Do you remember the day you graduated high school? For me, it felt like a whole world of possibilities lay before me. I could do anything and be anything with my new found freedom. It was a magical time and I couldn’t wait to get started.
Since we opened our beautiful new library, I have that same feeling.With all these new spaces, what can we do here? Events? Programs? Collections? What else? There are so many choices. Sure, we could plan out the next three years behind closed doors and let you know what we decide. But this is your library. So we want you to join our planning team.
November 9-11 we will hold small focus groups throughout the day to collect your feedback. We will pose three main questions: What are the challenges of living in Pagosa? How does the library make your life better? What can the library improve?
We expect a rich conversation. And we expect wonderful, unexpected answers.
So dream big, Pagosa. We have just graduated into a big, bright building full of possibilities. Help us imagine the future!
Public Comment Period Open on 2027 Budget
If you’re interested in seeing where our income comes from and how we spend the funds, now is the time for public comments on our 2027 budget proposal. You can view a copy of the proposed budget on our website at www.pagosalibrary.org. From now until November 18th, you can submit your comments to director@pagosalibrary.org. A budget hearing will take place on November 18th at the library, at which time the Library Board will hold an open forum for your feedback before finalizing the budget.
Volunteer Opportunities in Our Adult Education Programs
GED ProgramAre you interested in becoming a volunteer tutor to help members of our community get their GED? Are you a retired teacher? Are you an expert in Math, Science, Language Arts or History who wants to make a difference and has some extra time to give? The library is looking for tutors to work with students one-on-one for a few hours a week to help us keep our Adult Education GED program thriving. If you are interested in becoming a tutor for the GED program; or are a student seeking tutoring; please email our Adult Basic Education Coordinator, Nicole at esl@pagosalibrary.org. No experience required; training and supervision provided.
Intercambio/English as a Second Language (ESL)
If you are someone who enjoys cultural exchanges, or are looking to brush up on your Spanish, think about joining our new Intercambio program at the Library. Intercambio connects volunteers with adult English language learners through relationship-based one-on-one classes. Our English as a Second Language (ESL) curriculum requires no prior teaching or second language experience. Just a positive attitude and a little extra time in your week. Our curriculum, training, and ongoing support make teaching easy, enjoyable, and impactful.
If you are interested in learning more about our Adult Basic Education classes, either as a volunteer tutor, or a student, please email our Adult Basic Education Coordinator, Nicole at esl@pagosalibrary.org.
New Meeting Rooms Ready to Reserve
Your new library offers one large community room that can be divided into two smaller rooms. We also have two new study rooms. If you would like to reserve a room, give us a call. Our website will soon offer you the option to reserve meeting rooms on your own. Stay tuned.
New Craft and Hobby Database Marks Makerspace Opening
To celebrate the opening of our new makerspace, we are launching a new database called Craft and Hobby. Packed with videos for all ages teaching skills like sewing, woodworking, gardening, and outdoor photography, Craft and Hobby is available free with your library card online from home or on the go. We are planning lots of hands-on activities in the new makerspace and will be using Craft and Hobby to provide instruction for participants. Take a look at their extensive catalog of instructional video at https://www.pagosalibrary.org/how-to
Radon Detectors Available for Checkout
The Colorado State library recently partnered with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to provide a limited number of radon detectors to libraries for circulation. Ruby Sisson Library has two units available to check out with a library card for a three-week loan. Instructions are included in the kit. Reserve one through the library catalog or ask at the front desk.
Activities calendars
Pick up monthly calendars at the library or check the website at https://www.pagosalibrary.org/events-calendar so you don’t miss any of the free programs, events and activities available to you and your family.
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.
New Fall Titles Ready for Checkout
The publishing season has two peaks: spring and fall. This fall, lots of new biographies are hitting the shelves just in time for the holidays.
Actor Michael Douglas pens an autobiography, “One Helluva Ride” (large print) and shares his unfiltered life story, from his complex relationship with father Kirk Douglas to winning Oscars, battling addiction, and finding true love.
“Brady: An American Story and the Price of Greatness” is a biography of NFL quarterback Tom Brady written by former Sports Illustrated journalist Lars Anderson.
“Cormac McCarthy: A Legacy Revisited” is a biography of the late Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist Cormac McCarthy, written by Tracy Daugherty.
“Alexander: God, King, Man” by Edmund Richardson describes Alexander the Great’s journey from an overlooked youth to a godlike military genius who died heartbroken.
“The Rolling Stones: The Biography by Bob Spitz” (large print) explores the fractious, codependent bond between Mick Jagger and Keith Richards after sixty years of groundbreaking music.
New in Large Print
“Probable Caws” by Donna Andrews is the 39th installment in her Meg Langslow cozy mystery series. Meg investigates a murder at a castle-turned-horse-rescue where a thug was killed after threatening rescued horses.
“Until Midnight” is the latest psychological thriller from Luanne Rice. A perfect wedding is disrupted when a woman claims to share a child with the groom. After she’s found murdered, dark secrets about a mansion and a secret society emerge.
“A Murder in Springtime” by Martin Walker is the 19th novel in the Bruno, Chief of Police mystery series. A newly arrived nursing home employee and lodger is found brutally murdered on the back patio of Pamela, the long-time neighbor and friend of Chief of Police Bruno Courrèges.
“Hard Country” edited by Don Money, Reavis Wortham, and Rachel Santino, is a two-volume Western and crime fiction anthology set (alongside its companion volume Rough Country) featuring stories from top authors in the genre.
New Fiction
Just in time for Halloween, gothic horror novel “Solace House” by Will Maclean hits the shelf. University students clearing out a Victorian mansion discover the eerie journals of former owner Edwin Flayne, a man obsessed with a parallel realm.
“Gilded Mountain” by Kate Manning, is set in 1907 mining town Marble, Colorado. Sylvie Pelletier works at a manor house and confronts injustice when she discovers the marble mining company’s unfair labor practices.
Gothic thriller “The Children” by Melissa Albert is “a twisting narrative of family secrets and long-held resentments, which asks whether we can ever really exorcise the ghosts of a childhood forsaken in favour of a parent’s artistic vision.”
New Nonfiction
“All We Say: The Battle for American Identity” by Ben Rhodes explains our common past through 15 key speeches.
“You are the Parent” by Dr. Siggie Cohen encourages parents to “move from overparenting to balanced parenting and become the leader your child needs.”
Hate holiday parties? They might be a lot more interesting after reading “How to Read the Room: The Art and Science of Social Observation” by Pamela Meyer. Learn how to interpret social cues, identify motives and power dynamics, recognize emotional shifts, and distinguish genuine from superficial agreement.
For a full list of new titles and to reserve your copy, go to www.pagosalibrary.org and choose Search the Catalog at the top of the screen. Don’t forget, if there is a waiting list for the book, it may be available now in eBook or eAudiobook on Hoopla or Libby.
Need help? Just ask! We love talking about books.
Barbara Brattin is honored to lead the Ruby M. Sisson Memorial Library through this exciting time in its history. When she's not at the library, she's hiking with her Anatolian Shepherd Gigi and Rez dog Vic, traveling the world, visiting her grandchildren, or... you guessed it... reading !