By Sally Neel
If you haven’t bought your tickets for The Library Affair, scheduled to take place on April 9 from 6 to 8:30 pm at the Pagosa Lakes Property Owners Association Clubhouse, located at 230 Port Ave., don’t wait. Due to space limitations, only 200 tickets are available. You do not want to miss this wonderful opportunity to enjoy an evening with friends while supporting the exciting new building expansion of the Ruby M. Sisson Memorial Library. Tickets are $50 each and may be purchased both online and at the library (cash or check only).
The evening will feature 17 dining tables designed by some of Pagosa’s most creative artists. Each fabulous table design will be based on a book theme and the entire contents will be auctioned to the highest bidder.
In advance of the event, you may go online to get a peek at the table designs and, for only $1, vote for your favorite tables. The table that wins the most votes by April 8 will receive the prestigious Pagosa Pulitzer Prize. You may vote, buy tickets, make donations, and learn more about the upcoming library expansion at pagosalibrary.org/library-foundation/campaign.
“This is such an exciting time for our public library,” says Lynne McCrudden, event coordinator. “You only have to look at the weekly library updates in our local media to realize the importance our library plays in the daily lives of our community.”
The Ruby M. Sisson Memorial Library is a community resource that offers free services to the young and old alike. The current building opened its doors in February of 1989 and underwent its first major expansion in 2005. As the needs and services of our ever-growing community evolve, the library now is preparing to expand its current building by 50% to 11,300 square feet. The addition will offer community meeting space, dedicated space for children’s literacy programs, a room exclusively for teens and tweens, private study rooms, an intergenerational hands-on learning space, easy access to self-checkout and drop off, and a beautiful outdoor reading garden.
Nearly $1.5 million dollars already have been raised towards this $4 million dollar project. The goal of the Library Affair is to bring the fundraising closer to its initial $2 million dollar goal so that construction can begin. The Library Affair is being underwritten by numerous generous sponsors so that the auction proceeds and other donations can go directly to the campaign.
The Library Affair offers a fun evening with friends, the opportunity to see and bid on the beautiful table settings designed by teams of local artists, and most importantly, the opportunity to enable the continued growth of our wonderful library. If you are unable to attend the event, please consider making a generous contribution in support of one of Pagosa Springs most valuable treasures, the Ruby M. Sisson Memorial Library.