Program Spotlight: Pueblo Community College Library’s Shelfie Day

We’ve asked libraries across Colorado to submit program they’ve run in the last year that they’re proud of and they want the rest of us to see and celebrate. Sharing stories in books is great… but what about our stories? The stories of the ways our libraries bring the community together, enrich the lives of our neighbors, and serve the people who live and work in our cities and towns.

Dawn Reitz answered our call and we’re excited to let them tell you about Pueblo Community College Library’s National Library Shelfie Day! in their own words.

Library Name: Pueblo Community College Library

City/ Town: Pueblo

Program Name: National Library Shelfie Day!

Date/ Date Range of Program: January 25, 2023

Intended Audience: College students and all of Pueblo Community College

Description:

We celebrated National Library Shelfie Day by encouraging students, faculty and staff to come into the library and get their picture taken with our large book display. Two of our student workers created a 2-row circle with books, and our Arts & Lit collection provided the backdrop. The photos were printed and displayed on the library entry windows and doors and Pueblo Community College’s Facebook page.

How did you come up with the idea for this program?

I saw the book display idea on the internet.

What partners (if any) did you work with in developing or implementing this program?

We did it all on our own.

What about this program did you find successful? How did you measure the success of this program?

We received a diverse group (students, faculty & staff) of people participating – 35 that we could count– and that was success to us.

Final Thoughts:

This program was so well received we will visit this again next year.

Dawn Reitz has permitted us to share their contact information so that anyone interested in reaching out to them about their program can do so. It is an incredibly generous offer of which you are invited to avail yourself if you’re inspired by their work and want to celebrate them or if you have questions about ways you can follow their lead.

To reach Dawn, email them at dawn.reitz@pueblocc.edu

Resources shared in this post include:

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Colorado State Library (and the readers of this point as well, no doubt) understands how time consuming, emotionally draining, costly (in so many ways), and challenging it can be to run a program or project. Sometimes they fail gloriously… sometimes they fail with barely a whisper. It can be hard to recover from that. You’ve worked so hard!… and it just didn’t work out. Be gentle with yourself. Self-reflect. Pick up the pieces. And then get to the next thing. It’ll be worth it.

For all those other times, be sure to celebrate. Brag about it! Feel good about yourself, the team that collaborated on your work, and the community members who participated with it. Celebrate your hard work and the value that you contribute to your community.

Tell us the story of your program just like this library did here. Submit your library’s program for a Program Spotlight featured here and shared as far as Colorado State Library news reaches.