By Carole Howard | PREVIEW Columnist, and the library staff
Author Sherry Anderson once said, “Volunteers don’t get paid — not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.”
Everyone on your library staff agrees.
Our volunteers are everyday heroes who make a lasting impact on the service we provide you, your family and friends at your library. In fact, in 2022 our volunteers contributed 1,575 hours valued at $49,628, a huge amount of money, especially for a small library like ours.
National Volunteer Week is April 16-22 this year, and Meg Wempe, library director, and her team want to take this opportunity to say a special thanks to all of our volunteers. They help with so many important tasks including shelving, program prep, garden maintenance and more, and we are grateful for their skills and energy.
Please know that we appreciate you tremendously.
As William James said, “Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.”
Library early closure
Your library will close at 5 p.m. next Monday, April 24, and on the fourth Monday of each month for a staff meeting.
Lifelong Learning tonight
Our new free spring Lifelong Learning lectures from 6 to 7:15 p.m. in April and May are underway now.
Tonight, Thursday, April 20, Bill Hudson will discuss Northwest Coast Native American art.
April 27 will showcase Jen Doane talking about the amazing honeybees and other native Colorado bees.
Yoga storytime tomorrow
Children ages 1-5 are invited to Y is for Yoga Storytime tomorrow, Friday, April 21, from 10 to 10:30 a.m. when we’ll stretch while practicing early literary skills.
Books and art tomorrow
Kids Create is a mixed-media art class based on a picture book tomorrow, Friday, April 21, from 2 to 3 p.m. for ages 6-11.
Powerhouse fun
tomorrow
Students in kindergarten through fifth grade will enjoy hands-on STEAM projects tomorrow, Friday, April 21, from 3 to 4 p.m. at this weekly program.
Earth Day Saturday
Join us to celebrate Earth Day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 22, when you can learn ways to invest in our planet at our Earth Day display and pick up your Earth Day make-and-take kit.
LEGO Club on Saturday
Kids aged 6 and up are invited to bring your imaginations on Saturday, April 22, from 11 a.m. to noon for the free LEGO Club. Bring your own LEGOs or use ours.
Learn to knit Saturday
Ages 8 and up are invited to learn to knit on Saturday, April 22, from 1 to 3 p.m. Supplies will be provided.
New beginner
computer class
Join us from 1 to 2 p.m. for a new free beginner computer class Mondays and Wednesdays aimed at adults who want to learn practical skills related to PC use, emails, and creating new documents and folders. Registration is required.
Children’s Spanish
class Monday
Join us Monday, April 24, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. for a free Spanish class for kids aged 6 to 11 to help youngsters learn and improve their Spanish.
Medicare intro
on Monday
Learn about Medicare coverage and how to sign up on Monday, April 24, from 1:30 to 3 p.m.
Find new books
kids will like
On Tuesday, April 25, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. children ages 6-11 can learn about the library’s newest children’s and juvenile books. We’ll have a drawing for free books.
Dungeons and Dragons
Next Tuesday, April 25, from 4 to 5:30, join our Dungeons and Dragons game free for teens and young adults. Registration is required because space is limited. Contact Josie@pagosalibrary.org.
Online author talks
There will be one more talk this month in our free online virtual series featuring New York Times bestselling authors. You will have an opportunity to ask questions.
Thursday, April 27, at 6 p.m. will showcase William Kent Krueger, author of “Ordinary Grace.”
Knowledge Bowl
Our free middle school Knowledge Bowl takes place next Thursday, April 27, from 4 to 5 p.m. for tweens and teens in grades four through eight, or ages 11-14. Participants form teams of up to six people to compete against each other by answering questions that cover a range of topics from math to spelling to pop culture.
Poetry challenge
A new all-ages writing challenge was posted April 10 on the library’s Facebook page. In honor of Poetry Month, we’re asking you to write a short poem.
Homework and
tutoring help
Free homework assistance and elementary tutoring are available for students in kindergarten through fourth grade on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. A registration packet for parents and guardians is available by emailing the library or coming in.
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.
PALS/GED adult
education
Join Mark 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.
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. No appointment is needed for these drop-in sessions.
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.
Large print
“In a House of Lies” by Ian Rankin features Scottish former detective John Rebus. “Hands Down” by Felix Francis is a Dick Francis mystery. “Never Never” by Colleen Hoover and Tarryn Fisher tells of a teen couple whose memories of their friendship and love have vanished. “The Angel Maker” by Alex North focuses on a woman after violence changed the fate of her family.
Mysteries, thrillers
and suspense
“Shutter” by Ramona Emerson features a forensic photographer who works for the Albuquerque police force. “Black Wolf” by Kathleen Kent is about a female agent in Soviet Belarus on her first undercover mission with the CIA. “Bright and Deadly Things” by Lexi Elliott tells of a woman in danger while mourning her husband in a rustic chalet in the French Alps. “Unnatural History” by Jonathan Kellerman is an Alex Delaware thriller. “1794: The City Between the Bridges” by Niklas Natt Och Dag is set in 18th century Stockholm when a beautiful women dies on her wedding night.
Other novels
“The Last Chairlift,” set in Aspen and New England, is John Irving’s first novel in seven years and, he says, his last long novel. “The Marriage Portrait” by Maggie O’Farrell, set in Renaissance Italy, features the third daughter of the wealthy banking head and arts patron Grand Duke de’Medici. “Stella Maris” by Pulitzer Prize winner Cormac McCarthy, set in a psychiatric facility, is the second in the author’s two-volume Passenger series.
“Wade in the Water” by Nyani Nkrumah tells of an 11-year-old mistreated Black girl living in Mississippi who meets a white researcher from Princeton. “Vintage Contemporaries” by Dan Kois focuses on the life-altering friendship of three women in New York City. “The Battle of Jedha” is the full script by George Mann of the Star Wars story.
Nonfiction
“Parables from Nature, with Notes on the Natural History” by Margaret Gatty contains culturally important works in the public domain. “Gnar Country” by Steven Kotler chronicles the author’s experiments to push his 53-year-old body to its limit. “A Fever in the Heartland” by Pulitzer Prize winner Timothy Agan tells of a seemingly powerless woman who brought the Klu Klux Klan to its knees.
Academy Award DVDs
“The Whale” won best actor for Brendan Fraser, “Women Talking” won best adapted screenplay and “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” was nominated for best animated feature at the 2023 Academy Awards. “Frida” won five Academy Awards in 2003, including best actress for Salma Hayek. The mostly silent film “The Artist” won five Academy Awards, including best picture, in 2012.
Other DVDs
“Devotion” is the true story of two elite U.S. Navy fighter pilots in the Korean War. “5000 Blankets” is inspired by a true story of a woman and her son helping the homeless. “The Chosen” is season one. “Luther” is the complete BBC series. “Resident Alien” is season two.
Donations
We are grateful to Sarah Robbins for her generous monetary contribution and to Carole Howard for her 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 2013 or newer and nonfiction that is 2018 or newer. Limited workroom space means we can only accept one or two small boxes at a time.
Quotable quote
“Past studies have shown that gardening can help improve the mental health of people who have existing mental conditions or challenges. Our study shows that healthy people can also experience a boost in mental well-being through gardening, even when they are beginners.” — Charles Guy, professor emeritus in the University of Florida Environmental Horticulture Department.
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.
