1,000 Books Before Kindergarten an ideal literacy program for babies and toddlers
One of the greatest gifts you can give your babies and toddlers is to sign them up for a free early literacy reading program called “1,000 Books before Kindergarten” for children from birth to five years old.
You can sign up any time at your library. You will receive a folder with bubbles to keep track of the books you read to your child. The concept is simple: Read 1,000 books to your newborn, infant or toddler – yes, you can repeat books – before your precious one starts kindergarten. You’ll get a free book each time your child completes 100 books.
One thousand may sound like a huge number of books, but it’s not really. If you read just one book a night, you will have read 365 books in a year. That is 730 books in two years and 1,095 books in three years. If you consider that most children start kindergarten at around five years of age, you have more time than you may think.
Legal clinic tomorrow
The free legal clinic this month is happening by appointment tomorrow, Friday, May 13 from 2 – 3 p.m. Please come into the library to meet privately via Zoom with our volunteer attorney who will answer your questions, show you legal documents and help you fill out the necessary forms. To schedule an appointment, at the beginning of the month send an email titled “Sign-up for Free Legal Clinic,” with your first name and phone number to ruby@pagosalibrary.org, or phone 970-264-2209 or stop by the library. The volunteer attorney’s time is limited so it’s first-come first-served. This clinic takes place on the second Friday of every month.
New StoryWalk next Monday
Our very popular StoryWalk has resumed 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 15-31 featured book is “Hike” by Pete Oswald.
Adult DIY next Tuesday
At the in-person adult DIY next Tuesday, May 17 from 1-2 p.m., we will use a variety of DIY supplies from previous months to give you the opportunity to create something useful or decorative.
LEGO Club on Saturday
Kids aged six and up are invited to bring your imaginations – LEGOs are provided – on Saturday, May 14 from 11 a.m. – noon for the free LEGO Club. LEGO challenges also are posted on Facebook if you can’t make it to the library.
Virtual teen advisory board
Next Wednesday, May 18 the teen advisory board meets from 4-5 p.m. on GoogleMeet. Fourth-12th graders are invited to bring your fun and innovative ideas to help us plan teen programs. Video call link: https://meet.google.com/jav-wcht-szx
Special family storytime
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. Special guests Lisa Baker and her friend Fluffy Dog will provide puppets, storytelling and silly fun on May 18.
Dungeons & Dragons
Join us next Thursday, May 19 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.
Spanish conversation next Thursday
Next Thursday, May 19 from 6-7 p.m., we will gather in person at the library to practice speaking and listening skills together. There is no minimum skill level required to attend. You also can learn Spanish and many other languages using the Transparent Language Learning database available at https:pagosalibrary.org/online-resources/
Discovery Time
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. The next Discovery Time is on May 21.
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. Note no PALS May 19.
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 May 9 on the library’s Facebook page. We hope you will challenge your creativity by participating in this free all-ages activity.
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.
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.
Large print
“Silver Grass” by John D. Nesbitt is a western set on a ranch in Wyoming. “Ralph Compton Blood on the Prairie” by Tony Healey is a western in the Gunfighter series. “A Family Affair” by Robyn Carr features a woman whose life falls apart when her husband dies. “A Safe House” by Stuart Woods is a Stone Barrington mystery. “Sister Stardust” by Jane Green follows a small-town English girl who moves to Morocco.
Mysteries and thrillers
“High Road” by Jeff Carson is the latest David Wolf mystery set in southwest Colorado. “Our American Friend” by Anna Pitoniak tells of a journalist writing the biography of a mysterious First Lady.
Other novels
“The House Between Earth and the Moon” by Rebecca Scherm is a futuristic sci-fi story set on a billionaire-funded space station to deal with climate change on earth. “Wildcat” by Amelia Morris features a woman’s journey through motherhood and female friendship. “Take My Hand” by Dolen Perkins-Valdez is the story of a young Black nurse’s quest for justice in post-segregation Alabama. “Shadow Fallen” by Sherrilyn Kenyon is a Dream-Hunter historical fantasy novel.
Nonfiction
“Rewilding” by Paul Jepson and Cain Blythe describes this new approach to restoring ecosystems. “Bigger Than Tiny” by Sheri Koones is an illustrated guide to building smaller environmentally friendly homes. “The Beauty of Dusk” by Frank Bruni tells of the author’s recovery from a stroke that affected his eyesight. “The Palace Papers” by longtime British royals watcher Tina Brown covers the lives of Queen Elizabeth and her family over the last 25 years. “Wagon Boss: A True Cowboy Story” by Ed Ashurst follows the life of an Arizona cowboy. “50 States 500 Campgrounds” is a guide to campgrounds across the U.S. and Canada.
Spanish-language books
“Amor y Respecto” (“Love & Respect”) by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs is a faith-centered, self-help book with advice on how spouses can deal with conflict quickly, easily and biblically. “El Hotel de Cristal” (“The Glass Hotel”) by Emily St. John Mandel is a novel set at the intersection of two seemingly disparate events – the exposure of a massive criminal enterprise and the disappearance of a woman at sea.
DVDs
“Spider-Man No Way Home” reveals the hero’s identity for the first time. “Death on the Nile” is the new film version of the classic Agatha Christie novel. “Cyrano” also is the new film version of the classic novel “Cyrano de Bergerac.”
Books on CD
“One of Us is Dead” by Jeneva Rose is a thriller set in Atlanta. “City on Fire” by Don Winslow is the first book in a new trilogy about two criminal empires at war. “Death of the Black Widow” by James Patterson and J.D. Parker follows a woman who escaped from police custody. “Dream Town” by David Baldacci is an Aloysious Aracher thriller. “Glimpse into Evil” by Lynn Moffett is book three in the Incursion series about mercenaries rounding up Christians in a small Colorado town.
Donations
We are grateful to 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
“Youthfulness is connected to the ability to see things new for the first time. So if your eyes still look at life with wonder, then you will seem young, even though you may not be chronologically young.” – Goldie Hawn, actress, dancer, producer and singer.
