We have several new books published just in time for your holiday reading and Christmas gifts for family and friends. They are available in a variety of formats including regular print, large print, as an e-book and on CD.
“‘Twas the Bite Before Christmas” by David Rosenfelt is about a murder investigation interrupting a holiday party at a dog rescue organization. “Bright Lights, Big Christmas” by Mary Kay Andrews is a mystery featuring a brother-sister team selling Christmas trees in New York.
“The Sounds of Sleighbells” by Janet Dailey is a romance about a woman creating new holiday traditions for her son after a divorce. “The Twelve Books of Christmas” by Kate Carlisle focuses on 12 missing books and a murder in Scotland. “Santa & Company” by Fern Michaels, book two in the Santa’s Crew series, is set in a ski lodge.
Library fundraiser Saturday
We hope to see you this Saturday, Dec. 9, at 5 p.m. for Late Night at the Library, a fundraiser for our Mountains of Opportunity campaign to expand and renovate your library.
The event will offer hors d’oeuvres, drinks and a fun time turning old books into repurposed treasures.
Tickets are $50 per person in advance and $60 at the door. They can be purchased online at pagosalibrary.org or in person with cash or check at the library.
Early library closure
Your library will close early on Monday, Dec. 11, for a staff meeting at 5 p.m.
This is our regular new staff meeting schedule — on the second Monday of the month.
Craftapalooza tomorrow
All ages are invited to create a variety of crafts Friday, Dec. 8. We will have several different craft stations set up. Stop by anytime from 2 to 4 p.m.
Legal clinic tomorrow
This month’s legal clinic on civil issues is by appointment tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 8, from 2 to 3 p.m. Come to the library to meet privately via Zoom with our volunteer attorney.
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.
Chess Club Saturday
Learn how to play chess with free quick lessons and game time to practice your skills on Saturday, Dec. 9, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. All ages and abilities are welcome.
Adult knitting Saturday
Join new and experienced knitters this Saturday, Dec. 9, for our free Knitters Circle from 1 to 3 p.m. It is aimed at anyone over the age of 18 who would like to knit together or get some help if you are stuck on your project.
Knitting and crochet lessons
Learn to knit or crochet on Monday, Dec. 11, at our free gathering from 2 to 3:15 p.m. for ages 8 and up. Supplies will be provided.
Tween/teen art camp Monday
Monday free art classes from 4 to 5 p.m. for teens and tweens will explore a different style or medium. On Dec. 11 it will be floral art with guest artist Kirstin Bennett. Participants will create floral mug arrangements and art from pressed and dried flowers. Registration is required. This art camp happens only the first two weeks of December because the rest of the month the schools are on winter break.
Ruby’s Book Club Tuesday
Ruby’s Book Club meets from 2 to 3 p.m. next Tuesday, Dec. 12, to discuss “We Begin at the End” by Chris Whitaker. Copies are available at your library. This free book club is held the second Tuesday of each month, alternating between fiction and nonfiction titles, with snacks provided. Anyone is welcome to attend.
Therapy dog visit
Next Wednesday, Dec. 13, from 11 to 11:45 a.m., you are invited to come to the library for a free visit with a certified therapy dog. Visits are limited to 10-15 minutes — just the right amount of time to pet the dog, read to the dog or just say “Hi.” This is an all-ages activity.
Health insurance literacy
Drop in to talk to a representative from San Juan Basin Public Health and sign up for Connect for Health Colorado resources at this free session on Wednesday, Dec. 13, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Trauma workshop
Come to this free Trauma Informed Practices workshop hosted by experts from Rise Above Violence on Wednesday, Dec. 13, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. to learn how to provide love and support to those struggling with trauma this holiday season.
Hot chocolate hullabaloo
We’ll have free hot chocolate to help you celebrate winter while you join in the fun with seasonal crafts next Thursday, Dec. 14, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Virtual author talks
Our highly popular free virtual author talks continue with one more opportunity for you to interact with New York Times bestselling authors and ask questions in December. For details and to register, go to https://libraryc.org/pagosalibrary/upcoming.
Thursday, Dec. 12, at noon will feature a conversation with Stephanie Land, author of “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay and a Mother’s Will to Survive,” which became a Netflix miniseries.
Dungeons and Dragons
Next Tuesday, Dec. 12, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., join our Dungeons and Dragons game free for teens and young adults. Preregistration is required because space is limited. Contact Josie@pagosalibrary.org to join.
Elementary tutoring sessions
Children ages 6-11 are welcome at these free sessions on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. where they will build essential skills in core subjects. Preregistration is required. This tutoring will happen only the first two weeks of December because the rest of the month the schools are on winter break.
Tech Time
Free in-person slots are available from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and 2 to 4 p.m. Thursdays. Judy helps you with basic questions relating to computers, smartphones and tablets, and also provides assistance in accessing any of the library’s online resources. No appointment is needed for these drop-in sessions, but it is important that you bring both your device’s charger and also your device passwords with you.
PALS/GED adult education
Join Mark or Sally for free PALS sessions Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 8 p.m. to get help with high school equivalency, GED, college prep, financial aid, tutoring and more.
Activities calendars
Pick up monthly events calendars at the library so you don’t miss any of the free activities available to you and your family.
Downloadable books
CloudLibrary has a wide variety of downloadable e-books and audiobooks for all ages. To access this free digital collection, 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 four-digit PIN. Library staff are happy to help you set up your device if you need assistance.
DVDs
“Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies” is season one. “Head Count” is an adventure focused on a stolen gun. “The American Buffalo” is the PBS series by Ken Burns. “Sound of Freedom” is based on the true story of child traffickers. “The Blind” is based on a true story of Duck Dynasty founder Phil Robertson.
Nonfiction travel guidebooks
“Best of the World” is a National Geographic guide to 1,000 destinations chosen by their travel experts. We also have five more new guidebooks: “100 Bikes Rides of a Lifetime” by Roff Smith from National Geographic, “Southwest USA” and “Costa Rica” from Lonely Planet guides, “Florida Keys & Key West” from Insiders and “The Best of the Best” from Lonely Planet. “Clanlands in New Zealand” by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish documents the travels of these two friends.
Other nonfiction
“Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones” by Dolly Parton explores the stories behind the singer-songwriter’s favorite clothes. “Being Henry: The Fonz…and Beyond” by Henry Winkler is a memoir about his life and stardom. “Same as Ever” by Morgan Housel shows how timeless wisdom from the past can help navigate today’s uncertainty. “Sun Sign Book” by Alice Deville is a Llewelln 2024 horoscope book. “EMT Exam Prep” is the sixth edition of this Kaplan Medical guide. “The New Secret Language of Dreams” by David Fontana is an illustrated guide to understanding the mysteries of the unconscious. “Start Here” by Sohla El-Waylly provides more than 200 recipes and techniques for cooking with creativity and confidence. “Survive and Thrive” by Bill Fulton and Jeanne Chilton Devon is a guide to disaster preparedness.
Novels
“Canary Girls” by Jennifer Chiaverini features women working in munitions factories in England in World War I. “A House for Alice” by Diana Evans tells of a woman and her three daughters facing the agony of where to live after a horrific fire. “The Sweetheart List” by Jill Shalvis is a romance set in Lake Tahoe about a woman who opens her own bakery.
Donor guidelines
When we are open, material donations are accepted for the Friends of the Library at the front desk — not down the outside returns slot at the library or the drop box at City Market, please.
The Friends recently announced new guidelines for what they will accept as donations: Yes to popular fiction books published in 2013 or later, nonfiction books published 2018 or later, and children’s and young adult books — all in excellent condition, please. No to CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray, VHS or cassette tapes; textbooks, outdated travel books or reference books because they do not sell. No more than two boxes at a time because of space constraints.
Quotable quote
Older adults who connected every day with others had less shrinkage in key brain areas than those who seldom had contact with pals and relatives, according to a 2023 Japanese study in the journal “Neurology.” Perhaps that’s why memory declined fastest and furthest in people who felt lonely most often, notes a 2022 University of Michigan study that tracked 9,032 U.S. adults for 20 years.
Website
For more information on library books, services and programs — and to reserve books, e-books, books on CD and DVDs from the comfort of your home — please visit our website at https://pagosalibrary.org.
