By Carole Howard | PREVIEW Columnist, and the library staff
Free homework assistance and elementary tutoring are available for kids in kindergarten through fourth grades on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
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.
This program has been a big hit because it helps build essential skills in core subjects. You still can register your child, but you may be put on a wait list.
Library closure
Your library will be closed for Thanksgiving Nov. 24-26 so that our staff can celebrate this national holiday with loved ones. While the physical library is closed Thursday through Sunday, our downloadable items and online resources are available 24/7, as always.
Flu season protocols
The curbside service that we began in COVID times continues — and it’s a healthful option as we head into the cold and flu season. If you’re feeling sick, you’re probably eager for DVDs while you heal and books to keep you company. To save your energy and lessen germ exposure to other patrons, we recommend you use our curbside service — or add a name to your account authorizing that person to pick up items for you while you recuperate. Library hours:
• 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.
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.
Final Lifelong Learning talk this evening
The sixth and last talk in our free Lifelong Learning fall lecture series takes place this evening, Thursday, Nov. 17, when we will showcase Matt Hoover from the Colorado Avalanche Center presenting an avalanche awareness program from 6 to 7:30 p.m. No registration is required.
Hoover began working as a ski patroller at Snowmass in 1996 and quickly moved into a dedicated snow safety position. He currently focuses on highway avalanche safety on the southeast side of the San Juan Mountains.
This lecture series has run every Thursday for the last six weeks, our first in-person Lifelong Learning lecture series since the fall of 2019, before COVID.
Dungeons and Dragons online today
Today, Thursday, Nov. 17, 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.
Gaming tomorrow
Enjoy free all-ages video gaming on the Xbox 360 Kinect tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 18, from 2:30 to 4 p.m.
Makerspace on Saturday
Kids, tweens and teens are invited to a free Makerspace session on Saturday, Nov. 19, from 11 a.m. to noon when we’ll provide the materials so you can build, design and create.
Dungeons and Dragons in person
Next Tuesday, Nov. 22, from 3:45 to 5:30 p.m., join our in-person Dungeons and Dragons game free for teens and young adults. Registration is required. Contact claire@pagosalibrary.org to join.
Teen writers
Teen writers in the fourth through 12th grade are invited to your library next Wednesday, Nov. 23, from 4 to 5 p.m. Stories, poetry, graphic novels, fan fiction — it’s all welcome.
PALS/GED adult
education
Mark is available for his free PALS sessions on 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. Note there will be no PALS today, Nov. 17.
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 was posted Nov. 14 on the library’s Facebook page. We hope you will challenge your creativity by participating in this free activity.
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.
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.
Books on CD
“The Ninth Month” by James Patterson features a pregnant marketing executive being stalked. “Wild Fire” by Nicholas Sansbury Smith and Anthony J. Melchiorri is book one of a new New Frontier sci-fi series. “Blow Back” by James Patterson and Brendan Dubois centers on a U.S. president who devises a clandestine power grab. “A Song of Comfortable Chairs” by Alexander McCall Smith is the latest in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency mystery. “Lessons” by Ian McEwan chronicles the effect of history on one man’s lifetime. “Edgedancer” by Brandon Sanderson is a fantasy from the Stormlight Archive series. “Suspect” by Scott Turow is a legal thriller.
Large print
“Treasure State” by C.J. Box is a Cassie Dewell mystery. “The Mystery of the Sorrowful Maiden” by Kate Saunders is book three in the Laetitia Rodd mystery series. “Back to the Garden” by Laurie R. King is a mystery set on an estate that was a commune. “A Song of Comfortable Chairs” by Alexander McCall Smith is the latest in the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency mystery. “Quicksand” by Janet Dailey is book three of the Champions western romantic suspense series. “Law of the Land” by Elmer Kelton contains 16 stories of the Old West.
Nonfiction
“Paul Newman” is a memoir of the actor based on a five-year project to document his life with screenwriter Stewart Stern.
Mysteries and thrillers
“Desperation in Death” by J.D. Robb is an Eve Dallas mystery. “Sinister Graves” by Marcie R. Rendon is a Cash Blackbear mystery.
Other novels
“A Very Typical Family” by Sierra Godfrey focuses on three adult siblings brought together after 15 years by the death of their estranged mother. “The Postmistress of Paris” by Meg Waite Clayton, inspired by real life, tells of an American heiress’ work smuggling artists and intellectuals out of France during World War II. “Palmares” by Gayl Jones recounts the journey of a Black slave girl in Brazil who escapes and begins a series of difficult searches.
Donations
We are grateful to Cindi Granquist for the generous monetary donation, and to Alan Powdermaker and our anonymous donors for their materials donations.
When we are open, 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.
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
Robin Shear, a life coach based in Detroit, has a plan for those inevitable times when everything feels awful. Instead of spiraling, she says she turns to her “joy bucket list.” She advises you to make your own list, then store it in your phone or another easily accessible place. “If you already did the work and made your list, you’ll find it’s much less challenging to remember what lifts you up when you’re feeling low.”
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.
