By Carole Howard | PREVIEW Columnist, and the library staff
Oct. 11-16 is Restaurant Week in Pagosa Springs — a unique opportunity created to benefit your library when many of our community’s finest restaurants will feature menu items dedicated to this event.
You can explore new restaurants or revisit old favorites, dine in or take out — all while contributing to your library foundation’s campaign to raise funds to expand and renovate your library.
The idea came from local restaurant owners Shelly Cox and Audrey Bliss. Both are big fans and regular patrons of the library, and Cox serves on the foundation’s campaign committee.
You can find a full list of participating restaurants at https://pagosalibrary.org/library-foundation/pagosa-restaurant-week/.
Each restaurant is choosing their own way to participate and give to the library. For example, one restaurant will donate $1 for every bowl of Cajun classic sold.
You do not need to sign up in advance or bring a coupon. Just go to the restaurant of your choice and ask them what on their menu is part of the Restaurant Week event for the library. And please thank them for helping us all support this important fundraising effort to expand and renovate your library.
Fall Lifelong
Learning lectures
An all-new free Lifelong Learning lecture series begins Oct. 13 and runs every Thursday through Nov. 17 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. — our first in-person Lifelong Learning lecture series since the fall of 2019, before COVID.
You’ll hear from Scott Graham, the Durango author of a popular national park mystery series, on Oct. 13. Dr. Jean Strahlendorf will discuss the pros and cons of Initiative 58 that would legalize the uses of psychedelics in clinical settings for treating some medical issues on Oct. 20. Paula Woerner, head of the Wolfwood Refuge for rescued wolves in La Plata County, will speak on Oct. 27. C. Neal Johnson will offer information on Business with a Mission, or BAM, on Nov. 3. April Holthaus and Dan Senjem will speak on the Archuleta County Genealogical Society on Nov. 10. Mott Hoover from the Colorado Avalanche Center will present on Nov. 17.
Go to https://pagosalibrary.org/adult-services/ or pick up a brochure at your library for more details on all these presentations.
Homework help
Free homework assistance and elementary tutoring are available for kids in kindergarten through fourth grade on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. this month.
There is a registration packet for parents and guardians to fill out to enroll your child that you can get by emailing the library or coming in.
We are hopeful that the program will be able to continue, but it may depend on the availability of volunteers and the needs of the school.
New format for
activities calendar
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. Its new, streamlined format combines all the activities and events for children, teens and adults on one handy, two-sided page.
No PALS/GED adult
education in October
There will be no PALS sessions in October as Mark, the instructor, will be out of state working one of his other jobs.
Online author
talks continue
There will be three more events this month in our free online virtual series featuring New York Times bestselling authors and thought-leaders giving live, professionally moderated book discussions you can view on your computer, tablet or smartphone with Internet access. You also have an opportunity to ask questions.
Next Thursday, Oct. 13, at 2 p.m. we’ll hear from Dr. Aziz Gazipura, author of “Not Nice: Stop People Pleasing, Staying Silent and Feeling Guilty.” On Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 5 p.m., we’ll meet with Zain Asher, author of “Where the Children Take Us.” On Tuesday, Oct. 25, we’ll gather with Kate Quinn, author of “The Diamond Eye.”
Go to https://pagosalibrary.org/adult-services/ to learn more.
Dungeons and
Dragons today
Today, Thursday, Oct. 6, from 4 to 6 p.m., join our virtual Dungeons and Dragons game free for teens and young adults on Discord. Next Tuesday, Oct. 11, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. is an in-person game. Space is limited and registration is required. Contact claire@pagosalibrary.org to join.
Children’s Spanish
class tomorrow
Join us Friday, Oct. 7, from 2 to 3 p.m. for a Spanish class for kids aged 6 to 11 to help youngsters learn and improve their Spanish.
Gaming tomorrow
Enjoy free all-ages video gaming on the Xbox 360 Kinect tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 7, from 3 to 4 p.m.
LEGO Club on Saturday
Kids aged 6 and up are invited to bring your imaginations — LEGOs are provided — on Saturday, Oct. 8, from 11 a.m. to noon for the free LEGO Club. LEGO challenges also are posted on Facebook if you can’t make it to the library.
Ruby’s Book Club
next Tuesday
Ruby’s Book Club meets in person from 2 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 11, to discuss “The Lost Apothecary” by Sarah Penner. Copies are available at your library. This book club is held the second Tuesday of each month, alternating between fiction and nonfiction titles. Anyone is welcome to attend.
Spanish conversation
Next Tuesday, Oct. 11, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., we will gather at the library to practice speaking and listening skills together at this free session. No minimum skill level is 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/.
Virtual teen advisory board
Next Wednesday, Oct. 12, the teen advisory board will meet from 4 to 5 p.m. on your library’s Discord server. Fourth- through 12th-graders are invited to bring your fun and innovative ideas to help us plan teen programs.
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.
Writing challenge
A new all-ages writing challenge will be posted Oct. 10 on the library’s Facebook page. We hope you will challenge your creativity by participating in this free activity.
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.
DVDs
“Eddie Murphy” is a collection of 14 movies starring the comedian. “1883: A Yellowstone Origin Story” is a prequel to the popular “Yellowstone” TV series. “Minions: The Rise of Gru” contains two mini-movies. “Happening” features a bright young student in France
Spanish-language books about the sea
“En el Corazon del Mar” (“In the Heart of the Sea”) by Nathaniel Philbrick is the tragic tale of the crew of a ship attacked by a giant whale. “El Alma de Los Pulpos” (“The Soul of Octopuses”) by Sy Montgomery is an explanation of the intelligence, personalities and problem-solving skills of these amazing creatures.
Large print
“Gunman’s Pass” by Ralph Cotton is a Will Summers western. “The Last to Vanish” by Megan Miranda is a mystery set in a inn in a North Carolina town. “The Big Dark Sky” by Dean Koontz is a murder mystery that takes place on a ranch in Montana. “Fairy Tale” by Stephen King is a story with a lot of heart and some of the author’s signature horror. “Reckoning” by Catherine Coulter is an FBI thriller. “The Return of the Pharaoh” by Nicholas Meyer is a Sherlock Holmes-Dr. Watson adventure in Egypt.
Donations
We are grateful to Sherry and Keith Spears for their generous monetary donation in memory of Jimmy Neumann, of Texas, and 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
“For the great storms of our past will challenge us; they will shape us or break us. We can succumb to the fear and bury ourselves in the wreckage they leave behind. Or we can dig up the courage from within us and fight for our future. Because having courage doesn’t mean you aren’t afraid; it means you persist despite your fear.” — Celia Bell, American photographer who describes herself as “a dreamer, adventurer and destination photographer.”
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.
