One of the greatest gifts you can give your babies and toddlers is to sign them up for a free early literacy reading program called “1,000 Books before Kindergarten” for children from birth to five years old.
You can sign up any time at your library. You will receive a folder with bubbles to keep track of the books you read to your child. The concept is simple: Read 1,000 books to your newborn, infant or toddler – yes, you can repeat books – before your precious one starts kindergarten. You’ll get a free book each time your child completes 100 books.
One thousand may sound like a huge number of books, but it’s not really. If you read just one book a night, you will have read 365 books in a year. That is 730 books in two years and 1,095 books in three years. If you consider that most children start kindergarten at around five years of age, you have more time than you may think.
Legal clinic tomorrow
The free legal clinic this month is happening by appointment tomorrow, Friday, May 13 from 2 – 3 p.m. Please come into the library to meet privately via Zoom with our volunteer attorney who will answer your questions, show you legal documents and help you fill out the necessary forms. 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, or phone 970-264-2209 or stop by the library. The volunteer attorney’s time is limited so it’s first-come first-served. This clinic takes place on the second Friday of every month.
New StoryWalk next Monday
Our very popular StoryWalk has resumed at a new location. We are pleased to partner with the Town of Pagosa Springs to bring the StoryWalk to the River Walk downtown. It starts at the Community Center and heads north toward the green houses. The May 15-31 featured book is “Hike” by Pete Oswald.
LEGO Club on Saturday
Kids aged six and up are invited to bring your imaginations – LEGOs are provided – on Saturday, May 14 from 11 a.m. – noon for the free LEGO Club. LEGO challenges also are posted on Facebook if you can’t make it to the library.
Special family storytime
Wednesdays from 10-11 a.m. join us for free in-person children’s stories, games and plenty of reasons to get up and move. Special guests Lisa Baker and her friend Fluffy Dog will provide puppets, storytelling and silly fun on May 18.
Spanish conversation next Thursday
Next Thursday, May 19 from 6-7 p.m., we will gather in person at the library to practice speaking and listening skills together. There is no minimum skill level required to attend. You also can learn Spanish and many other languages using the Transparent Language Learning database available at https:pagosalibrary.org/online-resources/
Tech Time
Free in-person slots are available from 10 a.m.-noon Tuesdays and 2-4 p.m. Thursdays. Brad will help you resolve issues with your computer, smartphone, tablet and other electronic devices.
In-person gaming
Enjoy free all-ages video gaming on the X-box 360 Kinect on Fridays from 2:30 – 3:45pm.
Writing challenge
A new all-ages writing challenge was posted May 9 on the library’s Facebook page. We hope you will challenge your creativity by participating in this free all-ages activity.
Downloadable books
CloudLibrary has a wide variety of downloadable e-books and audiobooks for all ages. Accessing your library’s free digital collection has never been easier. You just need to 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 4-digit PIN. You are now ready to browse, borrow and read e-books and audiobooks using cloudLibrary. Library staff are happy to help you set up your device if you need assistance.
Large print
“Silver Grass” by John D. Nesbitt is a western set on a ranch in Wyoming. “Ralph Compton Blood on the Prairie” by Tony Healey is a western in the Gunfighter series. “A Family Affair” by Robyn Carr features a woman whose life falls apart when her husband dies. “A Safe House” by Stuart Woods is a Stone Barrington mystery. “Sister Stardust” by Jane Green follows a small-town English girl who moves to Morocco.
Mysteries and thrillers
“High Road” by Jeff Carson is the latest David Wolf mystery set in southwest Colorado. “Our American Friend” by Anna Pitoniak tells of a journalist writing the biography of a mysterious First Lady.
Other novels
“The House Between Earth and the Moon” by Rebecca Scherm is a futuristic sci-fi story set on a billionaire-funded space station to deal with climate change on earth. “Wildcat” by Amelia Morris features a woman’s journey through motherhood and female friendship. “Take My Hand” by Dolen Perkins-Valdez is the story of a young Black nurse’s quest for justice in post-segregation Alabama.
Nonfiction
“Rewilding” by Paul Jepson and Cain Blythe describes this new approach to restoring ecosystems. “Bigger Than Tiny” by Sheri Koones is an illustrated guide to building smaller environmentally friendly homes. “The Beauty of Dusk” by Frank Bruni tells of the author’s recovery from a stroke that affected his eyesight. “The Palace Papers” by longtime British royals watcher Tina Brown covers the lives of Queen Elizabeth and her family over the last 25 years.
Spanish-language books
“Amor y Respecto” (“Love & Respect”) by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs is a faith-centered, self-help book with advice on how spouses can deal with conflict quickly, easily and biblically. “El Hotel de Cristal” (“The Glass Hotel”) by Emily St. John Mandel is a novel set at the intersection of two seemingly disparate events – the exposure of a massive criminal enterprise and the disappearance of a woman at sea.
DVDs
“Spider-Man No Way Home” reveals the hero’s identity for the first time. “Death on the Nile” is the new film version of the classic Agatha Christie novel. “Cyrano” also is the new film version of the classic novel “Cyrano de Bergerac.”
Books on CD
“One of Us is Dead” by Jeneva Rose is a thriller set in Atlanta. “City on Fire” by Don Winslow is the first book in a new trilogy about two criminal empires at war. “Death of the Black Widow” by James Patterson and J.D. Parker follows a woman who escaped from police custody. “Dream Town” by David Baldacci is an Aloysious Aracher thriller.
Library foundation
Please consider a tax-deductible donation to the Ruby M. Sisson Memorial Library Foundation. To respond to the evolving needs of our community, we are now working on a $4 million project to expand our building so that we can provide private study rooms, an intergenerational hands-on learning space, easy access to self-checkout and drop-off, a beautiful outdoor reading garden and an endowment for the future. Mail checks to P.O. Box 2045, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 or call Cindi Galabota at 970-264-2209.
Quotable Quote
“Youthfulness is connected to the ability to see things new for the first time. So if your eyes still look at life with wonder, then you will seem young, even though you may not be chronologically young.” – Goldie Hawn, actress, dancer, producer and singer.
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.
The Ruby Sisson Memorial Library has been located at 811 San Juan Street (corner of S. 8th and Hwy 160) since 1989. The library is overseen by the Upper San Juan Library District, a tax-funded special district in Archuleta County.