Welcome to the Curiosity Center
As we entered Meadowlark School in Erie, Colorado, we were greeted by several eighth grade students and Marnie Steele, Curiosity …
Library Research Service
The Library Research Service (LRS) is an office of the Colorado State Library. LRS thoughtfully collects, analyzes, and distributes data that is relevant and actionable to Colorado communities and empowers library staff to do the same.
Here you will find some cross-posts from the LRS blog. Visit the LRS website at LRS.org.
Tales from a Model Makerspace
Ron Schermacher, the Idea Lab Educator at Ignacio Community Library in southwest Colorado, was once a regular library user who …
Check Out Colorado State Parks – 2025 Statistical Report
2025 was another banner year for this popular program!
Where Art and Research Meet
When entering Peak to Peak Charter School’s library building in Lafayette, Colorado, visitors are met with a colorful floor-to-ceiling mural. …
“The Heart” and “the Lifeblood of this Community”
A stunning line of jagged peaks comes into view during the drive west across Custer County towards Westcliffe, Colorado. Once …
Live and Loud from the Library
The quiet room on the second floor of a mountain community’s public library is an unlikely place to attend a …
Drawing From Thirty Blueprint Posts
The Public Library Blueprints (PLB) blog started in January 2023 with the idea that each post could both share a piece of …
Interlibrary Loan: Expanding Access in Carceral Settings
Interlibrary loan (ILL) service makes it possible for library patrons to access materials from libraries across the state by placing …
Was That a Reference Question?
Many frontline library workers are asked to count certain interactions with patrons, such as the number of reference questions they …
Heat (Map) of Summer Library Hours
Did you know that some library locations change their hours in the summer? When school is out, summer reading is …
Celebrating Audiobooks from Our Libraries!
Libraries are updating their audiobook collections, so let’s take a deep dive into the data tracking these changes.
How Well Do You Know Your Library’s Community?
An LRS tool can help you track down community data and test your knowledge. At Library Research Service (LRS) we …
Valuing Your Library
How do you begin to put a price tag on a library and its services? While many of us may …
SWIFT 2025 Fast Facts
Check out the inaugural edition of SWIFT Fast Facts by Library Research Service at LRS.org! SWIFT is a service of …
The Latest Cartography for Colorado Library Systems
LRS has combined the boundaries of all Colorado public library systems onto one map using the latest data available…
Leveling Up Our Mapping Tools
Introducing the 2025 PLB Expansion Pack! After two years (it’s been two years already?!) of Public Library Blueprints (PLB) posts, …
Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection 2024 Fast Facts
Check out the third edition of the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection Fast Facts report by Library Research Service at LRS.org. The Colorado Historic …
Library Research Service Blog Survey
To kick off 2025, Library Research Service (LRS) wants to hear from you! If you have a minute to spare, …
Stories for Library Spaces
Happy holidays, library world! This time of year when we gather with family and friends, which can be both joyful …
The Ins and Outs of Incorporating External Data
In September, we took a hiatus from The Public Library Blueprints to explore the 2023 Public Library Technology Survey Summary …