Sunshine & Stories from the Colorado State Library

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Sunshine & Stories Episode 305: The Powers of Larissa

Episode Summary:

Introducing the newest member of the CSL Library Development team, Larissa Powers.

Kieran Hixon spends time asking Larissa questions about her career and experience in the field.

Outline:

00:00 - Introduction

00:40 - Meet the new Continuing Education Senior Consultant, Larissa Powers

2:20 - Larissa's career path

4:47 - Favorite library partnership

6:50 - Best advice from a mentor

10:06 - Rapid fire round!

14:05 - Outro

Resources: 

Office of Library Development - Colorado Department of Education

CSL projects like this one are funded in part by the Grants to States program administered by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. The views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this podcast do not necessarily represent those of the Colorado State Library, Institute of Museum and Library Services, or the U.S. Government

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Sunshine & Stories Episode 304: CLEL Connecting For Impact 

Episode Summary 

In this episode of Sunshine & Stories, Kate Compton talks with past and present Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy CLEL committee chairs. CLEL is a not for profit, grass roots movement of library professionals supporting early childhood initiative in Colorado and beyond. The panelist discuss their personal histories with CLEL, the benefits to joining and how to get involved. 

Outline 

00:06 Introduction

07:00 Member vs Steering 

09:25 Benefits 

19:31 How to get involved 

21:25 Closing thoughts

Resources 

https://www.clel.org/

CSL projects like this one are funded in part by the Grants to States program administered by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. The views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this podcast do not necessarily represent those of the Colorado State Library, Institute of Museum and Library Services, or the U.S. Government.   

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Sunshine & Stories Episode 303: Demystifying Manga

Episode Summary: In this episode of Sunshine & Stories, Suzi Tonini talks manga with Tyler Meyer, media tech and resident manga expert in St. Vrain Valley School District. Tyler explains what sets manga apart from Western graphic novels and why it belongs in school collections. Along the way, Tyler demystifies manga categories, offers tips for navigating publisher ratings and previewing series, and recommends some of her favorite titles to share with students. 

Outline:

00:00 - Introduction
01:00 - From anime fan to reading 200+ manga volumes
02:39 - What sets manga apart from Western graphic novels
03:57 - Manga is for everyone: shonen, shojo, josei, seinen, and kodomomuke
05:30 - Why manga belongs in school libraries
09:33 - Making sense of publisher ratings
18:00 - Closing

Resources:

Manga Librarian Resource Spreadsheet

Manga Goes to School: Cultivating Engagement and Inclusion in K-12 Settings by Ashley Hawkins and Emily Ratica

Manga in Libraries by Jillian Rudes

CSL projects like this one are funded in part by the Grants to States program administered by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. The views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this podcast do not necessarily represent those of the Colorado State Library, Institute of Museum and Library Services, or the U.S. Government. 

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Sunshine & Stories Episode 302: Mentorship Meets Librarianship

Episode Summary: Kate Brunner and Christine Kreger, from the Colorado Library Consortium (CLiC), discuss mentorship as a concept, what makes for a good mentor and mentee, how to navigate the mentorship relationship, and what to do when that relationship draws to a close. Learn about how SMART goals and SMART communication can support everyone's learning and ways you can seek out mentors or mentees in Colorado Library Land.

Outline:

00:00 - Introduction
00:56 - What is mentorship?
03:32 - The value of mentorship for library professionals
07:08 - How to be a great mentor/mentee
09:14 - Best practices for showing up on a mentoring relationship
15:06 - Bringing a mentorship to a close
18:24 - Closing

Resources:

The Mentee's Guide: Making Mentoring Work for You by Lois J. Zachary
The Mentor's Guide: Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships by Lois J. Zachary

CO Association of Libraries Leadership Institute (CALLI)

CSL projects like this one are funded in part by the Grants to States program administered by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. The views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this podcast do not necessarily represent those of the Colorado State Library, Institute of Museum and Library Services, or the U.S. Government. 

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Sunshine & Stories Episode 301: Adding Facts to the Feels with Dana Peterson

Episode Summary: What do bubble charts, clawfoot bathtubs, and kids' shoe sizes have in common? Dana Peterson of the Colorado State Library's Library Research Service joins Kieran to talk about turning public library data into stories that stick. From dashboards and board report tools to why correlation isn't causation, Dana shares how "adding facts to the feels" helps libraries show their communities — and their boards — the impact they're making every day. Plus: practical encouragement for small and rural librarians who fear the spreadsheet.

Outline:

• [01:13] What Dana does at the State Library — Turning public library annual report data into dashboards and downloadable datasets, plus board report tools built with the LRS team.
• [07:03] The public library annual report — Survey improvements, printable tools, and being a good steward of taxpayer dollars.
• [07:57] Correlation vs. causation — Why kids with bigger shoe sizes aren't actually better readers, and what that means for library data.
• [12:31] Facts + stories = impact — How hard numbers give anecdotes universality, and the revived library value calculator ($1 invested can return ~$15 in value).
• [14:53] Advice for small & rural libraries — Start simple, use the free Google-based board report templates ("you can't break it — just download a new one"), and remember: there are no dumb questions.
• [17:12] Closing thoughts — Gratitude for frontline library staff and a reminder to cherish the good days.

Guest Bio: Dana Peterson is a self-described "nerdy taxpayer who believes libraries are awesome." A former middle and high school math and computer teacher who spent eight years working in public libraries in Mancos and Lyons, Dana joined the State Library in 2022, where she builds dashboards and data tools that help Colorado libraries tell their story.

Resources: 

• Library Research Service dashboards & standards visualizations: LRS.org

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If you give us a listen, please let us know what you think by completing a short feedback survey for this episode.  

CSL projects like this one are funded in part by the Grants to States program administered by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. The views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this podcast do not necessarily represent those of the Colorado State Library, Institute of Museum and Library Services, or the U.S. Government.  

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Polly Gallagher chats with Jeremy Krones, Grand County resident, East Troublesome Wildfire victim, and trustee on the Grand County Library District public library board. Together, they go through the immediate experience of a devastating wildfire in Grand County from October 2020 through the lens of resident and library leadership. Starting with the fateful day of the pre-evacuation order through to the final rebuilding of a home and celebration of community. Get prepared and stay safe.

Content Notes: This episode discusses loosing a home to wildfire.

Outline:

00:20 – October 21, 2020, pre-evac to evac order in minutes
6:48 – The days that followed, from the eyes of an evacuee
 8:55 – The days that followed, from the eyes of the library response
 11:05 – Be aware of vocational awe
 12:35 – Ducks in a row
 16:02 - Moving forward
 20:55 – Collectors of Memories
 22:10 – Final thoughts
 24:19 – Closing
 

Resources:

Local Emergency Alert Systems
InciWeb
Watch Duty – Wildfire Maps and Alerts
Colorado Cultural & Historic Resources Task Force
Vocational Awe

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Episode Summary: 

Join Kate Compton as she talks with Samantha Hager and Miranda Doran-Myers from the Colorado State Publications Library, who share the library’s mission of providing free, permanent access to Colorado state government documents. They highlight surprising and valuable resources—from historical collections to issue briefs, research guides, and kid-friendly materials—and offer tips for navigating government information. Get inspired to share the hidden gems the “State Pubs” have with your community.  

 Outline:

01:06 - Meet the Team 

05:38 - What is the State Publications Library? 

08:45 - Not to miss tools and collections   

12:43 – Mindset for searching 

15:11 – Trends in document searches 

18:29 – New initiatives and ways to collaborate  

Resources: 

State Publications Website  

State Publications Catalog 

State Publications Blog 

State Publications Topic Guides  

Phone: 720-955-5230 

Address: 180 Sheridan Blvd, Denver, CO 80226-8101 

Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am - 4:00 pm 

Email: [email protected]

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Sunshine and Stories Episode 211: The Beginner's Mindset: Finding Clarity in Library Values 

Episode Summary: 

Kieran Hixon, CSL's Small and Rural Library Senior Consultant, has a conversation with Sharon Morris focusing on the concept of the "beginner's mindset" and how core library values are learned and sometimes conflict. 

Outline:

00:19 Who is Sharon Morris?  

01:21 The Beginner’s Mindset & "Aha" Moments 

03:32 Learning Core Values: Privacy vs. Service 

06:37 Structure and Responsibility 

07:37 Defining Moments & Conflicting Values 

10:20 Values Conflict: Consistency vs. Service 

14:39 Practicing the Beginner's Mindset 

17:25 Déjà Vu and Library Excellence 

19:15 Growth from Frustration ("Fertilizer") 

21:48 Closing 

Tell us what you think!
If you give us a listen, please let us know what you think by completing a short feedback survey for this episode.  

CSL projects like this one are funded in part by the Grants to States program administered by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. The views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this podcast do not necessarily represent those of the Colorado State Library, Institute of Museum and Library Services, or the U.S. Government. 

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Sunshine and Stories Episode 210: Weeding Together: The Collection Crew Approach with Len Bryan 

Episode Summary: 

Join Suzi Tonini as she talks with Len Bryan, Partner of Library Services at Cherry Creek Schools, about transforming weeding from a dreaded solo task into an empowering collaborative experience. Len shares his innovative "collection crew" model, the "ugly weed" method for visual weeding, and why building relationships should come before touching a single book in a new library.   

Outline: 

00:56 - Why weeding creates "The Great Library Divide" 

06:23 - The collection crew concept: collaborative weeding  

10:01 - The "ugly weed" method: visual scanning techniques  

14:20 - Logistics that matter 

21:03 - Communication strategies 

25:20 - Why new librarians should focus on relationships first  

28:18 - Weeding wins 

Resources:
Collection Crew Invitation for Principals (Cherry Creek Schools Library Services) 

Collection Crew Process (Cherry Creek Schools Library Services) 

Curate Shared Foundations Book (book available from ALA) 

FAQs for Weeding Libraries (Cherry Creek Schools Library Services) 

Weeding: Essential Library Collection Maintenance (slide deck presentation) 

Weeding: Essential Library Best Practices (Cherry Creek Schools slide deck presentation)  

"Weeding: The Great Library Divide, Embracing Collection Maintenance with Enthusiasm"  (Knowledge Quest blog post) 

The Weeding Handbook: A Shelf-by-Shelf Guide, Second Edition (book available from ALA) 

Contact Len Bryan: [email protected] 

Follow Len on Bluesky 

Tell us what you think!
If you give us a listen, please let us know what you think by completing a short feedback survey for this episode.  

CSL projects like this one are funded in part by the Grants to States program administered by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. The views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this podcast do not necessarily represent those of the Colorado State Library, Institute of Museum and Library Services, or the U.S. Government. 

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Sunshine and Stories Episode 209 Nursery Rhymes and Reason with Mary Lanni 

Episode Summary: 
Kate Compton chats with Mary Lanni, the Youth Literacy and Outreach Specialist from Douglas County Libraries. Mary shares insights from her upcoming book on nursery rhymes in storytime, exploring their historical roots, cultural implications, and why they matter for early literacy. They dive into questions about inclusivity, evolving trends, and practical tips for creating welcoming storytimes in today’s diverse communities. Tune in for a thoughtful conversation as a way to reflect on your own storytime offerings.  

Outline:  

00:19 - Meet Mary
01:22 - Why we need a closer look
02:51 - Common themes
07:25 - Why we sing nursery rhymes  
09:28 – New trends
14:25 – Resources  
14:14 - What's next?
21:54 - Closing  

Resources:  

CLEL
Everychildreadytoread.org
www.imaginationlibrarycolorado.org
www.maryrlanni.com
YouTube and Spotify (@MaryLanniReads)
Storytime Solidarity 

Tell us what you think!
If you give us a listen, please let us know what you think by completing a short feedback survey for this episode.  

CSL projects like this one are funded in part by the Grants to States program administered by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. The views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this podcast do not necessarily represent those of the Colorado State Library, Institute of Museum and Library Services, or the U.S. Government.