Friday Grab Bag, June 13, 2025 – Colorado Virtual Library

4 children and a dog pose next to a lemonade stand. — *Business just isn’t booming. Golden Transcript, June 19, 1975*

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

Make it Great

High Plains Library District invites you to create stunning hand-bound books using Japanese 4-Hole Book Binding technique. You’ll learn the basics and explore stitching variations at this hands-on class on June 14 at Carbon Valley Regional Library.

Celebrate the Strawberry Moon by making Paper Moon Note Cards at Alamosa Public Library on June 18. Josephine will lead this crafting class for adults.

A coach and 3 baseball players watch the game from the dugout. — *Like a Scene from Mudville. The Banner, June 18, 1975*

Broomfield Public Library is hosting a Cosplay and Costuming Meetup on June 18 at the inventHQ Makerspace. Staff and volunteers will be available to help you create the perfect costume for that upcoming Ren Fest or fandom convention.

Mesa County Libraries invites adults to a Character Creation and Item Swap for D&D and more on June 18 at Central Library. Get ready for your next TTRPG session by creating your character and meeting other players.

Montrose Regional Library District is celebrating World Wide Knit in Public Day with an event on June 14. View a community art installation, enjoy refreshments, and work on a knitting or crochet project in the company of fellow enthusiasts.

Buena Vista Public Library is offering their popular Intro to Fly Fishing class on June 14. Spend the day with a local angler learning and practicing the basics.

Park County Public Libraries welcomes beginners and enthusiasts alike to Fly Tying Class with Greg T. on June 14 at Bailey Library. Enjoy this introduction to the art of fly tying.

Use your existing computer software to create beautiful photographs at West Custer County Library’s Photo Editing Workshop on June 17. You’ll work with Microsoft Photos, a free app available on any Windows device.

Ridgway Library District welcomes Native Plant Masters Mary Menz and Sandra Dick for Plants and their Ethnobotanical Uses on June 14. You’ll learn about traditional uses for local plants and make a dandelion-infused lip balm.

Meet and Greet

A father poses with his 3 young children. — *A salute to fathers. Golden Transcript, June 13, 1985*

Aurora Public Library invites you to Global Fest on June 14 at the Aurora Municipal Center Great Lawn. This showcase of international cultures will feature music and dance performances, local food trucks and other vendors, a parade, a fashion show, and much more.

Ouray Library District is hosting the Ouray International Film Festival Directors Meet and Greet on June 17 at 5:00 pm. The 6th Annual Festival runs June 19-22.

Pikes Peak Library District is hosting a Homeschool Curriculum Swap on June 20 at East Library. Homeschoolers can bring curriculum, educational materials, books, and more to give to other homeschoolers at this once-a-year event.

Explore and Play

Pines & Plains Libraries will host Denver Botanic Gardens for Ecological Explorations on June 18 at Elizabeth Library. This hands-on class will teach kids about the roles of plants, animals, and decomposers in a prairie ecosystem.

Delta County Libraries welcomes teens to Laser Tag Lockdown at Hotchkiss Library on June 20. This glow-in-the-dark team event will test your stealth, speed, and strategy as you navigate obstacles on the way to victory.

Boulder Public Library’s South Boulder Photo Scavenger Hunt started on June 1 and continues through July 31. Photographers of any age and experience level can participate—bonus points will be awarded for creativity!

A man in a suit and bowtie walks down a path with his dog. — *Path to the Lake. The Rocky Mountain News Daily, June 14, 1945*

What’s New from the Colorado State Library

Learning Opportunities

All events are online except where a location is noted.

12th Annual Kraemer Copyright Conference
- June 16, 17, 18, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Ent Center, University of Colorado Colorado Springs
Empowered De-escalation: Cultivating Safety in Libraries
- June 24, 10:00 – 11:00 am
Ageless Grace Library Practitioner Community of Practice (Invite Only)
- June 24, 12:00 – 1:00 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 June 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 Specialist (full-time & part-time, Gunbarrel) – Boulder Public Library District
Production Graphic Designer – Boulder Public Library District
Volunteer Program Coordinator – Boulder Public Library District
Workstation Admin – Marmot Library Network
Branch Operations Manager, Business Library – University of Colorado Boulder Libraries
Head of Technical Services, Westminster Law Library – University of Denver
Part-time 25 hour Concierge (Spanish speaking candidates preferred) – Anythink Thornton Community Center

A girl holds up the trout she caught. — *2 pound German Brown Trout caught by Pat Simillion. The Steamboat Pilot, June 17, 1965*

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.