We are proud to host New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman next weekend for four special events, one free and three set up as fundraisers by the library foundation for our campaign to renovate and expand your library.
Hillerman is the author of multiple bestselling mysteries that continue the hugely popular Navajo detective series originated by her father, Tony Hillerman.
• Friday, Sept. 13, from 7 to 9 p.m. is a movie event at the library exclusively for Friends of the Library. Tickets are $30.
• Saturday, Sept. 14, from 9 to 11 a.m. is a writer’s workshop at the library. The cost is $25.
• Also Saturday, from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m., is a free meet and greet with the author at the library.
• Also Saturday, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., is a fireside chat with the author at the Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association Clubhouse with a cash bar and hors d’oeuvres. Tickets are $50.
Anne Hillerman lives in New Mexico. She has continued her father’s series of Joe Leaphorn-Jim Chee novels following his death, adding officer Bernadette Manuelito as a full partner in solving the crimes. All nine of her books are available at your library for your reading pleasure.
Tickets for the three fundraising events can be purchased at the library or online at pagosalibrary.org.
Library closure
Your library will close early on Monday, Sept. 9, for a staff meeting at 5 p.m. This is our regular staff meeting schedule — on the second Monday of the month.
Hiking safety today
Come hear guidelines and helpful tips for hiking safety in our wilderness environs from members of our local San Juan Outdoor Club and the Upper San Juan Search and Rescue organization next Thursday, Sept. 5, from 6 to 7:15 p.m.
The Archuleta County Sheriff Office’s emergency management team may also be present to answer your questions about its role in assisting persons lost in our mountains.
Herbal remedies next Wednesday
Learn the identification, harvesting and traditional therapeutic uses of 10 common native plants next Wednesday, Sept. 11, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. from Lake McCullough, certified herbalist. Explore how to infuse the herbs with syrups, tinctures and balms.
You will leave with recipes to make at home and a small sample of an herbal healing salve.
Dungeons and Dragons today
Today, Thursday, Sept. 5, and next Tuesday, Sept. 10, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., join our Dungeons and Dragons game free for teens and young adults. Create a character and join the adventure. Preregistration is required because space is limited. Contact Josie@pagosalibrary.org to join.
All-ages gaming tomorrow
Join us Friday, Sept. 6, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. for a free all-ages gaming session playing Xbox.
Teen/tween takeover tomorrow
We are setting aside the large meeting room and some of the computers for tweens and teens to use and spend time with friends Friday, Sept. 6, from 2 to 3:30 p.m.
Online author talks
Our highly popular free online author talks continue with three opportunities in September for you to interact with New York Times bestselling authors and ask questions in April.
For details and to register, go to https://libraryc.org/pagosalibrary/upcoming.
Tuesday, Sept. 10, at noon we’ll interact with Pulitzer Prize finalist Garrett Graff, who will be talking about “Capturing the Human Drama Through Oral Histories.”
On Sept. 18 at noon, Kate Klemp, Ph.D., co-author of “Start Here: Master the Lifelong Skill of Wellbeing,” will discuss “An Expansive Mind in a Distracted World.”
On Sept. 21 at 5 p.m., we’ll experience “A Deep Dive in Character Development” with novelist Liane Moriarity, author of “Big Little Lies,” “The Husband’s Secret” and “Apples Never Fall.”
LEGO Club Saturday
Kids aged 6-11 are invited to the free LEGO Club on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 11 a.m. to noon. Bring your own LEGOs or use ours to free build.
Ruby’s Book Club next Tuesday
Ruby’s Book Club will meet from 2 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 10, to discuss “Running with Sherman: The Donkey with the Heart of a Hero” by Christopher McDougall.
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. Snacks will be provided.
Legal clinics to resume Wednesdays
Your library is one of six in our state chosen by the Colorado Access to Justice Commission to restart the free legal clinics.
They will happen from 2 to 3:40 p.m. the second Wednesday of every month starting Sept. 11. We will start with five patrons each month, 20 minutes per patron.
We will use a Zoom platform that can translate from English to the patron’s primary language. To reduce our no-show rate, we will start with just one waitlisted patron per month.
Come to the library to meet privately via Zoom with our volunteer attorney.
To schedule an appointment, at the beginning of the month, send an email titled “Sign-up for Free Legal Clinic” with your first name and phone number to ruby@pagosalibrary.org, phone (970) 264-2209 or stop by the library.
Family storytime
Wednesdays from 10 to 11 a.m., join a free educational hour of reading, singing and free play to build early literacy skills.
Teen/tween activity
Join us in the teen area every Wednesday after school from 4 to 4:30 p.m. this month for a fun craft or challenge. Activities will range from taste tests to art challenges to minute-to-win-it-style games.
Writers Guild
Every Thursday from 9 to 11 a.m., the Ruby’s Writers Guild welcomes writers looking for opportunities, support, resources and camaraderie with other writers at this free gathering.
The guild has published a new anthology, “Tales from the San Juans,” which the members say includes “life musings, creative short fiction, retrospectives, poetry, novellas and short observations — all inspired by the beauty that surrounds us.”
The book is available at the library, with net proceeds going to the library’s building campaign.
ESL classes
Free in-person evening classes take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with 4 to 5 p.m. reserved for beginners, 5 to 6 p.m. for intermediate and 6 to 7 p.m. for advanced students. Please help us share the word about these classes.
Tech Time
Free in-person slots are available from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and 2 to 4 p.m. Thursdays. Judy helps you with basic questions relating to computers, smartphones and tablets, and also provides assistance in accessing the library’s online resources.
No appointment is needed for these drop-in sessions, but please bring your device’s charger and passwords with you.
Pagosa Adult Learning Services (PALS)
Join Mark or Sally 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.
Activities calendars
Pick up monthly events calendars at the library so you don’t miss any of the free activities available to you and your family.
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.
Novels
“El Barrio de la Juventud”/”La Raza’s Golden Era” by local author Santos Luis O’Canas traces the lives of the Mexican-American families of El Campo, Texas, beginning with the last half of the 20th century to the mid-1960s. It is an adult nonfiction collective biography written in English with some Spanish included.
“Sofia” by local author Lynn Moffett features a young widow whose carefully ordered life is turned upside down when she comes face to face with six misled youths who stage a home invasion that violates her personal sanctuary. Her family and friends advise no sympathy for the boys, but a calling on her heart from God says otherwise. The author is a member of the Wolf Creek Christian Writers Network.
DVDs
“Blue Lights” is a BBC film featuring rookie police officers on duty in Northern Ireland. “No Hard Feelings” features Jennifer Lawrence in a summer romance that blossoms after she is hired to date an introverted 19-year-old. “Ruby’s Choice” focuses on a family dealing with a grandmother with Alzheimer’s. “Titanic the Musical” tells stories in music of the passengers aboard this tragic ship. “Io Capitano” about young teenage boys who leave Senegal for the promise of Europe was nominated for best international feature in the 2024 Academy Awards.
Mysteries, suspense and thrillers
“The Lost Coast” by Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman begins when a young man hires a PI to examine some minor financial discrepancies in his grandmother’s estate. “The Eyes Are The Best Part” by Monika Kim is a feminist psychological horror story about the making of a serial killer told from a Korean American perspective. “Sisters of the Lost Nation” by Nick Medina is about women mysteriously disappearing from a tribal reservation. “Fatal First Edition” by Jenn McLinlay is the newest Library Lover’s mystery. “The Night Hawks” by Elly Griffiths is a Ruth Galloway mystery.
Other novels
“Maria” by Michelle Moran is a novel about Maria Von Trapp, whose life was made famous in “The Sound of Music.” “Perris, California” by Rachel Stark features an unhappy mother of three reunited with her teen lover.
Donation guidelines
We are very grateful to Medora Bass for her materials donations.
When we are open, material donations are accepted for the Friends of the Library at the front desk — not down the outside returns slot at the library or the drop box at City Market, please.
Guidelines for donations: Yes to popular fiction books published in 2013 or later, nonfiction books published 2018 or later, and children’s and young adult books — all in excellent condition, please. No to CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray, VHS or cassette tapes; textbooks, outdated travel books or reference books because they do not sell. No more than two boxes at a time because of space constraints.
Quotable quote
“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set I go into the other room and read a book.” — Groucho Marx (1890-1977), American comedian, actor, writer and singer who performed in films and vaudeville acts on TV, radio and the stage. He was a master of quick wit and is considered one of America’s greatest comedians.
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.
