All Mesa County Libraries locations will be closed Monday, Jan. 16, for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Branch libraries in Collbran, De Beque, Orchard Mesa, and Palisade will be closed Saturday, Jan. 14, in observance of the holiday.

During the holiday, patrons can use the library website to download ebooks, place holds, renew items, and use online resources such as Mango Languages, Universal Class, and the Libby/OverDrive Digital Library.

A public beam-signing celebration is set for 2:45-3:45 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, where the community is invited to stop by and sign a steel beam that will become part of the building. The beam-signing celebrates the completion of the new library’s concrete foundation and the raising of the steel structure. The new Clifton Branch is located at 3270 D 1/2 Road, next to Rocky Mountain Elementary School.

If you use hoopla® through Mesa County Libraries, you’ll experience some service changes beginning this month (January 2023).

To help protect patrons’ privacy, Mesa County Libraries will require the use of passwords for access to the online catalog and eResources beginning March 28.

Libraries prioritize the protection of patron data and privacy, and requiring passwords is one measure that helps us safeguard information such as reading history and personal data (for example, contact information) that we keep as part of patrons’ library-card records.

Calling all beer and book lovers! Join Mesa County Libraries for Books on Tap! On the second Thursday of the month, rotating through a few of the great breweries in Grand Valley, we'll gather to discuss what books we're currently reading. You're welcome to enjoy a cold brew during conversation, but it's not required.

This month we'll meet at Gemini Brewing Company.

Library Assistant Silvia will teach us the art of origami. She will demonstrate this art by showing us how to fold bookmarks and flowers. She will also teach us the history of origami and tell us why she finds joy in watching beauty appear from a simple piece of paper.

Love board games? Are you 18+? Visit the Central Library for game night! Try games provided by the library or feel free to bring your own. Prepare to have a fun-filled time at the library.

Stock up on reading material during the chilly season! The Friends of Mesa County Libraries are hosting weekly book sales 9 a.m.-2 p.m. each Friday and Saturday except for holidays.

All proceeds from these sales benefit Mesa County Libraries. All sales are cash only.

Worm composting is a great way to increase microbial populations and diversity in your composting. Along with making nutrients more available to plants, warding off pathogens, and increasing plant growth hormones to aid in overall plant health, worm composting gets more nutrients into the crops. Bryan Reed will discuss how to work with composting worms on both a small and large scale.

When things feel out of control it’s hard to make decisions, meet deadlines, and satisfy our daily functions. The more we fall behind, the louder our inner critic becomes and the subsequent guilt and shame create a downward, paralyzing spiral.

Jessica Downing-Ford, owner of Spaceworks inc., will share strategies and practices to bring your goals back into focus, clear the piles, and create and implement organizing systems that resonate with your organizing style.

We will meet upstairs.

As chairman of the House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee from 1959 to 1973, Wayne N. Aspinall shaped the nation's reclamation, land, wilderness, and natural resource policies. Steve Schulte will be presenting on Aspinall’s life on the Western Slope before his career in Congress.

Artwork currently on display through Jan. 19 at the Central Library is on loan from the permanent collection of The Art Center of Western Colorado. Selected felt-tipped pen drawings from Alfred Nestler capture the landscapes he studied, drew, and painted.

Nestler, an early supporter of the creation of a local art center, was an avid artist contributing to the art communities of Grand Junction and Sedona, Arizona, before his death in 1970.

You can learn more about Alfred Nestler through the Library’s Local History Thursday blog post.

Accompanying this collection is a framed series of prints from artist Toru Sugita which chronicles the change of 955 Bunting Ave. from college housing to parking lot during the early 2000s.

Photographer Kyle Webb is the new Mesa County Libraries Artist in Residence through April 17. Kyle has extensive experience with photography and digital cameras, and he’s thrilled to have the opportunity to share his knowledge with the community.

Kyle’s Meet & Greets will be every Friday from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. starting Jan. 20. Stop by to say hi, check out his photography, or ask questions about digital cameras.

Kyle will also teach Demystifying Digital Cameras at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24, in the Central Library Mesa Community Room.

Kyle will demystify the world of digital cameras while helping you understand some basic, yet important, photographic principles. If you're looking for an excuse to move beyond your smartphone, this is the class for you.

City of Grand Junction representatives will host a table in the Central Library lobby on two dates in February to raise awareness about the upcoming draft of the city's Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan.

The representatives will be at the Central Library 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, and Thursday, Feb. 16.

More information about the current phase of the Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan's development is available here.

Points of View Reference Center might be just what you’re looking for.

Points of View Reference Center provides everything you need to develop a deep understanding of hundreds of controversial topics, offering balanced and nuanced perspectives on topical issues such as abortion, immigration, LGBTQ rights, government surveillance, and more. Each topic features a neutral overview of the topic, an argument, and an opposing argument, allowing you to critically engage with all sides and develop your own perspective.

Researching your family tree? Meet with Mesa County Genealogical Society members, receive one-on-one assistance, and learn how to keep your research on track.

Join us every fourth Tuesday of the month at the Clifton Branch, 590 32 Road, from 5 to 6 p.m. to discuss all types of movies!

All you need to do is show up and share your love of movies with like-minded people.

Contact Mesa County Libraries at 970-243-4442 or visit mesacountylibraries.org