Literacy and Youth Services

Resources

• Baby and Toddler Storytime Kits Available for Check Out!

Check out (literally!) our Baby and Toddler Storytime Kits for your library! Discover all the details at the link above. 

• Day by Day Family Literacy Activity Calendars

These beautifully illustrated perpetual calendars, available in English and Spanish, provide a fun early literacy activity each day for parents, caregivers, and ECE educators. ​To request free calendars, complete this online form.

• Colorado Statewide Summer Learning Program

The Colorado State Library provides high-quality summer learning resources and training to public library staff across the state.

• Colorado Teen Literature Conference

This annual event promotes and celebrates teen literature.

• A number of USDA-funded programs are available for libraries to provide free snacks and meals to children birth-18 serving school districts that have at least 50% free and reduced cost lunch eligibility (See CDE's Pupil Membership Data webpage for the most recent free and reduced lunch eligibility):

  • Partnering with your local Summer Food Service Program is an excellent opportunity to provide your summer program to more kids this summer; learn more about the program and find partnering suggestions.

  • The Child and Adult Care Food Program provides reimbursements for meals and snacks that nonprofits provide to children during out-of-school-time program. The program website offers more information and resources.

Literacy Promotion Resources

• Continuing Education from the Colorado State Library 
  The Colorado State Library offers professional development opportunities and promotes other offerings.
• StoryBlocks
  A collection of 30 to 60-second videos modeling to parents, caregivers & library staff songs, rhymes & fingerplays for early childhood.
• Early Childhood Colorado
  Your gateway to services for young children and their families, and the professionals who serve them.
• Every Child Ready to Read (ECRR) Toolkit
  A parent education initiative stressing that early literacy begins with the primary adults in a child's life. The ECRR toolkit empowers public libraries to assume an essential role in supporting early literacy.

Youth Services Groups

In Colorado

• Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy (CLEL)
  Passionately committed to strengthening children's literacy through library services and community advocacy. CLEL's steering committee currently serves as an advisory group to the Colorado State Library. Membership in CLEL is free. 
• Children and Teen Services Special Interest Group of the Colorado Association of Libraries (CATS)
   A forum for all library staff who serve children and teens to share ideas while working together to fill the need of consistently providing excellent services to patrons from birth to 18 and their caregivers throughout the state of Colorado. Contact the current Co-Chairs for more information.
• Tween Services Meetups 
  Contact: Meeting facilitator Christa Funke, Pikes Peak Library District 
  This informal group meets monthly to provide an open discussion and idea exchange about all things tween services. Alternating every third Wednesday and third Thursday every other month, with the same link (Watch the Colorado Youth Services Library Network listserv for upcoming dates. See below to subscribe to that listserv.) 
• CCIRA - Informing, Inspiring, and Innovating Literacy in Colorado 
  A professional organization of educators and community members dedicated to the promotion and advancement of literacy.

• Colorado-based Email Lists

  • Colorado Youth Services Library Network (cys-Lib) 
    For all youth service librarians and library professionals working with children, tweens, or teens and their families/caregivers in Colorado public libraries. School librarians and those working in school libraries are also always welcome.
  • Colorado's Programming Librarians (CoProLib)
    For Colorado library staff to exchange info on adult, teen and children's programming. Primary focus is public libraries, but staff from other types of libraries are welcome.