By Carole Howard | PREVIEW Columnist, and the library staff
Library fans of all ages are invited to a fun free event next Friday, May 26, from 2 to 4 p.m. to create your own tie-dye T-shirt commemorating this year’s Summer Reading Program that kicks off on June 3.
All supplies will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your own T-shirt or another item to dye if you prefer.
Also on May 26, registration will open for the Summer Reading Program. You can sign up in person or on the library’s website at https://pagosalibrary.org.
Watch for more details about the many special events and fun challenges in the Summer Reading Program in future “Library News” columns, and pick up a June events calendar at the library to be sure you don’t miss any of the program’s free library activities available to you and your family.
Library early closure
Your library will close at 5 p.m. next Monday, May 22, and on the fourth Monday of each month for a staff meeting.
Last Lifelong Learning today
Our free spring Lifelong Learning lectures from 6-7:15 p.m. on Thursdays conclude today, May 18, with Arleen Prochazka from the Pagosa Weather Team describing the services they offer to our community and telling us about North American monsoon formation and its impact on our local mountains.
Game Master
Playground today
Teens are invited to a free rebranded online Game Master (GM) Playground Dungeons and Dragons program today, Thursday, May 18, from 4 to 6 p.m.
GMs can lead a variety of tabletop role-playing games but sometimes are uncertain how to start or may want to test a new idea before running a full campaign. Interested GMs should contact Josie at the library to sign up to run a one-shot game (no more than three sessions). Registration is required.
Writers support group
On Thursdays including today, May 18, from 9 to 11 a.m., the Ruby Writers Guild welcomes writers who are looking for opportunities and camaraderie with other writers. Members will provide support, resources and guidance for each other.
Yoga storytime tomorrow
Kids aged 1-5 are invited to a special free yoga storytime tomorrow, Friday, May 19, from 10 to 10:30 a.m. when we’ll stretch as we practice early literacy skills in a fun, relaxed way.
Kids Create tomorrow
Kids aged 6-11 are invited to a free Kids Create mixed-media art class tomorrow, Friday, May 19, from 2 to 3 p.m. based on a story. The story and projects change monthly.
Online author
talk Saturday
There will be one more talk this month in our free online virtual series featuring New York Times bestselling authors. Saturday, May 20, at noon will feature Courtney Summers, Canadian award-winning author of “Sadie” and other novels for young adults. You will have an opportunity to ask questions.
Makerspace on Saturday
Kids, tweens and teens are invited to a free Makerspace session on Saturday, May 20, from 11 a.m. to noon, when we’ll provide the materials so you can create, design and build. Prompts are provided.
Pokemon Club
on Saturday
If you love Pokemon, this club is for you. Bring your cards to a fun free event for ages 6 and up on Saturday, May 20, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. when you can play games with others who feel the same way. No experience is required.
Children’s book talk
Kids aged 6-11 who want new ideas on what to read next are invited next Tuesday, May 23, from 3:30 to 4 p.m. to learn about your library’s newest children and juvenile books.
Dungeons and Dragons
Next Tuesday, May 23, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., join our Dungeons and Dragons game free for teens and young adults. Registration is required because space is limited. Contact Josie@pagosalibrary.org to join.
Unique Knowledge
Bowl competition
next Thursday
Our free middle school Knowledge Bowl next Thursday, May 25, for tweens and teens adds a unique touch to its contest. Normally, 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. For this special event, you should bring an adult to see who does better in this test of trivia skills.
Knowledge Bowl runs every second and fourth Thursday for the remainder of the school year. It is open to students in grades four through eight, or ages 11-14. No registration is required.
Beginner computer class
Join us from 1 to 2 p.m. May 22 for the seventh session and May 24 for the eighth in a free beginner computer class Mondays and Wednesdays for adults who want to learn practical skills related to PC use, emails and creating new documents and folders. Registration is required. Note that when you sign up, you are committing to all eight sessions.
Special family storytime with puppet guest
Next Wednesday, May 24, Ms. Lisa will join us with her puppet friend from 10 to11 a.m. during our a free educational hour of reading, singing and play to build early literacy skills.
Ms. Lisa is a local puppeteer extraordinaire and professional storyteller who makes a guest appearance once a month.
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.
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 free PALS sessions Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 8 p.m. to help with high school equivalency, GED, college prep, financial aid, tutoring and more. Note there will be no PALS May 23 and 25.
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 needed for these drop-in sessions. Note there will be no Tech Time May 25.
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.
Mysteries, suspense
and thrillers
“Hollow Beasts” by Alisa Lynn Valdes features a New Mexico game warden setting out to take down a terrorist network. “A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons” by Kate Khavari centers on a female botanist in 1920s London working to solve a strange death. “Robert Ludlum’s “The Treadstone Rendition” by Joshua Hood is a thriller set in the final days of American presence in Afghanistan. “Panther Gap” by James A. McLaughlin is the follow-up to the Edgar Award-winning “Bearskin.” “Ozark Dogs” by Eli Granor showcases two families after a murder in their small Arkansas town. “You Should Have Known” by Rebecca A. Keller tells of a grandmother involved in a senior living home murder.
Other novels
“Coronation Year” by Jennifer Robson follows three residents in a hotel on the route of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation gold coach. “The Lost Wife” by Susanna Moore features a white woman and her children saved by the Sioux during the Sioux uprising of 1862. “The All-American” by Joe Milan Jr. tells of an American teen deported to his South Korean birth country. “Under the Cover of Mercy” by Rebecca Connolly is based on a true story of a nurse saving allied soldiers from the Germans during the first world war.
Books on CD
“You Shouldn’t Have Come Here” by Jeneva Rose is a thriller set in an Airbnb on a Wyoming ranch. “Count Down” by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois is a thriller featuring a young CIA agent.
Nonfiction
“Rachael’s Good Eats” by Rachael DeVaux contains 110 recipes for meals and treats. “Honey, Baby, Mine” by mother-daughter Laura Dern and Diane Ladd shares conversations from long walks together when Ladd faced a life-threatening illness. “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron is the 30th anniversary edition of this 12-week program of exercises and explorations.
Large print
“Where Are the Children Now?” by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke features Nancy Harmon in a sequel to one of the first psychological suspense stories. “Loyalty” by Lisa Scottoline is a kidnapping story set in Sicily. “Ralph Compton Stagecoach Revenge” by D.B. Pulliam is a western in the Gunfighter series. “Robert Ludlum’s The Treadstone Rendition” by Joshua Hood is a CIA adventure. “Dark Angel” by John Sandford is a Letty Davenport thriller.
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 from 2018 or newer. Limited workroom space means we can only accept one or two small boxes at a time.
Quotable quote
“A day without music is a mistake.” — John Williams, American composer, symphony conductor and pianist who has five Oscars and 53 Academy Award nominations. Over his seven-decade career he has created some of the most memorable music in movie history including scores and iconic themes for nine “Star Wars” films, the first three Harry Potter films, “Jaws,” “ET,” “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Saving Private Ryan.”
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.
