The holiday season is here! For some, this is a time of joy and excitement, but others may feel a looming sense of dread – this time of year can be expensive. If you’d like to give the gift of a free experience, consider all that a Mesa County Library card can offer you and your loved ones.
View the options listed below for free library resources that could make your season that much brighter:
- Check out Kanopy, a video streaming service, to watch movies while baking cookies and crafting! For movies specific to your little ones, check out Kanopy Kids.
- Don’t know how to bake said cookies? Explore Universal Class for baking courses! This database includes pie baking, cookie baking, and cake decorating courses to set you up for edible success.
- Lack of craft motivation got you down? The Hobbies and Crafts Reference Center might inspire fresh winter-themed ideas with subjects ranging from kids’ crafts to needlecraft to scrapbooking.
- Take your loved ones for a free outing with one of our Nature and Culture Passes! The following passes can be used to gain free entry for several people (check individual pass information for the number of free entries per pass):
- Dinosaur Journey in Fruita
- Cross Orchards Historic Site in Grand Junction
- Museum of the West in Grand Junction
- Eureka! Science Museum in Grand Junction
- Western Colorado Botanical Gardens in Grand Junction
- State Parks Pass (entry to any Colorado state park)
- The Colorado National Monument Pass (entry only into the Colorado National Monument)
- Want to gift the knowledge of genealogical discovery? Visit a Mesa County Library location to dive into your family roots with Ancestry or Family Search.
- Are you facing a long drive over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house? Use Libby to download free audiobooks and eBooks to assist your travels. You can check out 5 free books at a time to experience while traveling, even if you have no Wi-Fi, and this can be downloaded as an app onto your device. If you prefer listening to a new musical album, use Hoopla. Hoopla is another streaming service available with your library card to broaden your entertainment horizons where you can access free albums, movies, magazines, or audiobooks.
- Feel like tapping into your wanderlust? Explore the A-Z World Travel database to gain an insider view of cities around the world. To learn the local language of your dream destination, use Mango! Mango is a free language-learning database available as an app that you can use anywhere.
- Check out equipment such as a Go-Pro or a Canon camera to record your holiday happenings. (Some equipment requires a class to be taken at the library’s 970West Studio before checkout, but this is an excellent opportunity to learn new skills!)
If you’d like help gaining access to any of these resources, please feel free to visit us at one of our 8 locations and we’ll be happy to assist you. Additionally, visit us to sign up for a library card or call 970-243-4442 for more information. Happiest holiday season from Mesa County Libraries!