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
Literary Love
The Berthoud Community Library & Friends present the first annual Berthoud Literary Festival (BLF), September 20-22. This year’s inaugural theme is “Made in Colorado.” Events include author sessions, writers workshops, book circles, and keynotes from Kathleen Donnelly and Peter Heller.
Gilpin County Public Library is launching a New Nonfiction Book Club that will meet every other month starting October 8 at 6:00 pm. Copies of the book club title are available at the circulation desk.
Mesa County Libraries Comic Con is September 20 & 21 at the Grand Junction Convention Center. The event boasts a variety of activities including an Expo Hall, Panel Presentations, Super Smash Bros Tournament, and Cosplay Contests.
To celebrate National Comic Book Day, Aurora Public Library invites kids to Make Your Own Comic Book on September 25, 4:00 pm, at Tallyn’s Reach Library. All supplies will be provided.
Front Range Community College is hosting an Author Talk with Jamie LaRue on September 25 from 6:00 to 7:30 pm at Westminster Public Library. Join him for a discussion on censorship and defending the right to read. Download the flyer (pdf).
Attention zine fans: the 2024 Denver Zine Fest is September 21 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm at the Globeville Center. Come visit with a wide variety of exhibitors at this free event. Pre-Fest activities on September 20 include an Open House at the Denver Zine Library from 4:30 to 5:30 pm, and Doodle Fights at Ratio Beerworks from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.
Get Involved
Arapahoe Libraries is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a variety of music, art, and cultural events. Throughout the month you can learn to dance the salsa and bachata, enjoy a Latin folk music performance, or create a Panamanian mola.
Estes Valley Library invites kids to open crafting time on September 29 at 1:30 pm for the 2nd Annual Catch the Glow Children’s Float Contest. The model holiday themed floats are due by October 5, and the winning design will be adapted to a life-size float for the Catch the Glow Parade the day after Thanksgiving.
High Plains Library District welcomes the Merry Mixers Square Dancers for a Free Community Square Dance at LINC on September 21 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. All ages are welcome! Come alone or bring friends for a fun afternoon of low-impact dancing.
Meeker Regional Library District invites you to Make a Homecoming Sign in support of the Meeker Cowboys football team from September 23 to 27 at 4:00 pm. Bring your poster to display at the homecoming game!
Bring your paddle to Open Ping Pong at Silverton Public Library, September 27 at 4:00 pm. Enjoy some friendly competition open to all skill levels.
Pick ‘n’ Mix
The Fort Morgan Museum is hosting a Lord of the Rings program on September 21 at 2:00 pm. Experience Middle Earth through cuisine, trivia, and challenges.
Garfield County Libraries welcomes performer Anna Marie Murphy in Concert on October 2, 6:00 pm, at Rifle Branch Library. The evening will include popular jazzy tunes from 1930 to the present.
Lyons Community Library is hosting The Yip About Prairie Dogs with Boulder County Parks & Open Space on September 24 at 6:30 pm. Come learn about the ecology, social structure, life cycle, behavior, and language of these fascinating prairie dwellers.
Accessibility Corner
News, tips, and resources to support technology accessibility
- Who is Accessibility For? Benefits of accessible web content are widespread.
What’s New from the Colorado State Library
Library Research Service
Colorado State Publications Library
CSL Podcast
Program Spotlight
Learning Opportunities
- Summer Drop in Chats
- September 24, 11:00 am
- October 8, 11:00 am
- October 22, 11:00 am
- No registration required
- CSL in Session: Seeing the Unseen; Raising the Visibility of Equity Work
- September 25, 12:00 – 1:00 pm
- Registration required
- Connecting Authors and Students: How to Host Author Talks in Schools
- September 30, 4:00 – 5:00 pm
- Registration required
- CLELCON 2024
- October 3 & 4, online
- Registration $35; scholarships available
- Virtual E-Resources Conference Series from CLiC
- October 8, 9:00 am – 12:45 pm
- Registration required
- Balancing Act: Navigating Mental Health as Parental Caregivers in the Library Profession
- October 16, 1:00 – 2:00 pm
- Registration required
- Adult Services Regional Workshop – Lamar
- October 18, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm, in person
- Registration (free) required
- 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
- Registration required
- 2024-25 Youth Services Learning Community (Southeast Region)
- November 14, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm, Woodruff Memorial Library in La Junta
- Registration required
- PHPR Collaborative and Libraries – Like French Fries and Frosty’s (Strange? You mean GREAT!)
- November 14, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
- Registration required
- 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.
- Supervising Librarian (Teen/Adult Services) – Westminster Public Library
- Library Associate Substitute – Westminster Public Library
- Senior Library Associate – Floater – Pikes Peak Library District
- Public Services Administrative Specialist – Pikes Peak Library District
- Senior Library Associate – Young Adult Services – Pikes Peak Library District
- Adult Education Instructor – ESL – Pikes Peak Library District
- Security Specialist – Poudre River Public Library District
- Patron Experience Associate (Part Time) – Conifer Library – Jefferson County Public Library
- Library Aide (PT) – Aurora Public Library
- Library Clerk – Aurora Public Library
- Librarian – Green Valley Ranch – Denver Public Library
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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