Friday Grab Bag, February 2, 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!

Made with Love

Give your cards a personal touch this year! Aurora Public Library is hosting a Handmade Valentine making event for adults on February 7 at Central Library.

Enjoy an afternoon of Valentine’s Day Cookie Decorating with Lake County Public Library on February 7 at 3:30 pm. Create something special and sweet for your loved ones.

Bee My Valentine is a bee-themed card making event from Pueblo City-County Library District. The class will be led by Shannon Miller, the Sizzlen Stamper, on February 3 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at Pueblo West.

UFOs and ETs

Broomfield Library invites the curious-minded to What’s Up with UFOs? presented by Standley Lake Stargazing on February 6 at 7:00 pm. Explore recent reports and mysterious footage with an open mind.

Pikes Peak Library District will host the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society for their presentation The Search for Extraterrestrials: The Real Life Search for Life Elsewhere in Our Solar System on February 7 at Old Colorado City Library. Come learn how our understanding of life on Earth helps us in our search for life on other worlds.

You probably won’t find any extraterrestrial visitors at High Plains Library District’s UFO Group, but you will find crafters working on their UnFinished Objects. This group meets monthly at LINC; their next meeting is February 2 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Learning Together

At an upcoming Lafayette Learns event, Lafayette Public Library will host local history librarian Shelene Searight for her presentation Stories from the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. Learn what life was like in mid-century Lafayette by exploring newspapers in the free CHNC database. This event is on February 8 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.

La Veta Public Library welcomes sailors Don Atwood and Julie Dunne for their presentation Passage to Paradise on February 2, 4:00 pm, at Francisco Center for the Performing Arts. The two will share their experiences from a 7500 mile voyage sailing from Mexico to French Polynesia to Fiji in 2023.

Join Pitkin County Library for a Beading Bonanza on February 3 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. Learn the basics of jewelry making with starter projects—all skill levels welcome.

Pick ‘n’ Mix

Poudre Libraries announces that Fort Collins Book Fest is February 1 – 19, with free community events across Fort Collins including author talks, panels, workshops, social events, and a reading challenge. This year’s theme is One Community, Many Stories.

Denver Public Library invites you to the 2024 Juanita Gray Community Service Awards and Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame Ceremony on February 3 from 1:30 to 3:30 pm at the Blair-Caldwell African American Research Library. Join them as they honor this year’s nominees for their contributions, announce the award recipients, and introduce the newly selected Hall of Fame inductees.

East Morgan County Library District invites adults to break bread together at Share the Loaf on February 3 at 3:00 pm. Bring a sweet or savory bread to share; the library will provide drinks and conversation starters.

What’s New at Colorado State Library

Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection

• 4 MILLION+ Pages of Colorado Historic Newspapers! With so many pages, how do you find the good stuff?

Colorado State Publications Blog

• Colorado State Parks: North Sterling

Library Research Service

• Here’s a Hand with Histograms

Learning Opportunities

• CSL in Session: Trends & Libraries
  • February 8, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
  • No registration needed
• Colorado’s Talent Pipeline Report: Workforce Stats and Essential Info for Libraries
  • February 9, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
  • Registration required
• Shine-a-Light: Building a Schoolwide Reading Community
  • February 21, 4:00 – 5:00 pm
  • Registration required
• De-escalation Skills Workshop (Colorado staff only)
  • February 22, 1:00 – 3:00 pm
  • Registration is full
• HESTL EdCON (statewide K-12 library conference)
  • June 6, 2024 in Lone Tree
  • Submit a proposal by March 15
• Find even more learning opportunities by browsing the Libraries Learn Calendar from Colorado State Library or the Continuing Education Calendar from Maine State Library.

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.

• Library Director – Clearview Library District
• Librarian/Assistant Branch Manager – Pueblo City-County Library District
• Library Manager 3 – Pueblo City-County Library District
• Collections Student Assistant Student Assistant VI – University of Colorado Denver Auraria Library
• Metadata Librarian – Strauss Health Sciences Library
• Access Services Specialist – Strauss Health Sciences Library
• Full-time 40 hour Concierge (Spanish speaking candidates desired) – Anythink Bennett
• Training Specialist – Jefferson County Public Library
• Patron Experience Associate – Arvada Library – Jefferson County Public Library
• Teen Librarian – Edgewater & Wheat Ridge Libraries – Jefferson County Public Library
• Lower School Library Assistant – Colorado Academy
• Library Associate Substitute Virtual Services – High Plains 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.