Community Conversations Mentor

Hi, please note the Colorado State Library Special Populations Committee "Community Conversations" program that I just posted.

Congratulations to ALD's Jail Library for their successful award.

Just a couple of notes:

I am mentoring the Pueblo Library's "Books a la Cart" program. I've been to Pueblo and met with Barbara Brown and her staff. Barbara reports, "Jan. 24, 345 people attended the Satellite (Outreach Services) Saturday event at the Rawlings Library. We celebrated 20 years of the satellite program with a birthday party for satellite library schools in the Ryals room, student’s work was displayed in the 4th floor lobby area for the month of January, and a Tarzan movie was shown in the Infozone. There was a video presentation of North Mesa students performing a Skippyjon Jones skit. On the 3rd floor, Noreen Riffe hosted display panels of the 100 year history of the PCCLD Outreach (including 20 years of satellite libraries and 40 years of the bookmobile) with former bookmobile and Outreach Coordinators present to talk “memories”. On the 1st floor, Wilbur the pig greeted families in the Youth Services Department, children’s author, Lyn Bezek signed books, 3 R.E.A.D. dogs were available for children to read to, 4 Books a la Cart partners from the community had information tables(Boys & Girls Club, SRDA Meals on Wheels, Eastside Day Care, & El Pueblo Boys & Girls Ranch), the Risley Satellite Jazz Band played in the lobby. 4 Boy Scouts from Troop 20 helped with a variety of chores as they fulfilled requirements of their library badge. Efficient and dedicated event organizers were Anna Fox (Outreach Assistant) and Cathy Fox (North Mesa-Satellite Clerk).

Barbara will continue her "Books a la Cart" program until summer.


I am also mentoring Fort Morgan's "Women to Women" program. I've been in communication with Cathy Bosley and she reports, "The first meeting for Women to Women was well-attended, and very worthwhile. We had 35 women, including 7 Somalians and 6 Latinos. After introductions, the immigrants were asked what they would like to learn from this group, and they said that they would like to learn English, in their homes, one on one. They also would like to learn to cook American food (to which the Americans said they would like to taste Somalian food). So a cooking session is being planned."

I plan to attend the next meeting in March.