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
A Ghoulishly Good Time
Summit County Library invites you to their 2nd Annual Halloween Party at the Main Library in Frisco on October 25 at 3:00 pm. Join them for spooktacular games, treats, and a costume contest.
Aurora Public Library is hosting a Día de Los Muertos Craft Fair on November 2 from 4:00 to 5:00 pm at Tallyn’s Reach Library. Make a variety of paper crafts and participate in a special scavenger hunt—no registration required.
Pines & Plains Libraries invites you to join Nature’s Educators to learn about the Animals of Halloween on October 18 at 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Meet some of the animals associated with Halloween and learn about their habitats and lifestyles.
Englewood Public Library’s annual Kids JamBOOree is October 26 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Kids are invited to wear their costumes and enjoy carnival style games and crafts.
Join Wilkinson Public Library for a magical Harry Potter Halloween celebration on October 18 from 1:00 to 6:00 pm. Tweens and teens are invited to dress up as their favorite characters, sip on mystical brews, test their wizarding knowledge, and watch a Harry Potter movie.
High Plains Library District will host author and TV personality Richard Estep for Coast to Coast Ghosts on October 21 at Carbon Valley Regional Library. Estep will take you on a spine-tingling journey to some of the most haunted places in the country.
Join Meeker Regional Library District for a Children’s Halloween Monster Hunt on October 30 at 11:00 am. Find a monster hidden in the Children’s Room to win a prize.
Jefferson County Public Library invites little ghosts and goblins to the Halloween Parade on October 25, 11:00 am, at Lakewood Library. Beware: this might be the cutest event of the season!
Lifetime Learners
CU Boulder’s Earth Sciences & Map Library is hosting a new exhibition, Topophilia, now through August 2025. The exhibition invites viewers to meditate upon their own relationships to place through the prints of Johanna Mueller, ceramic installations by Rita Vali, and a collection of gorgeous maps from the University Libraries.
Pine River Library welcomes author and historian Andrew Gulliford for 150 Years of La Plata County History on October 23 at 6:00 pm. Gulliford’s presentation will cover Buffalo soldiers, female jackpackers, prospectors, gunslingers and much more.
Gunnison County Libraries is launching Lunchtime Spanish classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from November 5 to December 19. Beginners will meet at 11:30 am followed by Intermediates at 12:30 pm.
Accessibility Corner
News, tips, and resources to support technology accessibility
- Advocating for and Implementing Accessibility Practices in an Organization. Re-posted from Accessibility Minute, the e-Newsletter of the CU Boulder Digital Accessibility Office.
What’s New from the Colorado State Library
SWIFT Interlibrary Loan
Book Club Resource
CSL Podcast
Learning Opportunities
All events are online except where a location is noted.
- Summer Drop in Chats
- October 22, 11:00 am
- November 5, 11:00 am
- November 19, 11:00 am
- Everyday Evaluations (3-part series)
- Part I – Ethics. October 15, 11:00 am
- Part II – Collection. October 29, 11:00 am
- Part III – Analysis and Visualization. November 12, 11:00 am
- The Importance of Monsters: How Engaging in the Horror Genre Sparks Adolescent Bravery
- October 21, 11:00 am
- The Best Professional Learning You’ve Ever Led!
- October 22, 4:00 pm
- De-escalation Skills Workshop – Colorado Only
- October 24, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
- This course is full – email Christine Kreger to be added to the waitlist
- Virtual Partner Forum: Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention
- November 12, 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm
- 2024-25 Youth Services Learning Community (Southeast Region)
- November 14, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, Woodruff Memorial Library in La Junta
- PHPR Collaborative and Libraries – Like French Fries and Frosty’s (Strange? You mean GREAT!)
- November 14, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
- CSL in Session: How Wide is Your Window: A Thoughtful Approach to EDI Family Programming
- November 19, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
- Leading from Within: Cultivating Managerial Self-Care for Resilient Organizations
- November 20, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
- 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.
- Public Library Senior Consultant – Colorado State Library
- Patron Experience Associate (Part Time) – Jefferson County Public Library
- Patron Experience Associate – Belmar Library – Jefferson County Public Library
- Early Literacy Specialist – Douglas County Libraries
- Library Services Specialist, Day-time Service Point Support – University of Colorado Boulder Libraries
- Chicano Newspapers Grant Project Student Assistant – University of Colorado Denver
- Community Resource Navigator – Boulder Public Library District
- Librarian – Hampden Branch – Denver Public Library
- Administrative Specialist – Information Services – Arapahoe Library District
- Sr. Language Library Specialist, Russian fluency -Eloise May Library – 2 positions – Arapahoe Library District
- Sr. Language Library Specialist, Spanish fluency -Davies Library – Arapahoe Library District
- Sr. Language Library Specialist, Spanish fluency -Kelver Library – Arapahoe Library District
- Sr. Language Library Specialist, Spanish fluency -Smoky Hill Library – 2 positions – Arapahoe Library District
- Sr. Language Library Specialist, Spanish fluency -Koelbel Library – Arapahoe Library District
- Sr. Language Library Specialist, Spanish fluency -Sheridan Library – Arapahoe Library District
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.
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