Social Stories
Social Stories are common aides for addressing the social skills of individuals with special needs or to simply ease anxiety when visiting a new place. Social Stories help to guide new and current patrons on how to navigate a regular visit to the library. Our Social Stories are meant to be read before visiting the library–that way the patron will have an idea of how to browse the collection, ask for help from staff members, the check-out process, and how to enter and exit the building, among others. Mesa County Libraries hopes these Social Stories are wonderful guidance to your upcoming visit to the library.
- Social Story: Visiting Mesa County Library – Central Library
- Historia Social: Visitando la Biblioteca del Condado de Mesa – Biblioteca Central
Virtual Resources
- Check out our Virtual Kids Programs Playlist on YouTube for storytimes, Kids Club, puppet shows and more!
- See our Just for Kids page of the Downloadable/Streaming Media Guide for kid-friendly movies, ebooks, and magazines you can access with your library card.
- Our COVID-19 Guide also has tons of free learning resources including lesson plans for remote learning – no library card required.
- Freedom to Read – Answers to frequently asked questions about challenged books.
Healthy and Safe Kids
- Talking to Your Kids About Natural Disasters, War, and Violence
- Mesa County Partnership for Children
- Western Colorado 211 – Referrals to health and human services in Western Colorado
- Kids Health Website
Homeschooling Resources
- Homeschooling Guide – Curated list from Mesa County Libraries of local and national organizations and resources
- District 51 Homeschooling Information – For parents or guardians who are planning to home-school their student
Reading Readiness
- Every Child Ready to Read – National Program endorsed by the American Library Association
- Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy: Story Blocks – Movie clips to inspire reading aloud
- Grand Junction Imagination Library – Any child under 5 in participating zip codes can sign up to receive a free book every month. Sign up at the Central Library!
School Connections
- District 51 ParentVUE
- Colorado Department of Education Academic Standards
- Spellbinders – Mesa County Spellbinders are volunteers trained in the art of storytelling. They visit various classrooms throughout the school year.
Understanding your Child
- Parenting Books – List of parent books available at your library
- Zero to Three – Information about infants and toddlers
Things to Do
- Visit Grand Junction Events Calendar
- Grand Junction Newcomers
- Museum of Western Colorado
- Eureka! Science Museum
- Western Colorado Botanical Gardens
- City of Grand Junction Parks and Recreation
- Family Fun Magazine – This magazine is at the library with an online subscription