Rhino conservation expert James Mwenda will speak next Wednesday, March 29 from 4:40-5:30pm about his rhino unit at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in central Kenya. He and his team provide care and protection for the last northern white rhinos in existence on the planet. A 2018 recipient of the African Ranger of the Year award, Mwenda has become a global ambassador for conservation and the realities of extinction.
Our expert speaker was featured in “Kifaru,” a documentary film about the Ol Pejeta Conservancy work that has won many awards including the grand jury prize and audience award at the Sundance Film Festival in 2019.
Ski and snowboard maintenance clinic
As we approach the end of another wonderful ski and snowboard season, outdoor enthusiasts will want to note next Thursday March 30 from 6-7pm for a ski and snowboard maintenance clinic presented by Justin from the Alpen Haus. He will cover tips on maintaining your alpine and Nordic ski and snowboard equipment including storing, troubleshooting and care.
Help, please! Re chess sets
On April 8 we will launch a new intergenerational chess club, and to help make it a success we are collecting chess game donations. Our preference is for complete sets in good shape, with both the board and the pieces. If you have a chess set you are no longer using, please donate it to the library.
Events calendar
To be sure you don’t miss any of the free library activities available to you and your family, pick up a copy of the events calendar each month. Its streamlined format combines all the activities and events for children, teens and adults on one handy two-sided page.
Library fundraiser coming soon
Saturday, April 15 is the second annual gala Library Affair fundraiser for our building campaign to expand and renovate your library. This elegant event will happen at 6 p.m. at the Pagosa Springs Center for the Arts and feature an auction of different table settings designed by some of Pagosa’s most creative artists. Book themes for the tables range from delightful children’s stories such as “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” to adult classics like “The Great Gatsby.” Food will be courtesy of Todd Stevens and the Pagosa Springs High School culinary class with acoustic guitar music by Steve Blechschmidt. Tickets are $50 each, on sale now at the library and online.
Final spring break events
Our free spring break event at 1pm today, Thursday, March 23, is bingo. Tomorrow, Friday, is a two-hour session from 1-3pm because we’ll be showing the movie The Mitchells vs. the Machines rated PG and providing free popcorn.
Knowledge Bowl
Our free middle school Knowledge Bowl takes place next Thursday, March 30 from 4-5pm for tweens and teens. 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. Knowledge Bowl runs every second and fourth Thursday for the remainder of the school year. It is open to students in grades four–eight, or ages 11-14. No registration required.
Homework and tutoring help
Our highly popular free homework assistance and elementary tutoring are available for K-fourth grades on Wednesdays from 3:30-4:30 p.m. There is a registration packet for parents and guardians to fill out to enroll your child that you can get by emailing the library or coming in. This program has been a big hit because it helps build essential skills in core subjects. You still can register your child but you may be put on a waitlist.
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.
PALS/GED adult education
Mark is available for his free PALS sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 – 8 p.m. to help with high school equivalency, GED, college prep, financial aid, tutoring and more. No registration required.
Downloadable books
CloudLibrary has a wide variety of downloadable e-books and audiobooks for all ages and accessing this free digital collection is very easy. 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.
Local short stories
“Silverton Stories” by Cynthia Chertos is a collection of 14 short stories about life in this San Juans mountain town from the 1880s to the 2010s.
Nonfiction
“The Curse of the Marquis de Sade” by Joel Warner tells how a notorious novel became an historic scam. “Always Ireland” by Jack Kavanagh is a travel guide by a local illustrated with National Geographic photographs. “Gender Queer” written and illustrated by Maia Kobabe is a memoir of her journey exploring gender identity from adolescence to adulthood.
Large print
“All the Dangerous Things” by Stacy Willingham tells of a woman trying to find her kidnapped baby. “The Mitford Affair” by Marie Benedict follows two sisters as the Nazis rise to power in Germany. “Hell Bent” by Leigh Bardugo is book two in the Alex Stern dark fantasy series. “Steeped in Secrets” by Lauren Elliott is book one in the new Crystals & CuriosiTEAS mystery series set in a tea and psychic shop.
Thrillers and mysteries
“Cartographers” by Peng Shepherd focuses on a rare map that’s causing murder and mayhem. “It’s One of Us” by J.T. Ellison follows a couple dealing with news that the husband’s sperm-donated son may be a killer. “The Dangerous One” by Lori Foster is book one in the new Osborne Brothers mystery romance series.
Donations
We are grateful to Sandy Kobrock and Mark Mueller for their generous monetary contributions, and to Joanne Ferko 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 dropbox at City Market, please. The Friends take fiction published in 2013 or newer and nonfiction that is 2018 or newer. Limited workroom space means we can only accept one or two small boxes at a time.
Quotable Quote
“Life is change. Growth is optional. Choose wisely.” — Karen Kaiser Clark, author of three bestselling books on growing through change.
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.