I recently read with great envy that the Durango Public Library was built as a LEED gold-certified building. That’s the highest designation you can achieve in terms of environmental sustainability. It isn’t cheap up front, but, in the long run, it’s less expensive to operate.
The original design for the Pagosa library expansion focused on keeping construction costs low, and only included a few environmentally friendly options such as mineral wool insulation that priced out closely with mainstream building products. But we have found additional ways to incorporate environmentally friendly features into our plans through grant opportunities, and the results are going to be great for our community and our long-term organizational sustainability.
Through a grant from the Colorado Energy Office, we are installing a double level 2 charger for electric vehicles in our parking lot. This will expand our local EV charging options for both locals and visitors and hopefully encourage more people to invest in EVs, contributing to cleaner mountain air.
We are also concerned with fiscal sustainability. With a limited budget, how do we control operational costs so we can reinvest in direct service? One way is to lower utility bills. We know adding solar panels to our large roof in this sunny mountain town is a really smart way to lower our electric bills. So, we’re pursuing a grant that would fund installation of a 42kw array. Together with our geothermal heating system, we would be one big step closer to achieving both environmental and fiscal sustainability.
We’re looking forward to reducing our carbon footprint. And it’s just the beginning of our sustainability efforts. We’ve reupholstered our public seating in lieu of buying new, saved cabinets and workbenches from the landfill, and recycled our sturdy old tables to use in the new makerspace.
With larger spaces for programming and a children’s teaching garden in place, we are planning programming for all ages that explains green technology and helps you make better choices. Our gardens will be filled with native pollinator plants. And, we’re constantly brainstorming on how to move from paper to digital.
There’s so much more we can do and new technologies on the horizon to help us. Watch for upcoming programming to keep you informed.
Thank you, Town of Pagosa Springs
We are grateful to the Town of Pagosa Springs, its staff and elected officials for their tremendous support during this construction process. Their good advice has been instrumental in our success, and they have generously waived multiple fees to help us afford this expansion.
This week’s fundraising focus
The public gardens are really coming together, but there are components we still need.
A new flagpole costs $10,000 and a sturdy picnic table is $5,000. Garden troughs for the children’s teaching garden are $750 each. Can you help? Email director@pagosalibrary.org.
We are grateful for you.
Construction update
We have a fiber optic internet connection waiting for us on the other side of the alley that we are going to connect for an even faster library internet experience. To mitigate any road damage, we will bore a fiber optic pathway underneath the alleyway to run the cable across.
Washable rubber flooring in pretty colors will go into the children’s room in May to cushion toddler falls and reduce the traveling noise of happy children. Once all the flooring is installed in the addition, we’ll be able to add our new service desk and set up the children’s room. How fun.
June marks a big transition as we switch from the old side to the new side. We’ll transfer service to the new section while the old section gets a facelift.
In late August, the two portions will be combined into one big, beautiful building. Our grand opening is tentatively set for Labor Day weekend.
Follow us on Facebook for periodic pictures of progress.
Get ready for Summer Reading
It won’t be long till we kick off Summer Reading 2026. This year’s theme is “READ WILD!” and features books filled with action and adventure, plus lots of fun field trips and activities for all ages.
Collecting for local food banks
Are you heading out for the summer? Are you moving away? If you have an extra can or two of food you can share, or some dried food in sturdy packaging, please bring it to the library. Our local agencies will pick up and distribute the food where it’s needed.
English as a second language switches to citizenship classes
Join our test prep classes for the U.S. citizenship test on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 4 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church on South Pagosa Boulevard.
Colorado Parks Passes for checkout
It’s almost summer, and it’s time to get outside. The Ruby Sisson Library has free Colorado Parks passes for checkout that include a backpack with nature guides, binoculars and fun activities. Reserve yours today.
Meet us out in the community
Now that we have much less space for our operations and no meeting rooms during construction, several of our regular activities and special events are happening in other locations.
Please check the listings in this column and on your library’s website, pagosalibrary.org, for location changes throughout the construction. If no other location is mentioned, the activity will stay at your library.
Activities calendars
Pick up monthly calendars at the library or check the website, www.pagosalibrary.org/events-calendar, so you don’t miss any of the free programs, events and activities available to you and your family.
Online author talks
Join us live or catch the presentation later. Reserve your spot at libraryc.org/pagosalibrary.
Thursday, April 30, at 5 p.m. will be “On Writing Beloved Characters and Powerful Portrayals of Resilience in Virtual Conversation” with Jason Reynolds, award-winning and New York Times bestselling author.
On May 7 at 5 p.m., join for an exciting conversation, “On Courage, Turmoil, and the Transformative Power of Love,” with Marjan Kamali, bestselling author of “The Lion Women of Tehran.”
Conversational Spanish
Our popular Conversational Spanish group continues on Mondays from 4 to 5 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church at 225 S. Pagosa Blvd. This is a great opportunity to practice your Spanish in a free, friendly group setting. No minimum skill level is needed.
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.
Elementary school tutoring
Free after-school tutoring for first through third grades takes place on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Registration is required because of limited space, so call your library now at (970) 264-2209 to enroll your child.
This invaluable tutoring involves one-on-one and small-group help for math, literacy, writing and spelling.
Note that because of construction at the library these sessions will take place at the elementary school.
Writers Guild
Thursdays from 9 to 11 a.m., Ruby’s Writers Guild welcomes writers looking for support, guidance, resources and camaraderie with other writers at this free gathering.
During construction the group will meet at the Pagosa Senior Center, 451 Hot Springs Blvd. Enter through the left side of the building.
Tech Time
Free in-person slots are available from 2 to 4 p.m. on Thursdays. Taylor helps with basic questions relating to computers, smartphones and tablets, and also provides assistance in accessing the library’s online resources. No appointment is needed, but please bring your device’s charger and passwords with you.
New books collections brimming with interesting titles
For a full list of new titles and to reserve your copy, go to www.pagosalibrary.org and choose “Search the Catalog” at the top of the screen.
Don’t forget, if there is a waiting list for the book, it may be available now as an e-book or e-audiobook on CloudLibrary or Libby.
New and notable nonfiction
• “Atlas of Borders: Walls, Migrations, and Conflicts in 70 Maps.”
• “Evergreen: The Trees that Shaped America.”
• “The Yates Protocol: Five Simple Steps to Fix Your Blood Sugar and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes.”
• “This Vast Enterprise: A New History of Lewis and Clark” is by Craig Ferman.
Immersed in the spiritual
• “Mother Earth is Our Elder: A Northern Indigenous Path Toward Sustainable Living.”
“Secure: The Revolutionary Guide to Creating a Secure Life” is described as a “groundbreaking road map to emotional resilience.”
Walks on the wild side
• “My Life with Wolves: How I Became the Storyteller for the Yellowstone Packs” is by Rick McIntyre.
• “The Peregrine Falcon: The Epic Life and Times of the World’s Fastest Creature” is by Jim Wright.
• “Nature Speak: Signs, Omens, and Messages in Nature” and “Animal Wise: Understanding the Language of Animal Messengers and Companions” are by Ted Andrews.
New fiction
• “Guilt,” by Keigo Higashino, is a psychological thriller from one of Japan’s top authors.
• “Permanence,” a novel from Sophie MacIntosh, is described as “a brilliant parable about desire, infidelity, and devotion.”
• “Lidie: The Further Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton” is the long-awaited work from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jane Smiley.
New in large print
• “Lunger: The Doc Holliday Story” is a novel from bestselling author Paul Colt.
• “A Perilous Plot,” the latest in the Booktown Mystery series from Lorna Barrett, follows the clues from a mysterious urn filled with kitty litter to the truth behind a family murder.
• “A Dark and Deadly Journey,” the latest Evelyne Redfern Mystery from Julia Kelly, is about a missing British Intelligence agent during Word War II.
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