Schlessman Family Branch Library, 100 Poplar St. (Quebec & 1st Ave), (720) 865-0000
Check the Branch’s website for the most up-to-date operating hours.
Schlessman in the Digital Age
Lowry’s Schlessman Family Library offers nearly 100,000 books, CD’s and DVD’s, but banish any notion you might have that the library is only row after row of hard-copy materials. Schlessman is keeping pace with today’s technology – you don’t even have to leave home to download any of the library’s 15,000 eBooks, 10,000 audio eBooks, 200 digital magazines, and live-stream music and movies. They even have a Pandora-reminiscent site for streaming music called Volume: A Local Music Project. Everything is free to borrow with a Denver Public Library card.
All of Denver Library’s downloadable content can be found here and is accessible from eReaders, smartphones, tablets, and laptop or desktop computers. New to downloading content from the library? Never fear: device-specific, step-by-step instructions (with pictures!) are available for each type of download here (right-hand column). Want one-on-one help? Visit the library on Monday from 12-1P for Tech Mondays or ask one of the librarians anytime – they can help you get started borrowing and downloading digital content like:
eBooks – Titles for adults, teens, and kids can be downloaded to your Kindle, Nook, iPad, or smartphone app.
Tumblebooks – Kids can read books, play games and do activities, all online.
BookFlix – Like Netflix for kids, but the videos are of books being read to them, with reading prompts for beginning readers.
Reference eBooks – From law to medicine to sports, search hundreds of reference publications here.
Academic eBooks – Pick a subject and search – thousands of non-fiction books converted to PDF format so you can view them online.
Audio eBooks – Listen to the latest bestseller or a classic on any of your devices.
Volume – Live streaming of local music.
Music Online Database – Database featuring hundreds of thousands of songs in genres from Classical and Americana to Jazz and Global.
Streaming Video – It’s Library Netflix with new and old movies. Need help deciding – you can watch a sample before you borrow!
Digital Magazines – From 5280 to Allure to Architectural Digest to Better Homes and Gardens, full-color digital versions of your favorite magazines.
And don’t forget, the library has computers for members to use on-site, including kid’s computers, scanners, and free Wi-Fi, if you want to bring your own device.
Programs and Events
The Schlessman Branch has a packed roster of events and community outreach projects–check their events calendar for the full list.
Annually, Schlessman holds their signature program—Summer of Reading—which helps to increase literacy rates and prevent “summer slide,” where reading comprehension and retention can decrease when kids are out of school for the summer. The program gives incentive prizes to kids from birth through 12th grade for reading or being read to, including the ever-popular Elitch Gardens Theme Park tickets. In addition to reading and prizes, each branch library also offers unique programming during the summer to help keep kids engaged and interested in learning and growing.
The library has special online resources for kids and teens – and their parents. The Kid Webpage offers online encyclopedias and other reference materials, links to homework help and information about after-school programs, book recommendations, games, and StoryBlocks, videos of rhymes and songs that parents can speak and sing to their baby, toddler or pre-schooler to promote reading readiness. The Teen Webpage features book blogs, events calendar (Book Club, Build Club, Teen Advisory Board, ideaLABs), homework help via online chat, Comic Book, Gaming and Anime resources, movies, music, and eBooks.
There are also adult programs at Schlessman Family Library. Some of the regularly scheduled programs include Chess Club, Book Chat, and Comic Book Club, but there are also programs at Schlessman and other Denver Library branches where you can meet an author, learn how to garden or arrange flowers, become a better public speaker, plan a trip, take a class on William Shakespeare or the Tuskegee Airmen, take a cooking class, learn to sew or knit, explore local history, learn more about genealogy, revisit classic film and discuss TED Talks, get help with computers and technology or get swept up in a performance by the Colorado Chamber Music Society. View the full Denver Library events schedule online, or pick up a copy of their monthly schedule at any branch location.
Schlessman’s Plazas Program offers support for new immigrants, refugees, and asylees, including second-language conversation skills, citizenship, business networking, and more. Plazas are a dedicated space for migrants from all over the world to connect with people, information, and resources. You can find out about Denver Public Library and City of Denver services for new immigrants here.
The Denver Public Library system has an extensive list of public services, including support for small businesses, patent and trademark services, career training, and resources for teachers. Students can set up an appointment to spend some one-on-one time with a librarian learning how to use the library to do research and you can even request a personalized reading list from a librarian. To see a full list of Denver Public Library services, visit their website.
Meetings at Schlessman
Ever wondered what’s on the second floor at Schlessman? It’s a Community Meeting Space that can accommodate up to 50 people and features a whiteboard and projector screen. The space may be reserved for $10/hour (call (720) 865-0000 or stop by to see if it’s available and fill out a reservation form) or, when not reserved, is available on a first-come-first-serve basis for use.
To learn more about the library, visit their website at www.denverlibrary.org
Connect with the Library on Social media:
Schlessman Family Branch Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/schlessman.dpl
Twitter: @DenverLibrary
Instagram: @DenverLibrary