StoryWalk resumes in new downtown River Walk location
Our very popular StoryWalk resumes next Monday, May 2 at a new location. We are pleased to partner with the Town of Pagosa Springs to bring the StoryWalk to the River Walk downtown. It starts at the Community Center and heads north toward the green houses.
The May 1-14 feature is “Bird Watch,” a seek-and-fine picture book by Christie Matheson. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about the birds that live around us – and look for them, too.
Resume and cover letter session
Learn how to use Microsoft Word to create a professional looking resume using basic and advanced formatting tools next Tuesday, May 3 from 1-2 p.m. Brad will also go over the basics of creating an effective cover letter.
Teen DIY next Wednesday
Fourth – 12th graders are invited to a free in-person teen DIY session on Wednesday, May 4 from 4-5 p.m. We hope you’ll join us to get creative and see what you can make.
Therapy dog visit next Friday
Next Friday, May 6 from 1:30 – 2:15 p.m. you are invited to come to the library for a free visit with a certified therapy dog. The visits will be limited to 10-15 minutes – just the right amount of time to pet the dog, read to the dog or just say “Hi.” This activity is for all ages.
Dungeons & Dragons
Join us next Thursday, May 5 from 3-5 p.m. for our ongoing Dungeons & Dragons game free for teens and young adults every other Thursday on Discord. Contact claire@pagosalibrary.org to learn how to join. Free in-person sessions take place at your library on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month from 4-6 p.m.
Special family storytime and Discovery Time
Wednesdays from 10-11 a.m. join us for free in-person children’s stories, games and plenty of reasons to get up and move. On May 4 special guest Melanie Milburn will join us from Durango to share great original music and stories. All-ages Discovery Times continue on Facebook at 2:30 p.m. on the first and third Saturdays of the month with games, art ideas, science experiments, history and more. This month’s Discovery Times are on April 2 and 16.
ESL classes
Free in-person evening classes take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays with 4-5 p.m. reserved for beginners and 5-7 p.m. for both intermediate and advanced students. Please help us spread the word about these classes to others in our community who would be interested, and contact us by phone or email if you have any questions.
Las clases de ESL
Las clases nocturnas gratuitas en persona se llevan a cabo los martes y jueves de 4 a 7 p.m. Los estudiantes principiantes asisten de 4 a 5 p.m., estudiantes intermedios de 5-6 p.m. y estudiantes avanzados de 7-8 p.m. Por favor, ayúdenos a correr la voz sobre estas clases a otras personas en nuestra comunidad que estén interesadas, y contáctenos por teléfono o correo electrónico si tiene alguna pregunta.
Tech Time
Free in-person slots are available from 10 a.m.-noon Tuesdays and 2-4 p.m. Thursdays. Brad will help you resolve issues with your computer, smartphone, tablet and other electronic devices.
Adult education
Our free PALS (Pagosa Adult Learning Services) session take place on Thursdays from 5:30-8 p.m. when Mark helps with high school equivalency, GED, college prep, financial aid, tutoring and more.
In-person gaming
Enjoy free all-ages video gaming on the X-box 360 Kinect on Fridays from 2:30 – 3:45 p.m.
Writing challenge
A new all-ages writing challenge was posted April 25 on the library’s Facebook page. We hope you will challenge your creativity by participating in this free all-ages activity.
S.T.E.A.M enrichment kits
Participants in this free enrichment program for youngsters aged five and up receive a kit guiding you through science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (S.T.E.A.M.) projects. The kits are available all month but registration is required by calling your library at 970-264-2209.
CD player to borrow
Do you need a CD player? We have one you can check out. Ask at the front desk.
Library hours
Most of our programs are happening in person and curbside service continues. Also, our hours are back to pre-COVID levels – and even more on weekdays:
- Monday, Wednesday and Friday open 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Tuesdays and Thursdays open 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
- Saturdays open 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Activities calendars available
To be sure you don’t miss any of the free library activities available to you and your family, we encourage you to pick up a copy of the events calendar each month. There are three versions – children, teens and adults.
Large print
“A Relative Murder” by Jude Deveraux is book four of the Medlar Mystery series. “The Atlas Six” by Olivie Blake focuses on six new initiates to a secret society of magical academicians. “Calder Grit” by Janet Dailey is book two of the Calder Brand America West romance series.
Mysteries and thrillers
“A Game of Fear” by Charles Todd is an Inspector Ian Rutledge mystery. “Creatures of Charm and Hunger” by Molly Tanzer is set in a library in England that houses all the occult knowledge of an international association of diabolists. “Violence” by Delilah S. Dawson focuses on a mysterious epidemic of violence sweeping the nation. “Dream Town” by David Baldacci is an Archer thriller. “Kingdom of Bones” by James Rollins is a Sigma Force thriller. “Good Rich People” by Eliza Jane Brazier is a psychological thriller.
Other novels
“Dawnshard” by Brandon Sanderson is a novella from the Stormlight Archive fantasy series. “Free Love” by Tessa Hadley follows a happily married woman who awakens to the sexual revolution in 1960s’ London. “Eternal” by Lisa Scottoline is an historical novel set in pre-World War II Italy. “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus features a chemist who is the reluctant star of a cooking show. “The Candy House” by Pulitzer Prize winning author Jennifer Egan explores the quest for authenticity in a world where memories and identities are no longer our own. “The End of Getting Lost” by Robin Kirman
Books on CD
“Listening Still” by Anne Griffin features a woman in Ireland who can communicate with the recently departed. “Robert Ludlum’s The Treadstone Transgression” by Joshua Hood is a thriller about a CIA source in the Haitian National Bank. “Beautiful” by Danielle Steel centers on a supermodel whose life is uprooted by a terrorist attack. “Freezing Order” by Bill Browder is a true story of money laundering, murder and surviving Putin’s wrath. “Young Mundo” by Douglas Stuart portrays the lives of two gay men in working-class families. “The Candy House” by Pulitzer Prize winning author Jennifer Egan explores the quest for authenticity in a world where memories and identities are no longer our own.
Nonfiction
“Woke Racism” by John McWhorter explores the author’s belief that our current obsession with cancel culture and the woke culture is hurting Black America. “The Invisible Kingdom” by Meghan O’Rourke investigates the effects of chronic illnesses like autoimmune diseases, post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome and long COVID. “The Bald Eagle” by Pulitzer Prize winning historian Jack E. Davis looks at five centuries of history of our national bird. “Ways and Means” by Roger Lowenstein is the story of how Lincoln and his cabinet financed the Civil War.
DVDs
“The Magnificent Seven” is a modern version of the classic story. “The Hitman’s Bodyguard” is a comedic action film. “Queen of Katwe” is a Disney film based on a true story of a Ugandan girl. “Scientific Secrets for a Powerful Memory” contains six 30-minute lectures in the Great Courses series.
Downloadable books
CloudLibrary has a wide variety of downloadable e-books and audiobooks for all ages. Accessing your library’s free digital collection has never been easier. You just need to download the cloudLibrary app, answer a few simple questions, select AspenCat Union Catalog for the name of your library, then enter your library card number and 4-digit PIN. You are now ready to browse, borrow and read e-books and audiobooks using cloudLibrary. Library staff are happy to help you set up your device if you need assistance.
Donations
We are grateful to Susan and Terry Arrington for their generous monetary donation, and to Joanne Ferko, Rosalea Connor and our anonymous donors for their materials donations. Please put your materials donations into the dropbox at the library – not at City Market, which is reserved for returns.
Library foundation
Please consider a tax-deductible donation to the Ruby M. Sisson Memorial Library Foundation. To respond to the evolving needs of our community, we are now working on a $4 million project to expand our building so that we can provide private study rooms, an intergenerational hands-on learning space, easy access to self-checkout and drop-off, a beautiful outdoor reading garden and an endowment for the future. Mail checks to P.O. Box 2045, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 or call Cindi Galabota at 970-264-2209.
Quotable Quote
“Asking for help doesn’t make you weak – it makes you smart.” – Martina Navratilova, Czechoslovakian and American former tennis player and coach. She is considered among the greatest tennis players of all time as the winner of 59 titles and a record nine wins at Wimbledon.
