Friday Grab Bag, October 21, 2022

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!

Eerie Events

Northern Saguache County Library District is hosting a series of community storytelling events leading up to Halloween, where locals can share their personal “Stories of the Unexplained.” The next events are happening at Baca Grande Library on October 26 at 5:00 pm and Saguache Public Library on October 27 at 5:30 pm. Events calendar.

Denver Public Library invites you to Meet the Authors of Denver Noir. Join editor Cynthia Swanson (author of The Bookseller) and contributors David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Manuel Ramos, and R. Alan Brooks as they discuss and read from their stories in the just-released anthology Denver Noir. The latest addition to Akashic Books’ award-winning Noir series, Denver Noir features fourteen “dark, morally ambiguous” stories, each set in a distinct Denver neighborhood. Oct. 29, 3:00-4:30 pm at the Sam Gary Branch. Event details.

Join Garfield County Libraries at the Rifle Branch Library for Locked-In at the Library, the greatest Halloween slumber party lock-in of all time—planned with kids for kids! They’ll have breakfast at midnight, musical chairs, games with prizes, and much more. Check-in begins at 8:00 pm on Friday, Oct. 28. This event is free and open to all 10 to 13 year olds. An in-person parent/guardian consent is required, and special conditions apply. Please call or visit the library in advance for full details.

Cañon City Public Library is hosting their annual Pumpkins in the Plaza on October 29 at 1:00 pm. There will be pumpkin painting, a costume contest, and a trunk or treat! Event details.

High Plains Library District will host the Rocky Mountain Paranormal Research Society for their presentation, Colorado Ghost Stories, October 22 at Lincoln Park Library. Learn about their investigations of classic Colorado haunts and urban legends. Event details.

Join Pitkin County Library for their annual Halloween Book Club, followed by a tour of haunted Aspen led by Dean of Dean’s Aspen Walking Tours. The book selection is What Moves the Dead, by T. Kingfisher. Seats are limited and registration is required.

Creative Corner

Summit County Libraries has started a new Lego Club for Adults in two locations:

• Bricks and Brews meets the 2nd Thursday of the month at Broken Compass Brewery in Breckenridge
• Bricks & Bevs meets the the 3rd Thursday of the month at The PAD in Silverthorne

It’s Ladies Night at Silverton Public Library on October 21 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Bring a dish or appetizer to share and a cookbook to exchange. Contact the library for more information.

National Novel Writing Month is almost here, and Pikes Peak Library District is gearing up with a NaNoWriMo Kick-Off Party on October 29 at Rockrimmon Library. Come meet other writers and learn about this popular annual event. More details.

Westminster Public Library invites teens aged 12-18 to use the Force (and some craft supplies) to Build Your Own Lightsaber, October 22 at Irving Street Library. These light-up laser swords make a great addition to a Halloween costume. Register online.

Pick ‘n’ Mix

Got a BIG idea for SMALL & Rural Libraries? Engage, energize, and inspire your peers at CLiC’s Virtual Winter Workshop (formerly spring workshop), Feb. 23-24, 2023. Submit a proposal for a 45-minute session or a 15-minute Microlearning session. Check out CLiC’s Proposal Guide to see if presenting is right for you. Submission deadline is Sunday, November 20, 2022 @ 11:55 pm. Questions? Just ask at clichelp@clicweb.org.

Arapahoe Libraries’ Shadow Puppet Workshop with Danielle SeeWalker is November 14 at Eloise May Library. Kids will learn the Lakota tale of “Iktómi and the Ducks,” then create their own puppets and stories. Event details.

Berthoud Community Library District is hosting Food for Thoughts, a locally sourced breakfast and community discussion on October 21 at 8:00 am. This month’s theme is “Water and Wastewater.” Registration is required.

What’s New at Colorado State Library

Library Program Spotlight

• Submit Your Awesome Library Program for a Spotlight Feature. CSL is launching a new series on Colorado Virtual Library to feature library programs from across the state, and we want to hear from you. Brag a little! Celebrate what you’ve done and plant the seed of an idea for another library.

SWIFT News

• SWIFT/Prospector Reconciliation Process

Learning Opportunities

• Fall Youth Services Workshops – learn about and give feedback on the 2023 summer program
  • Erie, November 7, 2022, 10:30 am – 4:30 pm. Register
  • Pueblo, November 10, 2022, 10:30 am – 4:30 pm. Register
  • Delta, November 15, 2022, 10:30 am – 4:30 pm. Register
  • Bayfield, November 18, 2022, 10:30 am – 4:30 pm. Register
• CSL in Session: Planting Seeds for Success-FULL Focus Groups. November 9, 2022. 12:00 – 1:00 pm. Event details; No registration required.
• Solar Eclipse Workshop, presented by the STAR Library Network
  • Mesa County Central Library, November 30, 2022, 10:30 am – 4:30 pm. Event details; registration coming soon.
• Online Learning Opportunities in October 2022 for Library Staff. Browse this great list of free online learning opportunities shared with us by Wyoming State Library.

Library Research Service

• Pouncing on Prejudice: Mitigating Assumptions and Bias in Research

Colorado State Publications Library

• Voting Information: What you need to know

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.

• Program and Outreach Coordinator – Akron Public Library
• Public Services Coordinator – Spanish Services – Jefferson County Public Library
• Patron Experience Associate – Jefferson County Public Library, Conifer Library
• Kids & Family Librarian – Jefferson County Public Library, Evergreen & Conifer Libraries
• Patron Experience Ambassador, Jefferson County Public Library, Arvada
• Patron Experience Associate – Jefferson County Public Library, Edgewater Library
• Creative Technologist – Boulder Public Library
• Technical Services Librarian – Native American Rights Fund, Boulder
• Collection Development Librarian (2 positions) – Auraria Library, Denver
• Data Librarian – University of Colorado Boulder Libraries, Norlin Library
• Collections and Exhibits Curator – Douglas County Libraries, Castle Rock
• Supervisor – Arapahoe Library District, Koelbel Library

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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.