Friday Grab Bag, March 29, 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!

Congratulations

Mesa County Libraries has been named a finalist for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) 2024 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The National Medal is the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries that demonstrate excellence in service to their communities. Winners will be announced the last week of May, and a national ceremony and celebration will be held in Washington, DC, in July. Read the press release.

Fun Times

Summit County Library announces two fun events for kids and teens this April:

• South Branch is hosting an After Hours Nerf Night on April 5 for ages 7-11 and April 6 for ages 12-18.
• North Branch is holding a Nintendo Switch tournament on April 16 for tweens and teens. The winner of the Switch Sports Bowling tournament will be crowned with the Golden Yoshi Award!

Aurora Public Library is hosting an all-ages Meme Painting Challenge in March. Library staff will award prizes to the top three entries on March 30. Registration is required.

Pueblo City-County Library District invites tween and teens to finish out Spring Break with Tie Dye Eggs. The Rawlings Branch is offering this craft event on March 29 at 3:00 pm.

Registration is now open for the Fort Morgan Museum’s 2024 Summer Camp for children ages 5 to 12 from June 12 – July 17. This free camp will offer exciting activities like Mummy Making, Indiana Jones adventure day, a fossil dig, and much more!

On Display

CU Boulder Norlin Library’s Know Your Nosh: Food, Jewishness & Identity exhibit explores the role of food and agriculture within Jewish cultural, national and political identities. It will be on display outside of the Rare and Distinctive Collections classroom in Norlin Library until May 2024.

Pikes Peak Library District’s Homeschool Art Show Exhibit is April 1 – 30 at East Library. Drop by to view art contributed by K-12 homeschool students from across the district.

West Custer County Library and CSU Extension are hosting an all-ages Science Fair on March 29. Set up begins at 3:00 pm and the reception starts at 4:00. Prizes will be awarded in each age category.

Take the Stage

Pine River Library is partnering with Bayfield School District to celebrate National Poetry Month with a Community Poetry Slam on April 4 at 6:00 pm. Middle and high school students and members of the community are welcome to sign up to participate.

Broomfield Library welcomes Grammy-nominated and internationally-renowned jazz pianist Art Lande for Old Friends, a concert featuring the Art Lande DreamBand II on April 5 at 7:00 pm. Register to secure your seat for this special event.

Final Friday Open Mic is Delta County Libraries’ monthly opportunity for creativity and expression. Whether you are a new or seasoned performer, this is a welcoming atmosphere to share your talents. The next event is on March 29 at Paonia Library.

Join Jefferson County Public Library for Combining the Worlds of Music and Poetry: A Performance-Based Workshop on April 3 at Belmar Library. Poet, actor, and musician Cipriano Ortega will explore how to use the voice, body, and music to create sonic worlds.

Poudre Libraries and Front Range Community College announce the revival of the library’s poetry contest, now called Howl of the Hearts. Finalists from February’s contest will read their poems aloud at a special poetry reading on April 4, 7:00 pm, at FRCC Long’s Peak Student Center. The event will also include a literacy engagement activity from CSU’s Community Literacy Center.

Pick ‘n’ Mix

Lafayette Public Library welcomes Colorado Master Gardener volunteers for Colorado Gardening Challenges on April 4 at 6:30 pm. Learn about specific issues and tips for gardening in our state.

Buena Vista Public Library is offering a class on Basic Bike Repair, April 6 at 10:00 am. Learn how to fix a flat, adjust your brakes, and perform other routine maintenance.

Mancos Public Library, in collaboration with The Cloud Goddess, is Celebrating Women’s History Month on March 30 at 3:00 pm. Join them for mocktails and a presentation on remarkable women leaders from their local community.

What’s New at Colorado State Library

Colorado State Publications Blog

• Colorado’s Governors: Clarence J. Morley

PLA Conference in Columbus, OH

• Colorado Libraries at PLA 2024

Accessibility

• The Skinny on Accessibility Overlays. Are they worth the risk?

Cataloging Fundamentals

• Item Records and the Processing Workflow

Learning Opportunities

• Implementation of Telehealth Services in Rural Public Libraries
  • April 3, 1:00 – 2:00 pm
  • Registration is required
• CSL in Session: The Science Behind Our Burnout: Compassion Fatigue in Libraries
  • April 9, 12:00 – 1:00 pm
  • No registration required
• Fostering Inclusive Mentorship: Strategies for Supporting Librarians Across Their Careers
  • April 15, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
  • Registration required
• Colorado Resource Sharing Conference
  • April 17 (pre-conference) & 18, online
  • Register by April 15
• 36th Annual Colorado Teen Literature Conference
  • April 20 at Bear Creek High School in Lakewood
  • Registration will close when full
• 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.

• Library Director – Lone Cone Library District
• Director – Ruby M. Sisson Memorial Library
• Assistant Librarian – Lafayette Public Library
• Patron Training Specialist – Jefferson County Public Library
• Library Assistant Substitute (Adult Services) – Bemis Public Library
• Library Page – High Plains Library District
• Outreach Librarian (Assistant Professor of Library Services) – Colorado State University Pueblo
• Creative Technologist – 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, ahitchner@coloradovirtuallibrary.org.

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