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Reasons to Bring Your Children to the Library While They’re Young

Public libraries are a valuable resource for every community. They provide access to technology, a wealth of information stacked on shelves, and dozens of educational programs available to people of all ages.

They are also a great place to bring your children to while they are young. Read on to understand why your family should visit the library early and often!

Literacy is Important for Their Long-Term Success

Learning to read and write as a young child is one of the most impactful skills over the course of a lifetime. Studies show that early literacy helps brain development in ways that provides a strong foundation to learn and grow over time.

When you bring your children to the library as a baby or toddler, they are more likely to be far more proficient in understanding text and communicating clearly as they grow older. As they say, knowledge is power!

It Fosters A Love of Learning

By the time your children enter school, having previous experience with the learning process can be a huge help. If you bring the family to the library in their early years, they can begin to love learning — something that will benefit them for years to come.

Those who aren’t afraid to learn or who love to discover new facts are all better able to be more creative, insightful and wise as adults. Letting them see the library as an exciting place of information is essentially giving them the gift of wisdom.

The Library Offers a Variety of Activities for Kids

One of the top perks of local libraries is the wide range of educational, cultural, creative and fun activities that are great for families to do together. Whether you sign up for an arts and crafts workshop, visit during story time, or hear an expert speak about the local wildlife in Colorado, you’ll never run out of unique things to do at the library throughout the year!

Head on over to the Jefferson County Public Library website to get all the latest updates on future events, classes and programs!

Family-Friendly Things to Do in Colorado This Summer

School’s out for the summer, which means more time spent with the whole family together. And one of the best things about summertime in Colorado is that the warm and dry weather allows us to have pretty endless activity options!

Here are some fun family-friendly things to do in the Centennial State this summer to bring you closer together while making the most of the season!

The Summer Reading Program

Our local Jeffco Library system has a fantastic summer reading program that aims to help children read more books during the summer. You can track your minutes both individually and as a family, and can even earn prizes when you hit your goals!

It’s a great family activity to do together, and perfect for all ages. You might even want to have a family challenge to see who can read the most during the summer!

Library Events

The library isn’t just a place for reading or studying; on the JCPL calendar you can find a range of classes, programs and experiences that are family-friendly!

From story times and movies, to hands-on workshops and games, be sure to save the dates for your top choices. Some events do require registering in advance, so sign up while you can!

Museums

Do your kids love learning about science, nature, art, or history? Take the family to some of the best museums in the area to inspire them! Here are just a handful of the many museums in the Denver metro area:

Butterfly Pavilion

Denver Firefighters Museum

MCA Denver

Museum of Nature & Science

And if you sign up for the JCPL’s Culture Pass, you can get into several places free of charge!

Opt Outside

Colorado has an abundance of natural scenery and geological wonders to explore. Whether you take the family for a hike in Rocky Mountain National Park, camp outside near Lake Dillon, or stroll through one of the many state and county parks, you’re bound to create new memories the whole family will cherish for years to come. The best part? Library card holders can get into all 42 state parks for free when using the Culture Pass!

underrated library resources

If you live in Jefferson County, you have access to a wide range of resources and tools provided by your local library system.

Although some of the main services such as renting out books and movies with a library card are pretty well known, we wanted to provide a list of many other opportunities that the Jefferson County Public Library (JCPL) offers!

Here are some of the best resources available at your local Jeffco Library you may not have heard about:

Computer Classes

Whether you are someone who has never felt “tech-savvy” and need a few quick lessons on using computers properly, or you have a specific question on a computer software or online searching, JCPL has free classes you can join at a variety of locations!

Topics range from using Google Docs and Microsoft programs to email, job hunting and more! You can learn more about their computer classes online here.

Culture Pass

By far one of the best services JCPL provides is the Culture Pass! This is your “ticket” to participating metro-area cultural institutions, such as the Colorado State Parks, the Butterfly Pavilion, several museums and other arts centers.

With a JCPL library card, you can reserve a Culture Pass online up to 30 days in advance. Be sure to check out the details, instructions and other reservation requirements on the JCPL website!

Servicios en Español

If someone you know is a native Spanish speaker living in the Jefferson County area, they may not know about the many classes, events and other resources available to them in Spanish through JCPL!

Invite them to discover the resources, programs and more available online here.

Meeting & Study Rooms

Need a quiet place to work on a project? Have a hard time finding a good local place to meet with others?

Several of the Jeffco libraries offer small study rooms, as well as large meeting rooms available free of charge! Small study rooms can be used for up to 2 hours per day, hold up to six people and can be reserved up to 30 days in advance. Larger meeting rooms can be reserved up to 60 days in advance!

Check out the information on the JCPL website to learn about the available locations, meeting room policies, and other FAQs.

Computers, WiFi and Printing

With a valid library card you can reserve a computer at the library to use for research, job and college applications, and more! JCPL also offers laptops available for use at the Belmar, Columbine and Golden locations.

You also can use the WiFi networks and hot spots to connect to the internet for free! Other great technology services available include: printing, scanning and faxing. Visit JCPL’s website to learn more!

Have other questions or need assistance?

Reach out to JCPL by calling (303) 235-5275, visiting one of their local library locations or submitting a question online!

Why Volunteer for Jefferson County Library Foundation

Whether you have more time on your calendar these days, or you are simply looking for a way to support the Jefferson County Library Foundation, volunteering may be a great fit for you!

If you need a little extra convincing, we’ve got a handful of reasons why you should consider becoming one of our volunteers this year:

1. You love being around books.

Want to be surrounded by books all day? Then you’ll love volunteering for JCLF!

Our donation warehouse is often looking for additional help sorting through the boxes of books we receive from our donors in the community. It’s a great opportunity to help us out on a regular or semi-regular basis!

Or, if you only have a handful of days throughout the year, we’d love to have you as a volunteer for events like our Spring Whale Sale (you can even sign up for the 2018 WWhale of a Used Book Sale Spring 2018 JCLFhale Sale online today!).

2. You can support a local nonprofit.

Showing your support doesn’t always have to mean book or monetary donations. Our organization’s mission is to provide critical support to Jefferson County Public Library (JCPL), expanding free programs and services to all Jefferson County residents. This includes things like early literacy, technology access, education and cultural engagement.

What better way to spend a free afternoon than by helping a nonprofit you love?

3. Engage with the community.

There’s nothing quite like becoming a more active and engaged citizen in your regional community. When you volunteer with JCLF, you’ll have the chance to connect with others nearby, especially when volunteering for our annual events!

Contact JCLF to Become a Volunteer

Reach out to our staff members to see how you can get involved! Help us make a difference in Jefferson County by supporting our local libraries. Call us at (303) 403-5075 to learn more!