By Barbara Brattin, Library Director
When I was in first grade, I had a remarkable teacher who believed in the importance of reading so much that she built a small library in the back of our classroom when the school library closed. With some plywood and a collection of paperbacks from her personal collection, she provided her students with their own little library where we could borrow books to read in our free time. Then she assigned the curious kid who always seemed to have her nose in a book to keep it organized. Thus began my long career in libraries.
Needless to say, I have never forgotten Rita Thrasher and her incredible influence on me. So it was an easy choice for me to honor her memory with a gift to Ruby Sisson Library Foundation’s 100 Extraordinary Women campaign in support of our library expansion. Each $1,000 gift made to the campaign places one honoree’s name on our donor wall for the whole community to see for generations to come. Anyone can participate- Gifts can be paid in full or promised over time for as little as $18 per month.
I know each of you have your own story to share about an extraordinary woman who believed in you, nurtured you, or simply inspired you. In true Pagosa fashion, the library’s 100 Extraordinary Women campaign to fund the new library has exceeded expectations. Over 225 people have donated to honor an extraordinary woman in their life by adding their name to the donor wall planned for our new library addition. Please consider doing the same. The campaign ends on October 31st and we’re aiming high. Won’t you join us at the summit?
Get started at https://www.pagosalibrary.org/donate-to-the-library-foundation
New Teen Advisory Group
We’re excited to revive our teen advisory group (TAG) under the capable leadership of Judy. Teens can get together and talk, snack, do crafts, and provide us with suggestions on how the library can best serve young people. Stay tuned for details on our new grant award to fund teen dialogue sessions. Our next TAG meeting takes place at the library on October 28 from 4-5pm. All teens are welcome.
New York Times Sunday Edition Now Available in Print
Come spread out with the NYT Sunday edition, then indulge in the NYT Magazine and shop your next great read via the NYT Book Review. Weekly editions arrive on Wednesday afternoons through the U.S. Mail. Need more time? Check out last week’s paper and enjoy it at home.
Don’t forget your library card gives you access to the daily edition of the New York Times through our digital library.
Construction update
We’re going vertical! The steel is starting to go up and framing begins in a few weeks. Barring any more natural disasters, we will have a roof on the new addition by Thanksgiving. May the sun shine until then!
Online author talks
Our free online author talks with New York Times bestselling authors continue in October with one more talk this month for you to watch live on Zoom or via a recording later this month. For details and to register go to https://libraryc.org/pagosalibrary/upcoming.
Wednesday, October 29 at noon we’ll interact with Philippa Gregory, historical fiction author, on “Courtly Intrigue and Whispers as Weapons.”
Conversational Spanish
The Conversational Spanish group will meet Monday, October 27 from 4-5 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church at 225 South Pagosa. This is a great opportunity to practice your Spanish in a free group setting. No minimum skill level needed.
Adult book club
Ruby’s Book Club meets from 2-3 p.m. on Tuesday, November 11 to discuss “Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune” by Anderson Cooper. Copies are available at your library. This free adult book club is held the second Tuesday of each month, alternating between fiction and nonfiction titles. Anyone is welcome to attend. During construction it takes place at the new Harman Park Transit Center, 83 Harman Park Drive, next to the Sheriff’s Office.
Elementary school tutoring
Free after-school tutoring for grades one-three takes place on Wednesdays from 3:30 – 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.
ESL classes
Free in-person evening classes happen on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 4-5pm for students of all levels at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, 225 S. Pagosa Street. Please help us pass the word about these classes.
Clases de inglés
Clases gratis de inglés cada martes y Jueves de 4-5 p.m. Ayudenos a informar a todos quienes necesitan aprender inglés. Durante el plazo de la nueva construcción en la biblioteca, las clases se llevarán a cabo en St. Patrick ‘s Episcopal Church, 225 S. Pagosa Street.
Pagosa Adult Learning Services (PALS)
Join Mark or Sally for free individualized PALS sessions Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 – 8 p.m. to help with high school equivalency, GED, college prep, financial aid, tutoring and more. No appointment necessary.
New in Large Print
Elizabeth Gilbert’s All the Way to the River; Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer; Dark Horse by Felix Francis; In the Time of Five Pumpkins by Alexander McCall Smith, Grave Artist by Jeffrey Deaver; A Slowly Dying Cause by Elizabeth George.
New Nonfiction
The Last Lions by Don Pinnock, Kids These Days: Understanding and Supporting Mental Health by Will Dobud, Ph.D; Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy, by Mary Roach; We The People: A History of the U.S. Constitution by Jill Lepore; When Everyone Knows that Everyone Knows by Steven Pinkner.
Other novels
Clive Cussler’s The Iron Storm, Listen for the Life by Amy Tinter; World Pacific by Peter Mann
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.