Empowered De-escalation: Cultivating Safety in Libraries
2025-06-24 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Denver)
These days it seems like everyone is on edge and things can escalate quickly. This session equips participants with practical strategies to diffuse tense situations, effectively set boundaries, and approach conflict with confidence. Participants will learn the foundations of de-escalation along with how to keep themselves and others safe. They will be able to identify the different stages of escalation as well as strategies to manage stress and make decisions in heightened scenarios. This will be an interactive learning opportunity.
We Are Safer Together is an organization that facilitates inclusive, adaptive, and trauma-informed safety programs to inspire confidence and create safer communities.
Session archive
About We Are Safer Together
At We Are Safer Together, we believe empowerment and safety are intertwined concepts. When people feel safe, they are more capable of unlocking their full potential and living authentically. Our programs equip participants with the tools and knowledge to navigate life with confidence. From talks and workshops to comprehensive training programs, we teach personal safety, boundary setting, de-escalation, emergency preparedness, and self-defense skills. All our classes are adaptive, trauma-informed, and inclusive to fit the experiences and ability needs of participants.
Krista Hanley (she/her)
Krista Hanley is a writer, speaker, and violence prevention educator with over twelve years of expertise facilitating programs and speaking about the areas of violence prevention, trauma recovery, and self-defense. As a survivor of the Columbine High School shooting, Krista is dedicated to helping empower others to feel safer and more confident.
Kayla Berry (she/her)
Kayla Berry is a violence-prevention educator and organizational development expert dedicated to empowering individuals and organizations to create safer communities. She builds culturally relevant and accessible violence prevention and conflict resolution programs and has over six years of experience in teaching kids, teens, and adults of all abilities.

Talking Teen Services: Strengths-Based Relationship Building Panel
2025-07-16 13:30 - 14:45
Curious about strategies for building meaningful relationships with tweens and teens that support positive interactions in developmentally appropriate ways? Join us for a panel discussion about strengths-based relationship building in teen and tween services. Panelists from several different Colorado public libraries will share their experiences including how they approach connecting with teens and tweens in both the fun and the challenging moments, ways they communicate with colleagues and patrons about how to do the same, and why they’re ok with being considered “cool but not that cool” in their communities of teens.
This panel discussion is part of the Colorado State Library’s Talking Teen Services series and will be recorded. It will be a 75-minute program and will include time for you to ask the panelists your own questions towards the end of the discussion.
Session archive.
About the presenters
Molly is a youth services librarian for Anythink Libraries in Bennett, CO. She graduated with her MLIS in 2013 from UWM Milwaukee, Wisconsin and has worn many different librarian hats since. Teens and youth services are her passion and she has formed unforgettable bonds with the kids and families she serves. In her free time, Molly enjoys reading comics, painting and playing video games with her family.

Mx Red (they/them) is the Youth Services Coordinator at the Glenwood Springs Branch Library in the Garfield County Public Library system. They have worked in school and public libraries, been a classroom teacher, worked in Youth Restorative Justice and teen mentoring programs. They were chosen by local youth as the Big Bear of the Year in 2023, and by CLEL as the Rising Star for Early Literacy in 2024.

Desireé (she/her) is a Teen Librarian at the Denver Central Library, and has been a librarian at DPL for 12 years. She has been working in public service for nearly two decades, with experiences ranging from early literacy volunteer management, recording studio coordination, and youth gardening. She is passionate about connecting communities through humility, collaboration, and creative problem solving.

Julia E. Torres is a nationally recognized veteran language arts teacher, librarian, and teen programs administrator in Denver, Colorado. Julia facilitates teacher development workshops rooted in the areas of anti-racist education, equity and access in literacy and librarianship, and education as a practice of liberation. Julia‘s work has been featured on NPR, AlJazeera’s The Stream, PBS Education, KQED’s MindShift, Rethinking Schools, Learning for Justice Magazine, School Library Journal, American Libraries Magazine, and many more. Her co-authored title Liven Up Your Library: Design Engaging and Inclusive Programs for Teens and Tweens is just the first of many forthcoming publications for librarians and educators.

Balancing the Books: Addressing Economic Insecurity Among Library Workers
2025-08-06 13:00 - 14:00
Library workers face economic insecurity due to low wages, inadequate benefits, and unstable job conditions. This panel will explore the scope and impact of economic insecurity among library staff, highlighting the unique financial challenges they encounter in comparison to other professions.
Through personal stories, data, and expert insights, we will discuss how economic instability affects mental health, career advancement, and job performance. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how to address economic insecurity in their institutions and actionable strategies for supporting financially vulnerable library workers.
Session archive
Resources:

Supplemental Resources from Kyra Hahn (PDF)
Economic insecurity: a socioeconomic determinant of mental health
Economic insecurity, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms: a longitudinal study on mental health
Economic Inequality and Mental Health: Causality, Mechanisms, and Interventions
Social Determinants of Mental Health: Economic Stability

About the panelists
Blanca Hernandez (He/Him/El) is an Instruction and Outreach Librarian at Erikson Institute (located in Chicago, IL) working with faculty and students to provide research and reference support, along with finding ways to connect the library resources to the Erikson communities and beyond. Blanca has also taught a semester long information literacy course to the PhD in Child Development program at his institute. His interests include bridging information gaps for patrons and has been involved in mutual aid work for several years.

Hannah-Jayne Duran (she/her) is the Processing Archivist at the University of Denver Special Collections and Archives. Her work includes the processing of new donations to the collection, and preservation and conservation work to preserve those materials for the long-term. She is an active member of REFORMA Colorado and is passionate about connecting communities to their histories.

Kali Draper is a Special and Digital Collections Archivist at Auraria Library, serving the University of Colorado Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Community College of Denver, and wider community. She is passionate about the preservation and accessibility of unique materials, especially those that are significant to the history, culture, identity, and interests of users. A few topics relevant to her work at Auraria Library include Aurarian Displacement, campus history, Camp Amache, and wartime correspondence.

Kyra Hahn (she/her) serves as a librarian at the Blair Caldwell African American Research Library branch of Denver Public Library. Currently she works in providing library services and programming to older adults. Over the course of her public library career, she has worked in a variety of settings (suburban, urban, and rural) and worked in children’s and adult services, promoting lifelong learning. She’s been an advocate within the profession for promoting staff access to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness/PSLF program offered by the US Dept of Education as a way to increase financial security among staff. When not working, she enjoys travel, cooking, and listening to audiobooks.

Marcus Elmore is the Colorado Community College System’s Access Services Librarian, in charge of maintaining the online resources for 13 college libraries. He came to librarianship after earning his PhD in English literature and is deeply invested in the role and function of libraries in higher education. In addition to this, he earned a MSW from the University of Denver in 2018 and is passionate about mental health and community building.

The PRISM Project: Findings from impact research in Colorado prison libraries
2025-08-28 13:00 - 14:30
Are PRISon libraries Motivators of prosocial behavior and successful re-entry?
This was the guiding question of a multi-year outcomes and impact study in Colorado prisons, funded by the IMLS. Researchers from the Colorado State Library/Library Research Service, Renewed Libraries, LLC, and Remerg, a reentry resource hub for Colorado, have worked together to create a research blueprint and toolkit that can be adapted and used in other states and carceral settings, and a report that centers the experiences of people impacted by incarceration. Findings from the PRISM Project show how prison libraries support people who are incarcerated and their loved ones, as well as ways in which prison libraries can be improved.
Session archive
This 90-minute webinar, hosted by the Colorado State Library, will be relevant to library and information workers from all types of libraries, as well as system-impacted people, including those who work in or adjacent to jails, prisons, and other carceral settings.
Presenters: Amy Bahlenhorst, Erin Boyington, Charissa Brammer, Sara Wicen, Chelsea Jordan-Makely and Carol Peeples

Illuminate Colorado - Stewards of Children (Colorado Only)
2025-08-28 13:00 - 16:00
Targeted at directors and supervisors to make informed policy and procedures around children’s use of the library, Stewards of Children® is a trauma and evidence-informed training that teaches adults to prevent, recognize and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.
You will learn: Simple, effective strategies for protecting children from child sexual abuse. The importance of talking about the prevention of child sexual abuse with children as well as your coworkers and neighbors. The types of situations in which child sexual abuse can occur. Signs of child sexual abuse in order to intervene and react responsibly. Facts about the problem of child sexual abuse in Colorado today. Only open to Colorado participants.
Registration is required and open to the first 25 participants. No recording will be shared.

Illuminate Colorado- Lines in the Sand (Colorado Only)
2025-09-09 13:00 - 15:00
By setting clear boundaries and limits, we can reduce the risk of child sexual abuse. Clear boundaries and limits are something we learn over time, through interaction and accepted patterns of behavior. How do we ensure that when our boundaries, or those of children and youth are violated, we stop a negative pattern of behavior from being normalized? Through education, vigilance and clear communication, we can minimize opportunity for child and youth victimization. This course will increase understanding of your own boundaries and prepare you to set clear expectations that lead to greater community safety.
You will learn to: Recognize important types of boundaries for physical safety. Identify grooming behavior patterns that can lead to sexual abuse. Respond to boundary violations and articulate clear boundaries and expectations.
This training is offered to target frontline staff that work with children.
Registration is required and only open to 25 Colorado staff. No recording will be shared.

The Colorado Information Analysis Center (CIAC): Department of Public Safety (Colorado Only)
2025-09-15 13:30 - 14:30
This training is for Colorado library staff only.
The Colorado Information Analysis Center (CIAC) is a centralized resource that gathers, analyzes, and disseminates all-crimes/all-threats information to private sector, local, state, tribal, and federal stakeholders throughout Colorado and the United States.
Within the CIAC is the Preventing Targeted Violence (PTV) team. The PTV team utilizes a multidisciplinary, public health-informed approach to preventing all forms of targeted violence. By building trusted partnerships, awareness, and providing support for local prevention efforts, the PTV team is working to equip communities with the sustainable resources and tools needed to prevent targeted violence.
Join us for an information filled session to learn more about how CIAC can support your library (big or small).
The webinar will be recorded, please register so we can send you the link to the session and recording afterwards. AI Captioning will be available live on the day of the webinar, please let us know if there are additional accommodations that might be necessary.
Webinar Recording may be viewed here.
About the presenters
Kelsey Grim is an Intelligence Analyst on the Preventing Targeted Violence team at the Colorado Information Analysis Center (CIAC). In this role, Kelsey focuses on domestic violent extremism by conducting research and analyzing intelligence associated with ideologically motivated violence and civil unrest. Prior to joining the CIAC, Kelsey worked in humanitarian aid and refugee resettlement, gaining valuable experience serving people who are often recovering from and fleeing violence and terrorism. Her educational background includes an undergraduate degree from Arizona State University and a masters degree from the University of Colorado, where her research focused on the psychology of mass violence and genocide, violence against women in international conflicts, and the intersection of misogyny, mass violence, and extremist ideologies in the United States.

Sydney Johnson is an Intelligence Analyst on the Preventing Targeted Violence team at the Colorado Information Analysis Center (CIAC). Her primary focus is on non-ideological targeted violence, including mass public attacks, workplace violence, school attacks, and hate crimes. Prior to working in the CIAC, Sydney received a Bachelor of Science from Metropolitan State University of Denver and a Master of Science from King’s College London in Forensic Mental Health Research. She has worked as an emergency medical technician and within the co-responder program for Englewood and Littleton, CO Police Departments.

Leveraging Annual Data with the LRS Report Template
2025-09-18 13:00 - 14:00
Have you ever wanted a faster, easier way to create a quality annual report for your library’s board? There’s a new tool from Library Research Service (LRS) that could help! This annual board report template uses a connection between Google Sheets and Google Slides to autopopulate preformatted charts in a slide deck with key statistics. Once this tool is set up, all you need to do is select the libraries you would like to compare, click a button to update the charts, and customize the text on the slides for your library. The finished product contains 17 visualizations covering everything from expenditures, collection, staffing, and salaries to visits, circulation, programming, and more. This slide deck is also customizable, so you can redesign or remove any slides.
In this training, we’re going to walk through the initial steps that all users need to follow to set up this tool for individual use and answer any questions you might have about it. We hope that each attendee can leave the session with a functioning annual board report template and feel confident about how to use it. This session will be recorded for anyone that is not available to attend at this time.
Sara Wicen is a Research Assistant for the Library Research Service office of the Colorado State Library. During her 3+ years in this role, she has gained invaluable experience collaborating with libraries across Colorado on a variety of research projects, delivering training, and creating data-driven content. She enjoys helping people conduct evaluations and making data accessible to wider audiences often through charts, infographics, data dashboards, and blog posts covering topics such as data collection, analysis, and visualization. She spends most of her free time exploring in the mountains.
Dana Petersen is a Data Coordinator and Web Developer at LRS. She has been a math and technology teacher and worked in two small public libraries. Dana likes the way data adds facts to the “feels”.
Watch the recording here.
Visit the LRS webpage which contains all of the instructions and links needed to create your own, personalized report.

Library Facility Management 101
2025-09-18 14:00 - 15:00
Welcome to Library Facility Management 101!
Join us for an engaging introduction to the essentials of managing library buildings. Whether you’re a library director, branch manager, or dedicated library supporter, this session is designed to give you a strong foundation in how library facilities function—from the inside out.

Registration is required.

Posting this on behalf of Carlos Baffigo from Building Basics for Libraries.

Unraveling Legacy Toxicity: Navigating Dysfunctional Environments in Leadership
2025-09-23 13:00 - 14:00
Legacy toxicity poses a formidable challenge for individuals stepping into leadership roles within toxic organizations or groups. This phenomenon entails inheriting a dysfunctional environment characterized by abuse, neglect, and resistance to change from previous incumbents. Addressing legacy toxicity requires a nuanced understanding of its roots and dynamics, as well as strategic approaches to mitigate its effects. In this discussion panel, we delve into the complexities of legacy toxicity, exploring its manifestations, impact on leadership effectiveness, and strategies for fostering positive change in challenging environments.
Session archive
Book/Video recommendations

Leadership and Self Deception: Getting out of the box – The Arbinger Institute
Books and videos by Cy Wakeman
Toxic Dynamics: Disrupting, Dismantling, and Transforming Academic Library culture, Des Michalak, Dawes, Cawthorne
Organize Your Library! Developing the Collective Power of Library Workers (Critical Cultural Information Studies series) by Angelo Moreno Kelly McElroy Meredith Kahn Emily Drabinski
The Dysfunctional Library: Challenges and Solutions to Workplace Relationships by Jo Henry, Joe Eshleman, and Richard Moniz
Well-Being in the Library Workplace: A Handbook for Managers by Bobbi L. Newman
Necessary Endings by Dr Henry Cloud
Knowing When Its Time to Leave an Organization

About the panelists
Kat LeFevre (she/her) is the manager of the Jefferson County Public Library’s Patron Experience: Experience Design and the Lakewood Library. She oversees that patron experience to ensure every location is welcoming for all. In her 17-year library career she’s been a volunteer, substitute, Bookmobile driver, Outreach Librarian, Assistant Manager, Patron Experience Supervisor, and now Manager. These roles have given her a wide breadth of experience with different populations and staff groups which inform her current work.

Nina McHale is Associate Dean for Student & Scholar Services at the University of Denver University Libraries. Prior to this role at DU, she was head of Education & Research at the University of Colorado Anschutz Strauss Health Sciences Library and Director of Library Services at Red Rocks Community College. Her research interests include organizational communication, web content development and management, and marketing library services and resources.

Sharon L. Sherman received her PhD in Educational Leadership at the University of Colorado Denver, having completed her dissertation study in Jefferson County Schools. She has taught at the University of Northern Colorado (Lowry campus) and served as education director with Keshet of the Rockies in Denver. Dr. Sherman has also taught at two charter schools with DPS. She started at the Belmar branch of Jefferson County Public Library in December 2021 as a bilingual patron associate and enjoys leading story times in both English and Spanish as well as co-leading the adult Spanish language conversation group, Intercambio. Sherman is also active in the formation of JCPL’s workers union, presently serving on the 2024 bargaining team to obtain the union’s first contract.

Marcus Elmore is the Colorado Community College System’s Access Services Librarian, in charge of maintaining the online resources for 13 college libraries. He came to librarianship after earning his PhD in English literature and is deeply invested in the role and function of libraries in higher education. In addition to this, he earned a MSW from the University of Denver in 2018 and is passionate about mental health and community building.
Hannah-Renea Niederberger (they/them) is a Library Technician at the University of Denver Libraries. They are currently earning their MLIS at the University of Denver and hope to someday work in video game librarianship or video game preservation. They have been working in technical services for two years as the print approval technician, though before working at the university they drove the bookmobile at Arapahoe Library District. In their seven years of library experience, they have worked both in technical service roles and patron-facing roles, in both academic and public libraries.

Youth Services Regional Learning Community Workshops - Paonia Library (Delta County Libraries)
2025-09-24 09:00 - 15:30 | Paonia Library, 80 Samuel Wade Rd, Paonia, CO, 81428, United States
Join Kate Brunner and Kate Compton to connect and explore a variety of youth services-related topics with your regional colleagues. Once again, we’re inviting you to help us create the agenda based on your own curiosity and community needs. When you register, you’ll be asked to drag, drop, and rank a fresh list of potential topics by interest. We’ll prepare a unique program for your workshop incorporating participants’ highest ranked topics.
All events are in-person, full-day learning opportunities and lunch will be provided for all participants.
These workshops and all of the Colorado State Library’s youth services offerings are created by the librarians of the Youth & Family Services team. Our staff positions and operating expenses are paid for by Grants to States funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services which allows us to provide opportunities like this one at no cost to you or your libraries.
Below are the dates, locations, and registration links for all five workshops. Please note – start/end times and seats available vary by location. Be sure to read the information at the top of the registration forms for those specific details.
Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025 (9am to 3:30pm) — Paonia Library (Delta County Libraries)
Wednesday, October 8, 2025 (9am to 3:30pm) — Alamosa Public Library
Thursday, October 30, 2025 (9:30am to 4pm) — High Prairie Library (PPLD)
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 (9am to 3:30pm) — Ignacio Community Library
Tuesday, December 9, 2025 (9am to 3:30pm) — Loveland Public Library
If you have any questions about any of these events, let Kate Brunner know! Feel free to email her (brunner_k@cde.state.co.us) or call/text her work phone (720-595-9248). Please be sure to sign your initial text to help her identify who she’s communicating with if texting is your communication channel of choice.

Talking Teen Services - Understanding Teens: Intersectional Factors (part 1 of 3)
2025-10-01 11:00 - 12:00
Understanding Teens is a 3-part Talking Teen Services series facilitated by members of the Teen Services team at Arapahoe Libraries in Colorado. All three sessions do go together but they can also be attended independently. Attendees do not have to have to be present at a previous session to benefit from the content of the next.
Session 1 – Understanding Teens: Intersectional Factors
Teens are important patrons in our libraries, with unique and evolving needs. In this series of webinars, we will share our approach in working towards welcoming, inclusive teen services by using staff training. Our goals with our staff training are to establish a base of empathy through better understanding of teens and their current experiences, and to offer practical strategies in working with youth. We will hold three sessions in this webinar series; each session will include working through a different part of the training. We will share our adaptable outline and references for attendees who would like to use the training in their own libraries.
Our first session will be about intersectional factors that impact how teens show up in our libraries. We will think about how our own lenses might impact our responses, ways to plan and provide inclusive services, and practical strategies in supporting teens.
Please register individually for each session you wish to attend. You can register for Session 2 here and Session 3 here.
Session Resources:

Webinar Recording
CSL Webinars – Understanding Teens Handout
CSL Webinar Slides – Understanding Teens Intersectional Factors

About the presenters:
Catherine Boddie was a teen librarian for 12 years before moving into the Teen Services Supervisor role at Arapahoe Libraries. She has spent spent most of her career focused on community outreach, mentoring, and training.
Erica Schimmel is a teen services librarian with Arapahoe Libraries, primarily focused on outreach, programming, and strategic planning. She has been active on YALSA committees, and is an adjunct instructor with University of Denver’s MLIS program.
Anush Balayan is a teen services librarian with Arapahoe Libraries. She has been working with youth in public libraries for the last ten years.
The Colorado State Library’s Talking Teen Services sessions are recorded. After the event, the recording and any additional materials will be sent to everyone who registered.
If you have any questions about the event or how to register, please contact Kate Brunner, CSL Youth & Family Services Principal Consultant, at brunner_k@cde.state.co.us OR 720-595-9248.

In Practice: Library Conversations on Prevention
2025-10-02 13:00 - 14:00
Join fellow library professionals for an open, virtual drop-in session to share and discuss how your library has adapted policies and procedures in response to Colorado’s SB21-088, “Stewards of Children” and “Lines in the Sand” trainings from Illuminate Colorado.
This is a space to exchange ideas, ask questions, and learn from each other as we work to create safer environments for children and youth in our communities. No registration required. This discussion will not be recorded, but please reach out to Kate Compton (compton_k@cde.state.co.us or Polly Gallagher Gallagher_p@cde.state.co.us) if you are in need of any support around this topic.
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://zoom.us/j/94012969549?pwd=y4Icb27gPJlIDl9bc5knUwFbaUHc4e.1
Meeting ID: 940 1296 9549
Passcode: 593880

Youth Services Regional Learning Community Workshops - Alamosa Public Library
2025-10-08 09:00 - 15:30 | Alamosa Public Library, 300 Hunt Ave, Alamosa, CO, 81101, United States

Demystifying Grants: Finding Money for Your School Library
2025-10-08 16:00 - 17:00
Learn how to identify grant makers whose funding objectives align with your school library’s services and resources. Discover practical strategies for finding community foundations, family foundations, and other funders to support your initiatives. Gain insight into the essentials of grant writing and access valuable tools to help you craft compelling proposals, leaving with actionable resources and a clear path for securing funding.
Registration is required.
About the presenter:
Maryanne Flynn (also known as Maf) is a Reference Librarian and leader of the Nonprofit Resource Center at the Denver Public Library, where she consults with nonprofits on finding funding sources and grants. Maf has served in the Junior League of Denver as the Vice-President of the Training Council, Chair of Fundraising Research and Development, Professional Development and Philanthropic Development Committees, where she loves improving the community with amazing women. Her other volunteer activities include serving as Vice-Chair and Commissioner of the Judicial Performance Commission for the 2nd Judicial District in Colorado, and as a member of the Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer Award Committee, sponsored by Spark the Change Colorado. Maf moved to Denver in 2016 from the Bay Area in California, where she lived for over 20 years. Maf is a graduate of Purdue University and received her Master of Library Science from San Jose State University. While retired from her career as an IT Executive since 2018, she retains her Project Manager certification (PMP) and enjoys organizing projects large and small. She lives in Denver with her beloved husband Harry, 2 cats, and a rescued cattle dog with a very high IQ.

Unmasking Imposter Syndrome: Navigating Anxiety, Uncertainty, and Systemic Challenges in Librarianship
2025-10-14 13:00 - 14:00
Join us in this enlightening session to uncover the hidden aspects of imposter syndrome, fostering a resilient and empowered community within the field of librarianship. Imposter Syndrome, a pervasive phenomenon, manifests in two distinct components: the internal struggle of anxiety and uncertainty, and the external challenge of confronting systemic issues within the librarian profession.
Registration is required.
About the presenters
Beth Garboczi (she/her), is the Circulation Supervisor at Aurora Central Library in Aurora, CO. Beth was a Librarian with Douglas County Libraries for four years (specializing in working with older adults and teaching basic technology to patrons). She has held many part time and volunteer positions in public libraries both in Colorado and Maryland from the age of twelve. Beth is passionate about Intellectual Freedom, Access, and supporting mental health in library staff.

Bridget Farrell is the Head of Library Instruction and Research Services at the University of Denver Libraries. Her research interests are many and varied including imposter syndrome in academic libraries, mentorship of librarians and graduate student, and the scholarship of teaching and learning in library instruction.

Elizabeth Booe Dawson is earning her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction at Northern Arizona University and is the Science Librarian at University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Her research focuses on critical pedagogy, Open Education, and academic libraries. Her interests encompass librarian instruction, instructional library resources, and student belonging in the library. She values the importance of digital literacy, including access and navigation, and advocates for intellectual freedom and individual information rights. Elizabeth was recognized as an American Library Association Emerging Leader in 2022.
Kali Draper is a Special and Digital Collections Archivist at Auraria Library, serving the University of Colorado Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Community College of Denver, and wider community. She is passionate about the preservation and accessibility of unique materials, especially those that are significant to the history, culture, identity, and interests of users. A few topics relevant to her work at Auraria Library include Aurarian Displacement, campus history, Camp Amache, and wartime correspondence.
Deborah Bumbie-Chi is the E-resources Access Librarian at the Auraria Library, which serves the University of Colorado Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver, Community College of Denver, and the wider community. She has 10+ years of experience working in academic libraries in various roles and is interested in accessibility, open-access, information literacy, AI, and learning design. She just completed her PhD in Library and Information Science and is working on becoming a certified accessibility specialist.
Ashley Fahey is a Youth & Family Services Librarian at Douglas County Libraries (Lone Tree) who inspires young readers to discover the joy of reading through engaging storytimes and programs. She served on the Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy (CLEL) CLEL Bell Awards committee in 2021-2023 and is currently co-chair of the Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL) Mentorship Interest Group. Ashley is a 2022-2023 Colorado Association of Libraries Leadership Institute (CALLI) graduate. Areas of professional interest include career mentoring, leadership development, and mental health in library work.

Talking Teen Services - Understanding Teens: Biases and Stereotypes (part 2 of 3)
2025-10-15 11:00 - 12:00
Understanding Teens is a 3-part Talking Teen Services series facilitated by members of the Teen Services team at Arapahoe Libraries in Colorado. All three sessions do go together but they can also be attended independently. Attendees do not have to have to be present at a previous session to benefit from the content of the next.
Session 2 – Understanding Teens: Biases and Stereotypes
Teens are important patrons in our libraries, with unique and evolving needs. In this series of webinars, we will share our approach in working towards welcoming, inclusive teen services by using staff training. Our goals with our staff training are to establish a base of empathy through better understanding of teens and their current experiences, and to offer practical strategies in working with youth. We will hold three sessions in this webinar series; each session will include working through a different part of the training. We will share our adaptable outline and references for attendees who would like to use the training in their own libraries.
Please register individually for each session you wish to attend. Register for Session 3 here.
Our second session will explore biases and stereotypes, both about teens and library workers, and how they impact teen experiences in our libraries. We will cover some foundational information, activities that aid us in identifying biases we and teens might feel, and practical strategies in supporting teens.
Session Resources:

CSL TTS – Understanding Teens – Biases and Stereotypes (Presentation Slides)
Session Video Recording

About the presenters:
Catherine Boddie was a teen librarian for 12 years before moving into the Teen Services Supervisor role at Arapahoe Libraries. She has spent spent most of her career focused on community outreach, mentoring, and training.
Erica Schimmel is a teen services librarian with Arapahoe Libraries, primarily focused on outreach, programming, and strategic planning. She has been active on YALSA committees, and is an adjunct instructor with University of Denver’s MLIS program.
Anush Balayan is a teen services librarian with Arapahoe Libraries. She has been working with youth in public libraries for the last ten years.
The Colorado State Library’s Talking Teen Services sessions are recorded. After the event, the recording and any additional materials will be sent to everyone who registered.
If you have any questions about the event or how to register, please contact Kate Brunner, CSL Youth & Family Services Principal Consultant, at brunner_k@cde.state.co.us OR 720-595-9248.

Calling In the Calling Out Culture
2025-10-20 18:30 - 19:30
Please join Conflict Resolution Month for a special event on October 20 for an evening with Loretta J. Ross. Loretta will be discussing her work about Calling In the Calling Out Culture and engaging in meaningful conversations across ideological differences. To register, please scan the QR code on the flyer to attend this free event, or use this link to register. Registration is limited to 500 participants, so register now! Find out more on the Colorado Virtual Library website.
Info from flyer:
Loretta J. Ross
Calling In
Monday, October 20, 2025
6:30-7:30 pm MT
Free to Coloradoans who wish to attend.

40-minute presentation + 20-30-minute audience Q&A

Civic engagement, with an emphasis on “calling in” and dialogue across ideological differences.

Loretta retired as an organizer in 2012 to teach and follow her passion to educate. In 1996, she founded the first center in the U.S. to innovate creative human rights education for all students transforming social justice issues to be more collaborative and less divisive. In her work Calling In the Calling Out Culture, she transforms how people can overcome political differences to use empathy and respect to guide difficult conversations. In 2024, Loretta was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

Talking Teen Services - Understanding Teens: Building Positive Relationships (part 3 of 3)
2025-10-29 11:00 - 12:00
Understanding Teens is a 3-part Talking Teen Services series facilitated by members of the Teen Services team at Arapahoe Libraries in Colorado. All three sessions do go together but they can also be attended independently. Attendees do not have to have to be present at a previous session to benefit from the content of the next.
Session 3 – Understanding Teens: Building Positive Relationships
Teens are important patrons in our libraries, with unique and evolving needs. In this series of webinars, we will share our approach in working towards welcoming, inclusive teen services by using staff training. Our goals with our staff training are to establish a base of empathy through better understanding of teens and their current experiences, and to offer practical strategies in working with youth. We will hold three sessions in this webinar series; each session will include working through a different part of the training. We will share our adaptable outline and references for attendees who would like to use the training in their own libraries.
In our third session, we will consider how to build and model positive relationships as a tool to inspire positive behavior. We will work through identifying our personal positive relationships, and ways to use our experiences in supporting our teen patrons.
Session Materials:

CSL Webinar Slides – Positive Relationships Pt. 3
Webinar Recording

About the presenters:
Catherine Boddie was a teen librarian for 12 years before moving into the Teen Services Supervisor role at Arapahoe Libraries. She has spent spent most of her career focused on community outreach, mentoring, and training.
Erica Schimmel is a teen services librarian with Arapahoe Libraries, primarily focused on outreach, programming, and strategic planning. She has been active on YALSA committees, and is an adjunct instructor with University of Denver’s MLIS program.
Anush Balayan is a teen services librarian with Arapahoe Libraries. She has been working with youth in public libraries for the last ten years.
The Colorado State Library’s Talking Teen Services sessions are recorded. After the event, the recording and any additional materials will be sent to everyone who registered.
If you have any questions about the event or how to register, please contact Kate Brunner, CSL Youth & Family Services Principal Consultant, at brunner_k@cde.state.co.us OR 720-595-9248.

Youth Services Regional Learning Community Workshops - High Prairie Library (PPLD)
2025-10-30 09:30 - 16:00 | High Prairie Library, 7035 Meridian Rd, Peyton, CO, 80831, United States

Make Your Students the Stars: Practical Ways to Increase Engagement
2025-11-04 16:00 - 17:00
Move beyond read-alouds and checkout time! This session explores fun, interactive ways to boost student engagement—like improv, reader’s theater, podcasting, book hunts, and spine label poetry. Learn why student-created content is powerful, how to easily implement these activities, and how they support diverse learners. Plus, share your own creative ideas! Designed for elementary library paraprofessionals, this hands-on session will leave you with fast, fun strategies to make every student eager for library day.
Please register at https://costatelibrary.libcal.com/event/15600017

Date:
Tuesday, November 4, 2025
Time:
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Time Zone:
Mountain Time – US & Canada (change)
Online:
This is an online event. Event URL will be sent via registration email.

About the presenter:
Anna Szczepanski has spent her career working in Colorado libraries, except for a stint as a library bouncer in Guatemala. She has a MLS from Emporia State University, and is a Colleague on Call Consultant for the Colorado Library Consortium (CLiC). Before that, she was a school library paraprofessional at the Fraser Valley Elementary School.

Data-Informed Advocacy for School Libraries
2025-11-18 16:00 - 17:00
Data is the love language of decision makers. In this webinar, participants will learn about several different sources of both quantitative and qualitative data available to them and how to capture and present that data in compelling ways to inform decision making and advocate for their programs.

About the presenter:
Len is in his 28th year in education, with 11 in the classroom and 17 in the library and in library administration. He has served as a librarian or library administrator in Texas, Oregon, and Colorado at the campus, district, and state levels. Library passions include enhancing instruction with library resources, data-informed library advocacy, and building partnerships across communities.
Session Resources:
View the webinar here.

Youth Services Regional Learning Community Workshops - Ignacio Community Library
2025-11-19 09:00 - 15:30 | Ignacio Community Library, 470 Goddard Ave, Ignacio, CO, 81137, United States

Stories for All: Reaching Young Children Through Adapted Books and Adapt to Impact
2025-12-02 12:00 - 13:00
Join us to discover how libraries can create reading experiences for young readers of all abilities by using creative strategies to adapt books that can reach young children with delays and disabilities. We’ll demonstrate small adaptations that can make a big impact, and we’ll tell you about Adapt to Impact. Offered by the Center for Innovative Design and Engineering at CU Denver, Adapt to Impact works with licensed childcare programs throughout Colorado to learn about tools and strategies to better support children with disabilities in their programs in all areas of development. Provided at no cost to childcare programs, Adapt to Impact partners with Colorado’s libraries to distribute adaptive equipment loans for childcare programs to trial in all areas of the state. You’ll leave this presentation with a collection of resources, ideas, tips, and tricks that you can use right away!
Presenter Biography:
Christa LeGray, MS, CCC-SLP, is a bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist who is an Assistive Technology (AT) Specialist at the Center for Innovative Design and Engineering (CIDE) at CU Denver, where she coordinates the Tech for Tykes program and is on the Adapt to Impact team. She has worked in Early Intervention, subacute care, home health, and the public schools, extending her career across the lifespan.
Resources:
View the Webinar Recording.

AI in Action: Foundations for Future-Ready Libraries
2025-12-03 16:00 - 17:00
This webinar will help school librarians understand both the potential and the pitfalls of using artificial intelligence in their programs. Participants will explore beginner-friendly AI tools that can support research, reading, and library management, while also examining key ethical issues such as AI literacy, plagiarism, bias, data privacy, and copyright. Walk away with practical strategies and guiding questions to navigate AI responsibly and confidently in your school library.
About the presenter:
Sheena Kelly is a professional librarian with nearly fifteen years of experience in the field. Passionate about lifelong learning and an iterative process of inquiry, she has developed a strong portfolio on the intersection of technology and library services. Her dedication to technology-infused libraries has driven her exploration of innovative solutions, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence. Her work teaching AI literacy and developing district guidelines on AI use has led her to facilitate conference sessions and workshops on the topic, highlighting both the powerful potential and possible pitfalls surrounding its use. She currently serves as the Digital Media Literacies Coordinator for Thompson School District.
Session Resources:
View the webinar recording.

Youth Services Regional Learning Community Workshops - Loveland Public Library
2025-12-09 09:00 - 15:30 | Loveland Public Library, 300 N Adams Ave, Loveland, CO, 80537, United States

Talking Teen Services: Seeing Our Unseen Caregiving Youth
2026-01-13 11:00 - 12:15
In 2023, the Healthy Kids Colorado survey asked middle and high schoolers in Colorado whether or not they “provide care for someone in their family or household who is chronically ill, elderly, or disabled with activities they would have difficulty doing on their own one or more days a week.” An estimated 12.4% of high schoolers and 20.5% of middle schoolers responding said yes.
Caregiving youth who provide care for adults and/or younger children in their families, households, and communities often go unseen by professionals working in settings like public and school libraries. We ask “How do I get teens into the library?” instead of asking what responsibilities teens have at home that prevent them from visiting the library. During this session, our panel of experts and caregivers will help us learn more about how to better see these unseen young people.
Library folks, let’s also gather again on January 20, 2026 to utilize what we learn from our panelists and begin discussing how we better serve this underserved population through our public and school libraries.
Register here.
Panelists:
Nadine Roberts Cornish, Founder, Colorado Alliance for Caregiving Youth : nadine@cacycares.org
Nadine Roberts Cornish is a Certified Senior Advisor, Gerontologist, Author, National Speaker, and Chief Care Strategist with over eighteen years of experience in care management and consultation. As the founder of The Caregiver’s Guardian (TCG), she has dedicated her life to supporting and empowering caregivers nationwide through education, advocacy, and personal experience.
Nadine’s commitment to caregiver advocacy and radical self-care is evident in her work with individual caregivers, organizations, businesses, and faith-based communities. She emphasizes the importance of self-care and provides practical tools and strategies to help caregivers thrive. She has conducted educational symposiums and lunch-and-learn series for faith-based communities of all walks across the country, emphasizing the importance of self-care and providing practical tools and strategies to help caregivers thrive.
Author of the acclaimed books “Tears In My Gumbo: The Caregiver’s Recipe for Resilience” and “Prayers In My Gumbo: The Caregiver’s Recipe for Peace,” Nadine’s writings have been integrated into university curriculums across the country. She is currently working on “Recipes in My Gumbo,” a cookbook, and “Joy In My Gumbo,” the next installment in her series.
Nadine’s unwavering dedication to caregivers extends to her recent founding of the non-profit organization, (CACY) Colorado Alliance for Caregiving Youth focusing on supporting caregiving youth and their families. Her expertise and passion make her a leading voice in the field of caregiving and advocacy.
Nadine conducts free bi-weekly caregiver support group sessions via Zoom and has recently launched her podcast, “Caregiving It’s A Hot Mess”.
Sarah Nolan, Volunteer & Respite Programs Manager, The Resource Exchange: snolan@tre.org
Sarah has been with The Resource Exchange since 2015 and continues to be in awe of the expansion of the program. With the addition of Gathering Time and Our Time, she is thrilled to serve more young adults through respite. She is also a certified MANDT trainer and loves sharing her skills with her fellow employees. She is a native of Colorado Springs and her husband, Rocky, have been married for over 15 years. Sarah is a special needs mom herself and has a teenage son and daughter. She enjoys cooking, crocheting baby blankets for her friends and family and cheering on the Denver Broncos.
Lisle Reed, Whole Child Initiatives Coordinator – Student Engagement Initiatives, Adams 12 Five Star Schools: Lisle.M.Reed@adams12.org
Lisle has been the Whole Child Initiatives Coordinator for Adams 12 Five Star Schools since 2017. Lisle started her public service in the U.S. Navy as a Chinese Cryptolinguist and Training Coordinator. After leaving the service, she quickly discovered a passion for working with highly impacted youth and spent eight years in Mapleton Public Schools as a Social Studies teacher and a K-8 Assistant Principal. Lisle currently oversees McKinney-Vento Homeless Education, Child Welfare Education, Migrant Education, Evacuee and Refugee Education, and District Health & Wellness Initiatives. She holds an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Colorado State University and is a certified trainer in Restorative Practices, Positive Youth Development, and Sources of Strength.
Dr. Elizabeth Olson, Interim Director, Institute for the Arts and Humanities; Professor, Department of Geography and Environment, College of Arts and Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: eaolson@email.unc.edu
Dr. Olson is the Interim Director of the Institute for the Arts and Humanities and a Professor of Geography and the Environment in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She’s also a Professor of Global Studies with a focus on methods and theory. Dr. Olson has held multiple leadership positions at UNC–Chapel Hill, most recently as department Chairperson, and at her previous position in the School of GeoSciences at the University of Edinburgh. She is co-founder and co-director of the Caregiving Youth Research Collaborative, a national consortium of researchers and scholars in the U.S., and currently serve as co-chair of the AAG Climate Action Task Force.
Dr. Olson researches themes related to care, ethics, and young people, sometimes separately, sometimes in relation to each other. Her scholarship is produced in collaboration and through transformative partnerships with practitioners, artists, and other scholars, often co-developing methodological innovations to engage diverse communities.

Talking Teen Services: How Could We Serve Caregiving Youth?
2026-01-20 11:00 - 12:15
In 2023, the Healthy Kids Colorado survey asked middle and high schoolers in Colorado whether or not they “provide care for someone in their family or household who is chronically ill, elderly, or disabled with activities they would have difficulty doing on their own one or more days a week.” An estimated 12.4% of high schoolers and 20.5% of middle schoolers responding said yes.
Caregiving youth who provide care for adults and/or younger children in their families, households, and communities often go unseen by professionals working in community settings like public and school libraries. We ask “How do I get teens into the library?” instead of asking what responsibilities teens have at home that prevent them from visiting the library. During this session, our panel of experts and caregivers will help us learn more about how to better see these unseen young people.
Through large and small group discussion, let's come together to consider what shifts we could make to our spaces, systems, services, and programs that will allow us to meet some of the needs of caregiving youth and those in their care. From simple things we could change tomorrow, to big dreams with potentially big impacts on our organizations and communities, we can share in advancing our goal to serve all young people through our public and school libraries.
Participants may want to view the recording of the January 13th panel before this event for additional background information.
This will be a HIGHLY interactive session. Please come prepared to actively participate in the discussion.
Because of the nature of this discussion session, it will NOT be recorded.

Shine a Light on Innovative Practices | Focus on the Spark: Creating Interactive Lessons
2026-01-21 16:15 - 17:15
Learn how to collaborate with teachers to design engaging, standards-aligned lessons that spark critical thinking. This session will provide a clear process, practical tools, and resources to create interactive learning experiences. Walk away with an actionable lesson idea to share with your teachers next year.
About the presenter:
Tobye has dedicated 27 years to education, including 20 years as a school librarian. She loves to create highly interactive lessons that ignite curiosity and deepen student learning. For Tobye, the best library is a lively, bustling space filled with excited voices and the energy of discovery.

New Cataloger Camp Spring 2026
2026-02-04 11:00 - 12:00
New Cataloger Camp Spring 2026 is a learning cohort for Colorado catalogers that runs from February through June 2026.
