and afternoon book club, which are offered in a hybrid format, and a Right to Read book club which is held in person. In addition to book clubs, they are partnering with Arapahoe Community College on a new Big Ideas Lecture Series, in which faculty present innovative and interesting scholarly ideas and research to the general public.
Durango Public Library’s nontraditional Book Club is based on a genre or topic rather than a specific book. Join them on February 17 at Bread Downtown to chat about your favorite, most influential books from childhood.
Eagle Valley Library District’s Avon Book Club meets the third Wednesday of each month. Join them on February 18 to discuss ‘How to Say Babylon’ by Safiya Sinclair.
Westminster Public Library invites their community to The Human Experience Book Club on the 3rd Wednesday of each month. On February 18 they will discuss the One Book Westminster title, ‘Burn’ by Peter Heller.
At Poudre Libraries’ BYOBook Club, readers pick their own book that falls within the monthly theme, then chat over drinks at Prost Brewing Co. & Biergarten. The theme for the February 19 meeting is Black Authors, in celebration of Black History Month.
Hands-On Fun
Fort Morgan Museum is hosting Family Game Night on the Oregon Trail on February 21. Set out on the first-ever Oregon Trail live game as you view pioneer artifacts and taste the food of the West.
Alamosa Public Library announces the grand opening of their V.E.G.I. Children’s Seed Library. Join them for a ribbon cutting and light refreshments on February 27 at 10:30 am.
Lone Cone Library invites you to Cultured, Not Cursed: A Friday the 13th Fermentation Series. Join them on February 13 to learn veggie fermentation and March 13 for a kimchi class.
Meeker Regional Library District is hosting a Budget Recipe Swap on February 19. This is part of a new quarterly series on recipe swapping.
Lunar New Year
Delta County Libraries is hosting a Lunar New Year Celebration on February 17 at Delta Library. Create your own lantern, play classic games, and explore an interactive display of the moon during this afternoon of cultural discovery.
Boulder Public Library invites you to join Rocky Mountain Equality for their 7th annual Lunar New Year Celebration & Potluck on February 13 at the Main Library’s Canyon Theater. Celebrate the year of the fire horse with lion dances, catered food, crafts, interactive activities, and more.
Pines & Plains Libraries welcomes families to their Kiowa Lunar New Year Celebration on February 19. Their festive celebration will include decorations, snacks, crafts, and a chance to discover your zodiac animal.
Jefferson County Public Library is hosting a Lunar New Year Celebration at Belmar Library on February 18. The event will feature a special presentation and performance by the Guided Mountain Dragon and Lion Dance Association.
What’s New from the Colorado State Library
Colorado State Publications Blog
Behind the scenes of Colorado’s civil rights movement. Colorado State Publications Library partnered with JSTOR’s Reveal Digital service to digitize state agency publications related to the civil rights movement in Colorado.
Accessibility
Accessibility Quick Tip: Tables. Learn about design features that make tables more accessible for individuals using assistive technology.
Book Club Sets
Book Club Author Suggestion: Lois Lowry. Read more about this popular children’s and young adult author, and learn how libraries can check out her titles for their book clubs.
Learning Opportunities
All events are online except where a location is noted.
- Child Abuse & Neglect Reporting
- February 17, 1:00 – 2:00 pm
- Tax Credits and Resources with Get Ahead Colorado
- February 23, 12:00 – 12:45 pm
- The Reading Culture Advantage: Cracking the Code on Reader Engagement
- February 26, 4:00 – 5:00 pm
- The Importance of Monsters: How Engaging in the Horror Genre Sparks Bravery
- March 4, 4:00 – 5:00 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 Woodshop – High Plains Library District
- Library Assistant – Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Courier (Temporary) – Arapahoe Library District
- Librarian – Adult Reference, Southglenn – Arapahoe Library District
- Library Technician – Cataloging – Longmont Public Library
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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