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 as well as images from the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection. Let’s open the Friday Grab Bag!

Library Events & Programs

Lone Cone Library welcomes their community to a conversation about American Sign Language Services on July 30 at 5:30 pm. They will discuss how to best utilize funds from ALA’s Libraries Transforming Communities grant.

Aurora Public Library will offer Aurora 911: Ancient 911 on July 30 at Tallyn’s Reach Library. Join members from the 911 Dispatch team to discuss how archaeology tells stories about emergencies and crime.

Garfield County Libraries’ Local Author Showcase is July 25 at the Glenwood Springs Library. Over 2 dozen local authors will be in attendance, so come meet them and learn about their works.

Eagle Valley Library District welcomes their community to Very Young Composers of Vail, a family concert at Avon Library on July 28 at 1:00 pm. Hear music written by Vail Valley youth performed by members of the New York Philharmonic.

Plant Life

As part of their Summer of Discovery 2026 series, Boulder Public Library invites adults to Ethical Wildcrafting for Medicinal Remedies on July 27 at the Main Library. Learn to ethically forage common medicinal plants and craft your own calendula oil or fire cider to take home.

Summit County Library invites tweens and teens to Edible Wild Plants with Wild Food Girl on July 28 at the South Branch Library. The presentation will introduce several edible wild plants that are native to Colorado.

Broomfield Library’s Vegetable Garden Basics continues on July 28 with Pest Management. Join them at the Teaching Vegetable Garden at Brunner Farmhouse to learn an integrated approach to manage pests and encourage beneficial insects.

Summer Fun and Games

High Plains Library District is hosting two DIY events at Carbon Valley Regional Library Makerspace this week: Take & Make Kit: Paper Succulents now through July 29, and Minifigure Painting on July 27. Supplies will be provided for both events.

Bemis Public Library welcomes families to Summer Lawn Games at Bemis on July 25 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Bring blankets or chairs and enjoy a relaxing, non-competitive day of outdoor fun with a variety of lawn games.

Take a trip down memory lane at Jefferson County Public Library’s Summer Adventures of Dinos in the Library on July 31 at Belmar Library. Celebrate the ending of your DinoSoar summer with a slideshow of dinosaurs in the library, plus a special story time, songs, crafts, and snacks!

Lone Cone Library is hosting their End of Summer Reading event on July 24. The fun starts with an ice cream and pizza party at 4:00 pm, then continues at 7:30 pm with an outdoor screening of The Goonies in the town park.

America 250 – Colorado 150 Celebrations

Mesa County Libraries is joining the state and national celebrations with their own 125th Anniversary Ribbon Cutting on July 24 at the Central Library. The ceremony will also include activity stations and cupcakes.

Montrose Regional Library District invites you to Party Like It’s 1876 at their block party on July 30. Celebrate Colorado’s 150th birthday with free snow cones and all kinds of fun from the 1800s, sponsored by a number of local organizations.

What’s New from the Colorado State Library Technology

AI Reading Recommendation: Preserving Trust in AI Knowledge Ecosystems

Resource Sharing

Colorado Libraries Collaborate FAQs

Learning Opportunities

All events are online except where a location is noted.

• Hidden Gems: Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
  • August 11, 11:30 am – 12:15 pm
• Talking Teen Services: Preparing Teens for College Through Academic Library Collaboration
  • August 20, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
• Find even more learning opportunities:
  • View CSL events on the Libraries Learn calendar.
  • Visit Maine State Library’s Continuing Education Calendar for national events (note: all MSL events are listed in Eastern time). A different view of these events is available at Free Online Learning Opportunities for July 2026.

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.

• Director of Youth Services – Buena Vista Public Library
• Patron Experience (Customer Service) Manager – Estes Valley Public Library District
• Branch Supervisor, Kelver Library – Arapahoe Library District
• Business Data & Sustainability Librarian – University of Colorado Boulder Libraries
• Assistant Director of Libraries & Inclusion for Community Outreach – Jefferson County Public Library
• Part-Time Research Services Librarian – Fort Lewis College, Reed Library
• Librarian Branch Manager Patrick Lucero Library – Pueblo City-County Library District

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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, [email protected].

All images are from the Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection, a service of Colorado State Library.