Beginning this week, you are welcome to pick up free pumpkins at your library to decorate for the pumpkin contest. One per family while supplies last. Bring your decorated entries to the library on October 30 from 9am to 6pm.
Fun prizes for the pumpkin contest winners of all ages will be awarded at a free Halloween party from 4-5pm October 31. Wear your costume and come share Halloween treats, spooky crafts and fun.
To get into the Halloween spirit, all ages are invited to a free Craftapalooza event tomorrow, Friday, October 25 from 2 – 3:30pm when you can makes some scary crafts.
Lifelong Learning Lectures continue
Our new free weekly Lifelong Learning Lecture fall series continues today with four more interesting presentations, all from 6 – 7:15 p.m. on Thursdays through November 14:
Today, October 24, Bill Trimarco from the Wildfire Adapted Partnership will share tips on how you can make your property fire safe by creating defensible space, planning evacuations and preparing well.
October 31 showcases Dayton Romero on Zoom discussing the many opportunities the Senior Planet social media platform offers you via their OATS (Older Adults Technology Services) program. Senior Planet is an AARP nonprofit offering many free classes for seniors.
November 7 Matt Huber from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center will explain the power of avalanches and give you practice advice on how you can have safe fun in the mountains during the winter.
Pick up a brochure at the library for more details on each of these presenters and their informative talks. No registration is required to attend.
Beginners basket weaving
A two-class adult beginners basket weaving class takes place tomorrow, Friday, October 25 and Saturday, October 26 from 9am – 2pm. Registration is required and the group is limited to six people. Cost is $10 to pay for all needed materials. Bring your lunch so you can keep learning while you eat.
Adult knitting Saturday
Join new and experienced knitters Saturday, October 26 for our free Knitters Circle from 1-3pm. It is aimed at anyone over the age of 18 who would like to knit together or get some help if you are stuck on your project.
Shakespeare read-aloud
Shakespeare fans of all ages are invited to join in reading aloud “Romeo and Juliet” Monday, October 28 from 3:30 – 5pm at the free Shakespeare Read Aloud Club. This is an all-ages program. Call Jenny at 240-426-7887 for more information.
Family storytimes
Wednesdays from 10-11am join a free educational hour of reading, singing and free play to build early literacy skills.
Writers Guild
Every Thursday from 9-11am the Ruby’s Writers Guild welcomes writers looking for opportunities, support, resources and camaraderie with other writers at this free gathering. The guild has published a new anthology, “Tales from the San Juans,” which the members say includes “life musings, creative short fiction, retrospectives, poetry, novellas and short observations — all inspired by the beauty that surrounds us.” The book is available at the library for $21.50, with net proceeds going to the library’s building campaign.
Tech Time
Free in-person slots are available from 10 a.m.-noon Tuesdays and 2-4 p.m. Thursdays. Judy 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 for these drop-in sessions, but please bring your device’s charger and passwords with you.
Pagosa Adult Learning Services (PALS)
Join Mark or Sally for free 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. PALS stands for Pagosa Adult Learning Services.
Activities calendars
Pick up monthly calendars at the library so you don’t miss any of the free programs, events and activities available to you and your family.
Large print
“When the Sea Came Alive” by Garrett M. Graff is an oral history of D-Day. “America’s Deadliest Election” by Dana Bash with David Fisher explores the election of 1872, which the authors call the most violent election in American history.
Nonfiction
“Budapest” is a Fodor’s Travel guide that also includes other highlights of Hungary. “Monument Man” by Harold Holzer documents the life and art of Daniel Chester French, one of America’s best-known sculptors of public monuments, including the Lincoln Memorial. “Autocracy, Inc.” by Anne Applebaum explores dictatorships from China to Russia to Iran and how they undermine democracies including the U.S.
DVDs
“Fire Country” season one and season two are on two separate discs. “The Garfield Movie” is an animated family film. “The Fabulous Four,” a comedy about three friends who travel to Key West to be bridesmaids to their best friend, stars Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler. Megan Mullally and Sheryl Lee Ralph. Three seasons featuring street-smart detective “Van Der Valk” are on three separate discs. “The Hunger Games” is a four-movie collection. “The Gilded Age” is the second season.
Mysteries, suspense and thrillers
“The Dark Wives” by Ann Cleeves is a mystery featuring DI Vera Stanhope. “Legacy of Blood” by Heather Graham is a Blackbird Files mystery set on a French vineyard. “Where They Last Saw Her” by Marcie R. Rendon features a Native American woman investigating women disappearing from a reservation in Minnesota. “Only the Dead” by Jack Carr features former SEAL James Reece investigating the death of a freshman Congressman.
Other novels
“In the Garden of Monsters” by Crystal King features Salvador Dali’s model in a blending of historical fiction, fantasy, mythology and horror. “The Wildes: a Novel in Five Acts” by Louis Bayard follows Oscar Wilde’s family dealing with his homosexuality. “Where I End” by Sophie White was described by a fellow writer as “perhaps the finest Irish horror novel of the 21st century.”
Books on CD
“By Any Other Name” by Jodi Picoult tells of a young female playwright whose work is submitted to a festival under a male pseudonym. “Joy” by Danielle Steel follows a man posted to Afghanistan and his young wife as they deal with the horrors of war. “Robert B. Parker’s Buzzkill” by Alison Gaylin is a mystery featuring PI Sunny Randall. “Counting Miracles” by Nicholas Sparks follows an Army Ranger setting out to find a father he never knew.
Donation guidelines
When we are open, materials donations are gratefully 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. Guidelines for donations: Yes to popular fiction books published in 2013 or later, nonfiction books published 2018 or later, and children’s and young adult books – all in excellent condition, please. No need for CDs, DVDs, Blu Ray, VHS or cassette tapes, textbooks, outdated travel books or reference books because they do not sell at Friends sales. No more than two boxes at a time because of space constraints, please.
Quotable Quote
“Know your circle of competence and stick within it. The size of that circle is not very important; knowing its boundaries, however, is vital.” – Warren Buffett, investor and philanthropist known as the Oracle of Omaha; with a net worth of $145 billion, he is one of the best known and most successful investors in the world.
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