Bethany is joined this week by TJ Smith and Chandler Smith, founders of Creative’s Landing, to discuss Riff for Relief - a music initiative tied to West Slope Startup Week that highlight the region’s incredible music scene, while raising needed funds for the many artists who have suffered financial hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic. This episode also features musician W.ill. of Wowzers, a good vibe jazz hip hop trio participating in Riff for Relief!

Riff for Relief is from 7:30 p.m. - 9 p.m., Thursday, July 30, 2020. This free show will involve prerecorded Mini Desk sessions, a live Singer Songwriter Round, Special Guest and Headliner. The music will be accompanied by an art gallery with a percentage of proceeds going to the Grand Valley Music Relief Fund. Visit westslopestartupweek.com/music/ to reserve your in-person seat at Mesa Theatre, or watch the livestream event on Creative’s Landing’s Facebook page at facebook.com/Creatives-Landing.

GoFund Me to support local artists: https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/riff-for-relief

Featured Musicians:

The Show:

Mini Desk Prelude (PRERECORDED)

- El Camino Burnout

- Suckafish

- Valley Curse

- Wave 11

- Wowzer

Singer Songwriter Round (LIVE)

- Dave Mensch

- Talya Dewey (of Rizzo)

- Morgan Crouse (of Southside Highway)

Special Guest (LIVE)

- Cosmo

Headliner (LIVE)

- Still House String Band

Welcome to Community Conversations! A series of conversations Mesa County Libraries staff has with passionate and informed community members. On our first ever Community Conversations episode, Bethany and Emmi sat down with the Tremaine Jackson, Head Football Coach at Colorado Mesa University. Hired in late 2019, Coach Jackson has navigated a wide variety of changes not only related to how he adapted running practice of a team of 100+ players due to COVID-19, but on a community level opening up a dialogue of being uncomfortable, participating in peaceful protests, and raising the acknowledgement of racism in the Grand Valley. Settle in for a conversation about race relations and bias and how we as a community can use our resources to learn, discover, create, and connect with everyone around us. Thank you Coach Jackson for an educational, kind, and much needed conversation!

For more information about resources mentioned in this episode, visit mesacountylibraries.org. Find the Mesa County Oral History Project on our website at https://mesacountylibraries.org/mcohp/, and be sure to stop in our Central Regional History Room to review "Hooded Empire: the Ku Klux Klan in Colorado" by Robert Goldberg, to learn important and relevant history about the roots of racism in Colorado. For more books about Race in America, visit https://mesa.marmot.org/.

Running is fun… right? Library Assistants Amberlee and Rose Marie share with Bethany and Emmi why on earth they enjoy the worst type of exercise of all time. All joking aside, physical fitness is to the body what reading is to the brain. You need to do it for your mental health! Listen in as these ladies share how running (as well as other types of exercise) aid in the strengthening of their bodies, souls, and minds.

Other resources mentioned in this episode:

Books:

• Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

• Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis

• What I Talk About When I Talk About Running

by Haruki Murakami, Philip Gabriel (Translator

Magazines:

• RBDigital

Resource Guide:

• Health and Wellness

Podcasts:

• I Weigh with Jameela Jamil

Summer Reading is here! We talk to Head of Youth Services, Cydney and Librarians Diana and Ike and learn about all of the fun stuff we have planned for Summer Reading 2020! Teen Services Coordinator Andrea shares about all of awesome events and prizes available for Teens as well! Sign up for Summer Reading at mesacountylibraries.org!

Other resources mentioned in this episode: • Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough

Elizabeth, our Collections Librarian, is an avid traveler. Enjoy this virtual "Armchair Travel" experience and take a trip to Colombia with Elizabeth, Emmi and Bethany! Want to check out the visual beauty of Columbia? Enjoy this video podcast episode of The Audissey on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/thogDwzMcI4

First things first, kids: holds are back! Please visit our COVID 19 guide for instructions on how to pick up your holds. https://guides.mesacountylibraries.org/covid19/library

Is Bethany's mom a saint? Our sources say yes. Bethany and her mom Tami coordinated an effort to manufacture masks for family, friends, and co-workers during this pandemic. This is an extremely compassionate feat for a teacher navigating distance learning (Tami) and full-time library assistant/grad student (Bethany) and those of us who were gifted masks are extremely grateful for the act of kindness. Thank you Bethany and Tami!

Trevor Adams, Library Associate in our Youth Services department, is a collage artist in his free time! Trevor started a fantastic and connecting initiative by mailing out his postcard-sized collage artworks to those who requested them. How many did he mail out, you ask? Listen to the podcast to find out (Spoiler: it's a LOT!).

What are you doing while you're "docked" at home? Our staff are playing video games! Join Bethany, Emmi, Logan, Cheyanna, and Riley as they share their favorite things about Animal Crossings. Josh shares what he loves the most about Doom! We hope you will remain "docked" in your homes and enjoy the online resources Mesa County Libraries provides during this time. Enjoy weekly episodes of DOCKED with brief updates from Michelle on how the library plans on re-opening, and listen in as staff discuss the various ways they're coping with covid (spoiler: we're a lot of fun and are doing some pretty great things). Shout out to Adam for all of the quick editing and production he's doing on these Google Hangout audio files!

Visit https://guides.mesacountylibraries.org/covid19/home for current information and reliable resources for understanding and responding to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.

The Audissey's voyage was abruptly halted by COVID-19, but that doesn't mean that MCL staff can't find a way to record episodes! Join Bethany, Emmi, and Mesa County Libraries Director Michelle as they discuss how the library is still providing services for patrons and staff during the stay at home order. We hope you will remain "docked" in your homes and enjoy the online resources Mesa County Libraries provides during this time. Enjoy weekly episodes of DOCKED with brief updates from Michelle on how the library plans on re-opening, and listen in as staff discuss the various ways they're coping with covid (spoiler: we're a lot of fun and are doing some pretty great things). Shout out to Adam for all of the quick editing and production he's doing on these Google Hangout audio files!

Visit https://health.mesacounty.us/covid19 for updated information for the Mesa County Health Department.

Visit https://guides.mesacountylibraries.org/covid19/home for current information and reliable resources for understanding and responding to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.

Meet our Spring 2020 Artist in Residence, TJ Smith. Learn how TJ uses his love for travel and nature as an artistic means of creating multidisciplinary art. | Meet Jessica Geddes, Art Librarian (Yeah. That's her legit title)! Jessica shares all of the sweet things she's doing to promote the arts at the library and in her role in the Creative District. Learn how the library is an excellent art reference for artists. | Ugh. Guys, Dave left. We're definitely NOT salty about it... In all reality, we are so excited to see Baby Dave™ in his new role as Community Engagement Manager for Downtown Grand Junction. We've already watched him and his team continue creatively supporting local businesses during the COVID-19 shutdown and we are so excited to see all of the continuous creativity Dave churns out at his new gig!

This episode of The Audissey is released during the COVID-19 Coronavirus Statewide Stay-At-Home Order. These segments were pre-recorded before library services were suspended and although all library locations are closed until further notice we hope you'll enjoy learning about our normally scheduled services (and get excited for when we're able to offer them again). Enjoy our boy Brevin banter with Dave and Bethany as he details one of our favorite services, Words on Wheels! Meet Logan, super cool gamer and Library Assistant talk about rad video games and the sweet branch locations she frequents (we're lookin' at you, Fruita and Gateway Branches!).

We look forward to getting back to our regularly scheduled services once we're over the risk of spreading COVID-19. Stay safe, check out our other online resources, and binge our podcast while you're stuck at home!