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 More Fun Together

Join Pikes Peak Library District for Senior Social – Dancing through the Decades on August 22, 1:00 to 3:00 pm, at Library 21c. Whether you love to dance or simply enjoy good company, this festive afternoon is all about celebrating great music from the Big Band Era of the 1940’s to the popular hits of today.

Westminster Public Library hosts a weekly Hmong Music Line Dancing class every Monday evening at 5:30 pm. The Hmong American Association of Colorado (HMAAC) provides instruction and leads participants through choreographed movement.

Garfield County Libraries welcomes the Dog Days of Summer at the Carbondale Branch Library on August 16. Bring your pup to the dog party featuring cold treats, play time, a raffle, and more. Earn an extra raffle ticket by bringing an item to donate to Colorado Animal Rescue.

Englewood Public Library is hosting a Puzzle Off, August 15 at 1:00 pm. Register a team of 2 to 4 people to compete in this 500-piece puzzle race.

Join the Crop Swap at the Mesa County Libraries Discovery Garden on August 18 at 6:00 pm. Bring your extra veggies, fruits, herbs, and plants to share or trade; all extras will be donated to the local food bank.

La Veta Public Library welcomes book lovers for a Literary Tea Time on August 26 at 2:00 pm. There’s no assigned book—just share what you’ve been reading over tea and cookies.

Deep Learning

Aurora Public Library’s Makerspace event, Take Tech Apart, is an opportunity to learn about technology through careful dissection. Join the class on August 20, 4:30 pm, at Martin Luther King, Jr. Library.

Estes Valley Library and Rocky Mountain Conservancy invite you to Learn About Pollinator Research in Rocky Mountain National Park on August 19 at the Estes Valley Community Center. Attendees will learn about a research project documenting bumblebees and monarch butterflies in the park.

Gilpin County Public Library will host local botanist and ecologist Rea Orthner Wrobel for a tour of the Gilpin County Library Fen and Old Growth Wetland on August 15 at 10:30 am. Dress appropriately for this squishy exploration of an ecological goldmine.

Red Feather Lakes Community Library welcomes photographer Joe Webber for a Birding and Nature Photography workshop on August 19 from 9:00 to 11:00 am. The class will begin at the library and continue with a photography session at Parvin Lake.

What’s New from the Colorado State Library Resource Sharing

Introducing Resource Sharing 101: A Video Series for Anyone New to ILL. This series of short videos is designed to assemble the pieces of the resource sharing puzzle.

Book Club Sets

Exploring Literary Movements with Your Book Club: Transgressive Literature

Library Research Service

A Priceless Collection. Explore the world’s largest numismatic lending library.

Learning Opportunities

All events below are online except where a location is noted.

• 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 August 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.

• Colorado State Librarian – Non-Classified – State of Colorado – Department of Education
• Programming and Engagement Librarian III – Clearview Library District
• Public Services Manager – Estes Valley Public Library District
• Part-time 25 hour Concierge – Commerce City (Bilingual Spanish speaking preferred) – Anythink Libraries Commerce City
• Part-Time Collections Administrative Assistant – Jefferson County Public Library
• Part-time Cataloging Associate – Jefferson County Public Library
• Programming Coordinator – Lake County Public Library
• Innovation Technician – High Plains Library District
• Public and Access Services Librarian – Front Range Community College

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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.