The Human Library 2026

Posted on by Bryan Simpson in Adults, Front Page

Unjudge someone – Join us for The Human Library®!  

“Being Me in Fort Collins”  

Typical libraries offer print books and digital eBooks for check out, but The Human Library® allows participants – or Readers – to borrow a human Book and engage in conversations about their unique stories, particularly their experiences in Fort Collins regarding their identity/identities. The Human Library program creates a safe and non-judgmental environment for curious and often taboo conversations that will challenge prejudices and promote understanding of differences. The program encourages all participants to “unjudge” a human Book by its cover.  

During this three-hour program, you, as a Reader, will have the opportunity to check out four human Books – community volunteers who have been subjected to prejudice, stigma, or discrimination because of their lifestyle, diagnosis, belief, social status, ethnic origin, or disability. The hope is that everyone, Readers and Books, gain new understandings that advance acceptance and inclusion among diverse groups.  

Fort Collins Museum of Discovery is honored to help facilitate this powerful event with our partners, City of Fort Collins, Poudre Libraries, and the Yarrow Collective, and with generous support from City of Fort Collins, Fort Collins Area Interfaith Council, and our local community.  

Please join us for the Human Library – a safe and non-judgmental forum for people to engage in difficult conversations and gain a deeper understanding of diverse human experiences. Note: Under 18 Readers need to be accompanied by an adult.  

Sunday, February 22nd, 2026  

2:00-5:00pm  

The Fort Collins Museum of Discovery  

408 Mason Court  

Fort Collins, Colorado 80524  

While participation is free, we ask that you preregister prior to arrival.  

This program contains adult themes. Youth participants must be accompanied by an adult caregiver at all times.   

Museum exhibits are closed for this program.  

For more information about the Human Library, please visit www.humanlibrary.org.  

 

 

Desjuzga a alguien – ¡Visita la Biblioteca Humana®!  

“Siendo yo en Fort Collins”
 

INSCRIPCIONES ABIERTAS A PRINCIPIOS DE ENERO 

Las bibliotecas tradicionales ofrecen libros, tanto impresos como electrónicos, pero la Biblioteca Humana® permite a sus participantes, o Lectores, tomar prestado un Libro humano para entablar conversaciones sobre sus historias, particularmente sus experiencias en Fort Collins con respecto a su identidad. El programa de la Biblioteca Humana crea un entorno seguro y sin prejuicios para mantener conversaciones curiosas y, a menudo, tabú que desafiarán los prejuicios y promoverán la comprensión de las diferencias. El programa alienta a todos los participantes a “desjuzgar” un libro humano. 

Como Lector tendrá la oportunidad de consultar cuatro Libros humanos durante este programa de tres horas, voluntarios de la comunidad que han sido objeto de prejuicios, el estigma o intolerancia debido a su estilo de vida, condición médica, creencias, estatus social, origen étnico o discapacidad. El objetivo es que todos, tanto Lectores como Libros, obtengan nuevos conocimientos que promuevan la aceptación y la inclusión entre diversos grupos. 

Nos sentimos honrados de ayudar a facilitar este poderoso evento junto a nuestros socios, la Ciudad de Fort Collins, las Bibliotecas Poudre, y Yarrow Collective, con el generoso apoyo de la Ciudad de Fort Collins, Fort Collins Area Interfaith Council, y nuestra comunidad. 

Acompáñenos en la Biblioteca Humana: un foro seguro y sin prejuicios para que las personas participen en conversaciones difíciles y obtengan una comprensión más profunda de las diversas experiencias humanas. Nota: Los Lectores menores de 18 años deben estar acompañados por un adulto. 

 Domingo, 22 de Febrero de 2026 

2:00-5:00 PM 

Museo del Descubrimiento de Fort Collins 

408 Mason Court 

Fort Collins, Colorado 80524 

Entrada gratuita, pero les pedimos que se inscriban antes de llegar. 

Este programa contiene temas para adultos. Los participantes jóvenes deben estar acompañados por un adulto responsable en todo momento.   

Las exhibiciones del museo estarán cerradas durante este programa. 

El museo puede ofrecer servicios de interpretación al español con aviso previo. Para solicitar este servicio durante la Biblioteca Humana, o para preguntas generales y reservar tu boleto en español, por favor contáctenos en espanol@fcmod.org. 

Para obtener más información sobre la Biblioteca Humana, visite www.humanlibrary.org. 

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Get Ready for City Nature Challenge!

Posted on by Finn Smith in Adults, Any Age, Earth & Space Science, Front Page, Life Science

At the end of this month, Fort Collins will be participating in City Nature Challenge; are you ready?

City Nature Challenge is a friendly competition between cities all over the world to see who can rally their population to log the most observations in iNaturalist in a set period of time. This year, City Nature Challenge is happening from April 25-28.

Joining the Fort Collins City Nature Challenge team is easy!

  1. Download the iNaturalist app
    1. Optional: You can also download Seek by iNaturalist, which has an in-app camera that helps identify species you point it at, and connects to your iNaturalist account
  2. Get outside the weekend of April 25th
  3. Upload pictures of plants, animals, bugs, or fungus to your iNaturalist account

Any observations uploaded to iNaturalist from within Fort Collins city limits between April 25th-28th will automatically count toward our score.

You can visit the City Nature Challenge project in iNaturalist by clicking here for all the details.

To learn more about how to use iNaturalist to contribute to ongoing biodiversity research, click through the link below!

iNaturalist and Participatory Science

If you’d prefer a hands-on tutorial, click here to sign up for our free iNaturalist workshop on Sunday, April 20th

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Beyond Discovery Benefit: Teeing Up the Next Ten Years!

Posted on by Scott McKinney in 10th Anniversary, Adults, News

Friday, September 8th 2023

6:00pm-9:00pm

Please mark your calendars for Fort Collins Museum of Discovery’s first fundraising event since 2019. This exciting community event will culminate the 10-year Anniversary celebration of the museum while also seeding our vision to inspire inquisitive thinkers and encourage responsible stewardship of the future. Sponsor opportunities are available through July 15. Tickets are on sale now!

Click here to learn more and get your ticket!

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Human Library

Being “Me” In Fort Collins/ Siendo “yo” en Fort Collins

Posted on by Laura Valdez in Adults, Programs

As of 2/25 registration has reached capacity.
Thank you for the interest!

Sunday, February 26, 2023 | 2:00-5:00 PM* program starts right at 2
Fort Collins Museum of Discovery
408 Mason Court
Fort Collins, Colorado 80524

Typical libraries offer print books and digital eBooks for check out, but the Human Library® allows participants – or Readers – to borrow a human Book and engage in conversations about their unique stories, particularly their experiences in Fort Collins regarding their identity/identities. The Human Library program creates a safe and non-judgmental environment for curious and often taboo conversations that will challenge prejudices and promote understanding of differences. The program encourages all participants to “unjudge” a human Book by its cover.

As a Reader, you will have the opportunity to check out four human Books, community volunteers who have been subjected to bias, stereotyping, or intolerance due to their lifestyle, race, beliefs, disability, etc.  For example, a Reader may wish to converse with a Book who identifies as gay, Black, body artist, wheelchair user, etc. and explore their experiences in our community. The hope is that everyone, Readers and Books, gain new understandings that advance acceptance and inclusion among diverse groups.

Please join us for the Human Library – a safe and non-judgmental forum for people to engage in difficult conversations and gain a deeper understanding of diverse human experiences.

There is no charge for this program. For more information about the Human Library, please visit www.humanlibrary.org.

The Human Library program is sponsored by the City of Fort Collins Office of Equity and Inclusion, the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery, and the Poudre River Public Library District. This program is presented as part of the 2023 Fort Collins BookFest.

“Siendo yo en Fort Collins”

Las bibliotecas tradicionales ofrecen libros, tanto impresos como electrónicos, pero la Biblioteca Humana® permite a sus participantes, o lectores, tomar prestado un libro humano para entablar conversaciones sobre sus historias, particularmente sus experiencias en Fort Collins con respecto a su identidad. El programa de la Biblioteca Humana crea un entorno seguro y sin prejuicios para mantener conversaciones curiosas y, a menudo, tabú que desafiarán los prejuicios y promoverán la comprensión de las diferencias. El programa alienta a todos los participantes a “desjuzgar” un libro humano.

Como lector tendrá la oportunidad de consultar cuatro libros humanos, voluntarios de la comunidad que han sido objeto de prejuicios, estereotipos o intolerancia debido a su estilo de vida, raza, creencias, discapacidad, etc. Por ejemplo, un lector puede conversar con un libro que se identifique como gay, negro, artista del cuerpo, usuario de silla de ruedas, etc. y explorar sus experiencias en nuestra comunidad. El objetivo es que todos, tanto lectores como libros, obtengan nuevos conocimientos que promuevan la aceptación y la inclusión entre diversos grupos.

Acompáñenos en la Biblioteca Humana: un foro seguro y sin prejuicios para que las personas participen en conversaciones difíciles y obtengan una comprensión más profunda de las diversas experiencias humanas.

Domingo, 26 de febrero de 2023
2:00-5:00 PM
Museo del Descubrimiento de Fort Collins
408 Mason Court
Fort Collins, Colorado 80524

Admisión gratuita. Para registrarse, haga clic aquí 

Para obtener más información sobre la Biblioteca Humana, visite www.humanlibrary.org.

La Biblioteca Humana está patrocinada por la Oficina de Equidad e Inclusión de la ciudad de Fort Collins, el Museo del Descubrimiento de Fort Collins y el Distrito Bibliotecario Público Poudre River. Se presenta como parte del Festival del Libro de Fort Collins 2023.

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The Neuroscience of Cooperation   

Posted on by user in Adults, Archive & Collections, Life Science, Mental Health Awareness Month

Post written by Jenny Hannifin, Archive Assistant

The Neuroscience of Cooperation     

Back in May 2020 we posted a blog called “The Neuroscience of Discovery.” Based on observations from The Brain in Context (by J.D. Moreno and J. Schulkin), that blog highlighted – in scientific terms – how our brains are wired for discovery and exploration. 

Turns out that our brains are also wired for cooperation and empathy. Here are a few excerpts from the book: 

  • “Perceiving another’s misfortune, their psychic or literal pain, requires a wide array of both cortical and sub cortical tissue.” (p 53-4)   
  • “Human evolution, like our cultural development, is marked by many neural/cognitive events, but social capabilities [are involved in] most of them.” (p 183)   
  •  “Cooperation is as critical as competition [in science], because we need to learn from one another and to develop new ideas.” (p 192)  

So, what does this mean to you and me? 

It means that humans evolved through expression of social behaviors, and through the integration of those behaviors within the very functioning of our brain.   

It means that adapting socially, and being good at interacting with others, is at the heart of our evolution as a species. 

It means that “although we may think of ourselves as individuals, the truth is that we are designed to work together, revealing our evolutionary drive toward social cooperation and our neurodevelopmental proclivity toward shared decision-making.” (Moreno and Schulkin p 199) 
 
It means that we are wired to cooperate, and to work at understanding each other.   
 
(If you want to learn more about recent developments in neuroscience, here’s a link to The Brain in Context: A Pragmatic Guide to Neuroscience by Jonathan D. Moreno and Jay Schulkin)

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National Beer Day

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Adults, Archive & Collections, Local History

Post written by Alex Ballou, Marketing Assistant.

National Beer Day

It’s #NationalBeerDay and there is no better place to celebrate this holiday than our home – Fort Collins, Colorado!

History of National Beer Day

National Beer Day is celebrated annually on April 7. This day marks the signing of the Cullen-Harrison Act. The signing of this act led to the 18th Amendment being repealed, with ratification of the 21st Amendment to the constitution. This enactment took the first step toward ending the prohibition. Beer drinkers rejoiced as they were able to purchase beer again for the first time in 13 years!

Beer is now the world’s most widely consumed alcoholic beverage. Following water and tea, it is the third most popular drink overall. This was not a “sour” move to make!

Fun fact: April 6, the day before National Beer Day, is also known as, New Beer’s Eve.

Local Beer History

Fort Collins is sometimes referred to as the “Napa Valley of Beer.” Although alcohol arrived with the first settlers in Fort Collins, prohibition hindered the growth of the industry until 1969.

In 1980, the large beer company, Anheuser Busch, made a bid to open a brewery in the city. It took 8 years to get the city on board for the first brewery in Fort Collins. The plant began construction in 1988. In 1990, Doug Odell opened Odell Brewery Co. Soon after, New Belgium opened in 1991. Other breweries opened soon after these leaders in the industry. Fort Collins was one of the first to latch onto the craft beer movement. By 2010, a new generation of breweries, like Funkwerks & Equinox Brewing, emerged. According to Visit Fort Collins, the city is now home to over 20 local craft breweries!

The craft beer industry, with its emphasis on local breweries, plays a vital role in the communities economy and culture, this goes hand in hand with the outdoor recreation that is popular in Colorado.

How YOU can celebrate!

Celebrate today with a pint of your favorite local brew. Even if you are stuck at home, no worries! You can order beer from your favorite breweries in Fort Collins (please check the preferred brewery website for updated hours and delivery options).

Cheers! ?

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Animal Love Languages

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Adults, Ages 9-12, Animal Encounters, Discovery at Home, Featured Exhibits, Life Science, Teens

Animal Love Languages

Love is in the air, and humans aren’t the only romantics in the world. Today we’re looking at the courtship rituals of the animal kingdom!

Do you know what your love language is? Is it words of affirmation like a sweet letter, quality time like a romantic night in, receiving gifts of flowers and jewelry, acts of service, or physical touch like a hug or a cuddle? Humans have different ways of showing affection, and so do animals. But instead of things like poetry, romantic getaways, and chocolates, animals have their own unique love languages. Which animal love language do you relate the most with?

The Singer
Much like the romantic poet, some animals like to shout their love from the rooftops. Frogs, birds, crickets, and even whales use their songs to attract mates, constantly trying to out-do their competition with the loudest and most attractive voice. Frogs even have regional dialects – members of the same species may have different croaks if they have originated from different places where their local songs are slightly different. And in places where there are several different species of frogs all singing at once – like in Florida, where the invasive Cuban tree frog has been introduced into the territory of native American green tree frogs – the frogs will purposefully alter their croaks to differentiate between species and avoid confusion.

The Dancer
But maybe you’re more of a visual person. There are plenty of animals whose main courtship rituals involve elaborate dances and displays of beautiful fur and feathers. But some animals forget the flashy outfits and just focus on their moves. Hirtodrosophila mycetophaga is a species of australian fly which performs mating displays on shelf mushrooms. The males wave their wings around and perform a dance – but only on lighter-colored fungi, as these mushrooms act as a better backdrop for their performances. On darker fungi, they blend in too well, and females pass them by!

The Show-off
Not to be outdone, some animals go all in, with song, dance and color! Take the peacock spider: while you may be familiar with this small jumping spider’s namesake and its colorful plumage, this arachnid goes a step further and incorporates sound and movement into its mating display.

While displaying their brightly-colored abdomen, they wave their legs in an elaborate dance and create deep rumbling vibrations while they perform. The males who put the most effort into their displays, including both the dancing and vibrating, are more likely to get the girl.

The Collector
Some animals speak the love language of gift-giving. Native to New Guinea and Australia, bowerbirds build elaborate ‘bowers’ from nature to attract mates. First, the male Bowerbird gathers sticks and arranges them into an upright structure, often in the shape of an arch or an avenue. Then, he populates his bower with brightly-colored objects. These can be shells, flowers, even pieces of plastic and metal that he finds. Some bowerbirds even have favorite colors, and will collect only pieces that fit into their preferred color scheme! When she’s ready to find a mate, the female bowerbird tours the bowers of all the local males, and chooses the bird with the best crib to be her mate.

The True Romantic
But maybe you’re a real classical romantic. You want long walks on the beach, hand-holding, and slow-dancing. Don’t worry. Not everything is about flashy displays. Some animals like to take it slow, and build up deep bonds with their mates. Seahorses have an elaborate courtship process, with each step of the ritual being repeated again and again, often over the course of days. First, they meet and change colors, brightening in turns at each other. Then they grab hold of the same anchor-point and spin around each other in an elaborate dance with many distinct moves and steps, including leaning away, pointing, quivering and spinning. Finally, they end their dance by floating up through the water column together. While they might only be fish, seahorses are quite the romantics – they mate for life, and their specialized tails, used to anchor themselves to coral and seaweed, also allow them to “hold hands” with their significant other.

Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at FCMoD!

Post written by Willow Sedam, Live Animal Husbandry Team Member

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#ArchivesBlackEducation

Posted on by Kristin Rush in Adults, Any Age, Archive & Collections, Local History, Teens

#ArchivesBlackEducation

Every month Fort Collins Museum of Discovery participates in a themed #ArchivesHashtagParty on Twitter. This month’s theme is #ArchivesBlackEducation in honor of Black History Month.

What is an #ArchivesHashtagParty you ask? That’s a great question! This article from the New York Times, The Record Keepers’ Rave, helps explain just that. Started by The National Archives and Records Administration of the United States, participating archives, museums, and libraries tune in to share a treasure trove of photos, stories, collections, and more.

For #ArchivesBlackEducation, the museum shared the following on Twitter (@focomod) of our local history from the Archive & Collections at FCMoD.

Let’s get started, shall we?

This #ArchivesHashtagParty we’re exploring local African American history with #ArchivesBlackEducation. Pictured here is Ella Mae Cook, Fort Collins Resident from about 1931 to 1944.
Grafton St. Clair Norman was the first Black student to attend and graduate from CSU, then Colorado Agricultural College. He became the 2nd lieutenant in the Army and teacher in Kentucky. This photo appeared in the 1896 CAC yearbook.
Charley Clay arrived in Colorado in 1864. By the early 1900s, the Clay home was a center of Black social life in Larimer County, hosting groups such as the local chapter of the Paul Laurence Dunbar Literary Society.
William Clay, son of Charley Clay, served with the Fort Collins Volunteer Fire Department in the 1890s and was a member of the State Champion Hose Team in 1897.
As a child, Academy Award winning film star Hattie McDaniel briefly lived in this home on Cherry Street in Fort Collins and attended Franklin School. She would later move to Denver on her way to Hollywood.
In March of 1939, Mattie Lyle sued the owner of the State Theater in Fort Collins for discrimination and won damager. Her daughter Joyce, pictured here, served as a witness to her mother’s testimony.
During the 1920s, ’30s, and ’40s, Charles and Mamie Birdwhitle’s home on Oak Street in Fort Collins was a gathering spot for Black gospel groups, jazz orchestras, and scholars visiting Northern Colorado.
Virgil Thomas was a star left tackle – and the only Black player – for the Fort Collins High School Lambkins in the late 1930s.
In 1969, members of the Mexican-American Committee for Equality & the Black Student Assn. demanded more recruitment of minority students and faculty. Shown here is a protest they held at the home of college president William Morgan.
That wraps up this month’s #ArchivesHashtagParty! Explore more Black history with a walking tour from our friends at the Fort Collins History Preservation Department.

Thanks for tuning in! We’ll share next month’s #ArchivesHashtagParty content with you back here on the blog.

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Mindful Mondays: Understanding and Expressing Emotions

Posted on by Sierra Tamkun in Adults, Health, Mindful Mondays, Teens

Mindful Mondays: Understanding and Expressing Emotions

This activity is recommended for ages 3-7.

Happiness, fear, frustration… let’s get to know our emotions! Make your own paper plate emotion face and see how our faces help convey how we are feeling.

Supplies:

  • Paper plate 
  • Construction paper, all colors
  • 6 brass fasteners
  • Scissors 

Instructions:

  1. Take a paper plate to use as your face. Use the crayons to color the plate however you like!
  2. Using construction paper, cut out eyes, eyebrows, a nose and a mouth for your face. If you need a guide, use a pencil to draw the shapes before you cut them out.
  3. Use 6 brass fasteners to attach the facial features to your plate.
  4. Try it out! Move the facial features to create different emotions. Ask another per-son to guess what the face is expressing, or challenge another person to create that expression.

 

Each mind matters. Taking care of our mental health is important to all of us – everywhere and always. Learn more by visiting FCMoD’s special exhibition Mental Health: Mind Matters, open through January 10th.

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Mindful Mondays: Changing Minds

Posted on by Ben Gondrez in Adults, Exhibits, Health, Mind Matters, Mindful Mondays, Programs, Teens

Post written by Brian Ferrans, Manager with Behavioral Health Strategy and Implementation Community Impact Team Health District of Northern Larimer County

Mindful Mondays: Changing Minds

Let’s talk about addiction. Addiction doesn’t discriminate. One in 10 of our neighbors lives with drug and/or alcohol addiction in Larimer County. It’s not a choice — it’s a disease that changes the brain, and it can happen to anyone. Understanding how substances re-wire our brains is essential in helping us to get rid of negative stigma and stereotypes about those experiencing an addiction, which can encourage more people to seek out treatment. Watch our 5-minute video to learn more about how addiction changes the brain.

https://youtu.be/TAzgw599Gyg

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