With the busy summer season underway, we wanted to remind you that you can freeze, or suspend, your holds on books or other materials if you don’t have time for them now. The best part is you do not lose your place in line. When your hold is thawed, or released, you go right back in to the same place in your hold line; you do not go to the end of the line. To freeze your holds online, first log into your account. On the left side of the page, click on “Titles on Hold.” A list of all items you have on hold will appear. If they are not currently in transit, you can freeze the hold until you return from your travels or are ready to receive your hold again. To freeze your hold, click on the button that says “Freeze Hold.” Choose the date to thaw and resume the hold again, or leave the thaw date open-ended, and then click “Freeze Hold.” The freeze will begin immediately.
New traveling book club
We hope you will join us next Wednesday, August 20 from 5:30 – 7 p.m. at Centennial Park on the San Juan Riverwalk for a new traveling book club that will meet monthly at a different gathering spot in Pagosa. At this inaugural session we will discuss “Reading Colorado: A Literary Road Guide” by Peter Anderson.
Activities’ locations will change
Given that we will have much less space for our operations and no meeting rooms during construction, several of our regular activities and special events are happening in other locations. Please check the listings in this column and on your library’s website at https://pagosalibrary.org for location changes throughout the construction. If no other location is mentioned, the activity will stay at your library.
No more book donations, please
Regretfully, director Barb Brattin has made the decision to cease accepting book donations for a year beginning immediately. The reality of operating in a much smaller space while construction happens on the first phase of your library’s long-awaited expansion has made the action a necessity. During construction, the circulation desk remains in place with your dedicated, knowledgeable staff there to help you, but you’ll enter the building by a different route. Parking moves to a new lot west of the library, which you’ll enter off Highway 160.
LEGO play Saturday
Kids aged six-11 are invited to the free LEGO build on Saturday, August 16 from 11 a.m. – noon. Bring your own LEGOs or use ours.
Conversational Spanish
The Conversational Spanish group meets Monday, August 18 from 4-5 p.m. This is a great opportunity to practice your Spanish in a free group setting. No minimum skill level needed. This activity takes place at St. Patrick’s Episcoal Church at 225 South Pagosa during construction.
Music fun Monday
Pagosa Unplugged is free from 4-6 p.m. Monday, August 18 for amateur musicians of all abilities to play, sing and jam with other people. It will happen outside in the library courtyard as weather allows.
Adult DIY
At the free in-person adult DIY next Tuesday, August 19 from 1-2:30 p.m., we will learn the ancient craft of paper rolling. Join us as we explore how to make creative shapes with paper and use these creations to decorate cards, gifts or other items. All supplies provided. This event will happen outside in the library courtyard as weather allows.
Writers Guild
Thursdays from 9-11 a.m. the Ruby’s Writers Guild welcomes writers looking for support, guidance, resources and camaraderie with other writers at this free gathering. During construction the group will meet at the Senior Center, 451 Hot Springs Blvd. Enter through the left side of the building.
Family storytime
Wednesdays from 10-11 a.m. join a free educational hour of reading, singing and free play to build early literacy skills.
Tech Time
Free in-person slots are available from 2-4 p.m. on Thursdays. Taylor 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, but please bring your device’s charger and passwords with you.
ESL classes
Free in-person evening classes happen on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with 4-5 p.m. reserved for beginners, 5-6 p.m. for intermediate and 6-7 p.m. for advanced students. Please help us pass the word about these classes. During construction they take place at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, 225 S. Pagosa Street.
Clases de inglés
Clases gratis de inglés cada martes y jueves. Principiantes de 4-5 p.m., intermedios de 5-6 p.m. y advanzados de 6-7 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.
Downloadable books
CloudLibrary has a wide variety of downloadable e-books and audiobooks for all ages. To access this free digital collection, download the cloudLibrary app on our website, 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. Library staff are happy to help you set up your device if you need assistance.
Nonfiction
“Ordinary Time” by Annie B. Jones reflects on the pleasant life and lessons learned of a woman who spent her life in a small town. “The Let Them Theory” by Mel Robbins is a guide to reducing anxiety by stopping trying to manage the actions of others and focusing instead on your own thoughts and behaviors. “The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy” by James Patterson and Vicky Ward is a true crime account of the murders of four University of Idaho college students by a grad student in 2022.
Novels
“Blonde Dust” by Tatiana de Rosnay imagines a friendship between Marilyn Monroe and a young maid during the filming of “The Misfits.” “The Lilac People” by Milo Todd tells of a trans man surviving first the Nazis and then the Allies during World War II. “Six Days in Bombay” by Alka Joshi uses the life of “the Frida Kahlo of India” to craft a story about a renowned painter in the 1930s. “The Women on Platform Two” by Laura Anthony highlights the fight for women’s reproductive rights in 1970s Dublin where contraception is illegal. “The Heart in Winter” by Kevin Barry focuses on an illicit love affair in 1890s’ Butte, Montana among a hard-living crowd of Irish immigrant workers.
Books on CD
“An Inside Job” by Daniel Silva is the latest in the Gabriel Allon thriller series. “Killer on the Road” by Stephen Graham Jones is a serial killer story about a runaway 18-year-old and her friends. “The Dream Hotel” by Laila Lalami is a dystopian fantasy about one woman’s fight for freedom set in a near future world.
Large print
“Do Not Disturb” by Freida McFadden follows a woman running to avoid spending her life in prison. “Don’t Let Them In” by Lisa Jewell features a man who seems to good to be true. “Edge of Honor” by Brad Thor is the latest in the Scot Harvath adventure series featuring America’s top spy. “The Woman in Suite 11” by Ruth Ware takes place at a luxury Swiss hotel. “Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil” by V.E. Schwab follows the lives of three women in Santo Domingo in 1532, London in 1827 and Boston in 2019. “The Red Queen” by Martha Grimes is the latest in the Richard Jury mystery series.
Quotable Quote
“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I’ve learned, the hard way, that some poems don’t rhyme, and some stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what’s going to happen next. Delicious Ambiguity.” – Gilda Radner (1946-1989), actress and comedian who died of ovarian cancer. She was one of the seven original cast members of Saturday Night Live from 1975-1980 where she created characters including Rosannadanna and Baba Wawa
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.