Friday Grab Bag, July 18, 2025

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

Reimagine and Revitalize

Pueblo City-County Library District invites their community to Trash to Treasure: Reimagining Possibility, an exhibit by Jordan Residential and Vocational Services Inc. on July 19 at Rawlings. Resident artists created meaningful works of art using only recycled trash materials and miscellaneous craft scraps.

At their next Pioneering workshop, Garfield County Libraries will help participants make Beeswax Candles and Food Wraps. Join the eco-friendly crafting fun on July 19 at Silt Branch.

Learn to care for those Ornery Orchids with the Orchid Doctor, Brandon Griep, on July 21 at Wilkinson Public LIbrary. Bring your orchids to re-pot, get your questions answered, and enter the raffle to get some orchid swag.

Loveland Public Library invites teens to create Edible Mosaics on July 24. Participants will use candy to make designs as creative as they are tasty.

The catwalk is open for Mesa County Libraries’ Trashion Show on July 23 at Central Library. Teens will work in teams to create a designer outfit using clean trash and recyclables. 

Pick ‘n’ Mix

Alamosa Public Library invites you to a Ribbon Cutting for their new Storywalk arch, a gift from the Friends of the Library. Join them on July 18 at 10:00 am, when the Mayor will read the new Storywalk story, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” by Judi Barrett.

It’s a wrap! Aurora Public Library is hosting its SOI (Summer of Imagination) Wrap Party on July 19 at Tallyn’s Reach Library. Come celebrate with cool treats and fun beats.

July 12 is Mario Day at Estes Valley Library. Kids and teens are invited to celebrate the plucky plumber with crafts, costumes, and games.

Denver Public Library is delighted to present Killer Plots: Women of Mystery Fiction, a panel featuring Stephanie Kane (True Crime Redux), Ann Claire (Cyclist’s Guide to Crime and Croissants) and Patricia Raybon (Truth Be Told) on July 24, 6-8pm, at DPL Central. From legal thrillers to bookshop cozies and historical crime fiction, these authors will discuss their inspirations, the craft of suspense, and the evolving role of women in the mystery genre.

Make and Bake

Silverton Public Library is hosting an Amateur Bake-Off on July 18. The competition is open to bakers of all ages, and prizes will be awarded for Best Taste, Best Presentation, Most Creative, and People’s Choice.

At Anythink’s Explore and Make Fermented Foods, participants will learn the basics of making simple countertop-fermented foods like sourdough, sauerkraut, kombucha, and even hot sauce. Local expert Scott Noble will lead the class on July 19 at Anythink Bennett.

Level up your cheese and cracker game with Poudre Libraries’ The Art of Charcuterie, July 24 at Harmony Library. Teens are invited to learn all about the art of appealing food presentation.

With harvest season approaching, you’ll want to check out the Pickling class offered by Pikes Peak Library Library on July 23 at Library 21c. This foundational food preservation technique can be used to make pickles, relish, salsa, and chutney. 

At Jefferson County Public Library’s Teen VEX Robotics Camp, engineers in grades 6-12 will learn to build robots, then put them to the test in a competition. This five-day event runs from July 21-25 at Belmar Library.

Spanish Peaks Library District invites you to the 2nd Annual Huerfano Maker Convention on July 19 at the Huerfano County Community Center. Come participate in workshops, shop the maker market, and experience live maker and artist demos.

What’s New from the Colorado State Library

Colorado State Publications Blog

Colorado’s Governors: Ralph L. Carr

Book Club Resource

Navigating Loss Through the Power of Shared Stories

Learning Opportunities

All events are online except where a location is noted.

• Balancing the Books: Addressing Economic Insecurity Among Library Workers
  • August 6, 1:00 – 2:00 pm
• Illuminate Colorado – Stewards of Children (Colorado Only)
  • August 28, 1:00 – 4:00 pm
• Illuminate Colorado- Lines in the Sand (Colorado Only)
  • September 9, 1:00 – 3:00 pm
• The Colorado Information Analysis Center (CIAC): Department of Public Safety
  • September 15, 1:30 – 2:30 pm
• Unraveling Legacy Toxicity: Navigating Dysfunctional Environments in Leadership
  • September 23, 1:00 – 2:00 pm
• Find even more learning opportunities:
  • Libraries Learn Calendar from Colorado State Library
  • Continuing Education Calendar from Maine State Library (note: all MSL events are listed in Eastern time). A different view of these events is available at Free Online Learning Opportunities for July 2025.

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 (School/Public Combined) – Cripple Creek – Victor School District RE-1
• Library Supervisor – Buena Vista Public Library (Northern Chaffee County Library District)
• Digital Imaging Technologist – University of Colorado Boulder Libraries
• Library Services Associate (Hybrid) – Colorado Technical University
• Library Co-Director – Lone Cone Library District
• Assistant Supervisor, Library Branch – Arapahoe Library District
• Outreach Librarian – Town of Eaton Public Library
• Library Specialist – Part-Time (Meadows) – Boulder Public 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, hitchner_a@cde.state.co.us.

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