By Carole Howard | PREVIEW Columnist, and the library staff
We hope you will mark your calendar to attend a special fundraiser on Sept 10, at 6 p.m. for your library at the Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association clubhouse at 230 Port Ave. that will feature professional storytelling and music.
Proceeds from this event will benefit the Ruby Sisson Library Foundation’s campaign to expand and renovate your library.
Featured in this unique program will be two talented performers. Kathy Santopietro is an award-winning adult educator who has shared her storytelling skills with adult audiences for almost 30 years. With the theme of “Navigating the World With Stories,” she will unpack a bundle of stories as she takes us on a journey around the world.
Sharing the stage will be Pagosa’s own Sally Neel, a gifted musician well-known to local audiences for her piano, organ and conducting skills at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church and with Curtains Up Pagosa.
Tickets are $40 in advance and $45 at the door. They can be purchased by credit card at pagosalibrary.org/library-foundation/navigating-the-world-with-stories/. You also may purchase tickets with cash or a check in person at the library.
Doors open at 6 p.m. with a cash bar. Stories begin at 7 p.m. After the entertainment, the cash bar will reopen, accompanied by light hors d’oeuvres.
This is an adult fundraiser is aimed at ages 16 and up. Earlier in the day on Sept. 10, from 1:30 to 2 p.m., Santopietro will offer a free storytelling program at the library for youngsters in grades four and up while Josie will host a program for younger children.
Library Speakers
Consortium today
You are invited to one more event this month in our free Library Speakers Consortium series featuring New York Times bestselling fiction and nonfiction authors giving live, professionally moderated book discussions you can view on your computer, tablet or smartphone with Internet access. You also will have an opportunity to ask questions.
Today, Aug. 25, at 10 a.m., showcases Liz Wiseman, author of “Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger and Multiply Your Impact,” a guide to leadership. To register for the consortium, click on the link on your library’s home page at https://pagosalibrary.org. If you cannot view the presentations live, the recorded events will be available afterward at our website.
Watch for information on the Sept. 8, 20 and 27 talks in next week’s column.
Gaming tomorrow
Enjoy free all-ages video gaming on the Xbox 360 Kinect tomorrow, Friday, Aug. 26, from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m.
LEGO Club on Saturday
Kids aged 6 and up are invited to bring your imaginations — LEGOs are provided — on Saturday, Aug. 27, from 11 a.m. to noon for the free LEGO Club. LEGO challenges also are posted on Facebook.
Dungeons and Dragons
Next Thursday, Sept. 1 from 3 to 5 p.m., join our virtual Dungeons and Dragons game free for teens and young adults on Discord. Registration is required. Contact claire@pagosalibrary.org to join. Then, Dungeons and Dragons is going on a brief hiatus until October.
PALS/GED adult
education expands
In response to popular demand, Mark has doubled the number of his free PALS sessions to Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 8 p.m. to help with high school equivalency, GED, college prep, financial aid, tutoring and more. No registration is required.
Tech Time
Free in-person slots are available from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and 2 to 4 p.m. Thursdays. Judy will help you with basic questions relating to computers, smartphones and tablets and also provide assistance in accessing any of the library’s online resources. You do not need an appointment for these drop-in sessions.
Family storytime
Wednesdays from 10 to 11 a.m., join us for free in-person children’s stories, games and plenty of reasons to get up and move.
ESL classes
Free in-person evening classes take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with 4 to 5 p.m. reserved for beginners and 5 to 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.
Library hours
Most of our programs happen in person and curbside service continues. Also, our hours are back to pre-COVID levels — and even more on weekdays:
• Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, your library is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Tuesdays and Thursdays, your library is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Saturdays, your library is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Downloadable books
CloudLibrary has a wide variety of downloadable e-books and audiobooks for all ages, and accessing this 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 four-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.
Travel guides
“Hike: Adventures on Foot” is a DK Eyewitness guide to the world’s most scenic and spectacular walking trails. “Mushroom Foraging and Feasting” by Victoria Romanoff is a mushroom hunting how-to book with recipes. “Off the Beaten Path: Colorado” is an Insiders’ Guide to hidden attractions, unique attractions and unusual locales in our state. “The Story of Mesa Verde National Park” by the park’s retired chief archaeologist Gilbert R. Wenger with photos by the author and illustrations by David W. Wilson is a guide to help visitors understand appreciate our local treasure. “An Archaeological Guide: Ancient Ruins of the Southwest” by writer and photographer David Grant Noble describes more than 60 well-known and lesser-known local ruins in this revised and expanded edition.
Other nonfiction
“The Colony” by Sally Denton is an in-depth look at the attack on a fundamentalist Mormon community in Mexico. “On Critical Race Theory: Why It Matters and Why You Should Care” by Victor Ray contains essays to demystify and explain this concept of racial injustice. “Listening Well” by William R. Miller is a step-by-step process for developing your skills in empathetic listening. “The Destructionists” by Dana Milbank presents the author’s look at the last 25 years in the Republican Party.
“Playmakers” by Mike Florio reveals the inner workings of the NFL and its scandals past and present. “Death Tango” by Yossi Alpher analyzes the huge negative effect of three crucial days in March 2002 on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. “River of the Gods” by Candice Millard delves into the complexities and mysteries related to the search for the source of the Nile.
Books on CD
“Rising Tiger” is a Scot Harvath thriller by Brad Thor. “Chrysalis” by Lincoln Child is a thriller focusing on a high-tech company. “Portrait of an Unknown Woman” by Daniel Silva is a Gabriel Allon mystery about an art forgery. “The 6:20 Man” by David Baldacci starts with an apparent suicide at an NYC investment firm. “Shattered” by James Patterson and James O. Born features NYPD investigator Michael Bennett. “Black Dog” by Stuart Woods is a Stone Barrington mystery.
Mysteries and thrillers
“The Retreat” by Sarah Pearse is set in a wellness center off the English coast. “The It Girl” by Ruth Ware exposes new evidence about the death of an Oxford student 10 years before. “The 6:20 Man” by David Baldacci starts with an apparent suicide at an NYC investment firm.
Other novels
“The Seaplane on Final Approach” by Rebecca Rukeyser is a sensual story charged with menace. “Counterfeit” by Kirsten Chen is the story of two Asian American women who want to take their counterfeit handbag business global. “Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting” by Clare Pooley explores changes in the behavior of passengers on a commuter train after a man chokes on a grape.
Donations
We are grateful to our anonymous donors for their materials donations. Material donations are accepted for the Friends of the Library at the front desk (not through the outside returns slot at the library or the drop box at City Market, please) when we are open.
The Friends take fiction published in 2012 or newer and nonfiction that is 2017 or newer. Limited workroom space means we can only accept one or two small boxes at a time.
Quotable quote
“The secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” — Generally attributed to Socrates (died 399 B.C.), Greek philosopher from Athens credited with being the father of western philosophy.
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.
