The ever-popular free spring Lifelong Learning Lecture series will take place Thursday evenings starting April 18 through May 23 from 6 to 7:15 p.m. with six informative presentations:
• April 18 will feature Robin Young, the CSU Extension director, on “Water, Our Most Precious Resource,” discussing what we can do as individuals and a community to preserve what we have.
• April 25 will showcase Amy Nitchman from the Archuleta County Public Health Department talking about air quality in Colorado and ways to keep yourself informed of high pollution days during wildfire season.
• May 2 will be “Knowing Our Ancient Puebloan Neighbors,” a presentation by Denise Fisk and Joanne Lucariello from the Chimney Rock Interpretive Association.
• May 9 will feature Dallas Weaver telling us about his experience hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro from trailhead to the summit.
• May 16 will showcase Cindi Galabota, library foundation executive director, discussing your library’s building campaign.
• May 23 will be “North American Monsoon Outlook for Pagosa Springs,” a presentation by Arleen Prochazka of Pagosa Weather.
The lectures are free and no registration is required. For more details, pick up the Lifelong Learning Lecture brochure at your library.
Save the date
We hope you’ll join us to say a fond farewell to departing library director Meg Wempe on Wednesday, April 24, from 2 to 4 p.m. Snacks, activities and well wishes will be available.
Free tax forms
We have 1040 federal tax forms and instructions, as well as 0104 Colorado tax forms and instructions, available free while supplies last.
If you need other forms, we will pull them up online and print them out for you for free, but there is likely to be a charge for the instructions when they are long, multipage documents.
Activities calendars
Pick up monthly events calendars at the library so you don’t miss any of the free activities available to you and your family.
Virtual author talks
Our highly popular free online author talks continue with three opportunities in April for you to interact with New York Times bestselling authors and ask questions in April.
For details and to register, go to https://libraryc.org/pagosalibrary/upcoming.
On Wednesday, April 17, at 6 p.m. we’ll focus on a literary examination of power, love and art with Xochitl Gonzalez, author of “Anita de Monte Laughs Last.”
Knowledge Bowl today
Our free Knowledge Bowl for tweens and teens is today, Thursday, April 11, from 4 to 5 p.m. Test your trivia skills on a wide range of subjects.
Preschool playdough tomorrow
Join us for free playdough exploration and fun tomorrow, Friday, April 12, from 10 to 11 a.m.
LEGO Club Saturday
All ages, especially children, are invited to an extra session of the free LEGO Club on Friday, April 12, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Bring your own LEGOs or use ours.
Teen/tween murder
mystery tomorrow
Teens and tweens are invited to follow clues to solve the murder as a free session tomorrow, Friday, April 12, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Registration is required.
Chess Club Saturday
Learn how to play chess with free quick lessons and game time to practice your skills on Saturday, April 13, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. All ages and abilities are welcome.
Adult knitting Saturday
Join new and experienced knitters Saturday, April 13, for our free Knitters Circle from 1 to 3 p.m. 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.
Teen/tween art camp
Each month we explore a different style or medium at this free event. In April, it’s watercolor art. Join us Mondays, April 15, 22 and 29, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Registration is required.
Music fun Monday
Pagosa Unplugged is free from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday, April 15, for amateur musicians who would like a safe, supportive, non-bar setting to play, sing or both with other people. For information, contact Susan at (970) 946-3396.
Adult DIY next Tuesday
At the free in-person adult DIY next Tuesday, April 16, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., we will enjoy Zentangle, a simple art method that allows the mind and body to release stress while creating beautiful images. Registration is required.
Spanish conversation
Practice your Spanish in a free group setting on Tuesday, April 16, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. No minimum skill level is needed. This group meets twice a month, on the first and third Tuesdays.
Elementary tutoring sessions
Children ages 6-11 are welcome at these free sessions on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. where they will build essential skills in core subjects. Preregistration is required.
Family storytimes
Wednesdays from 10 to 11 a.m., join a free educational hour of reading, singing and free play to build early literacy skills.
Writers’ guild
Thursdays from 9 to 11 a.m., Ruby’s Writers Guild welcomes writers looking for opportunities, support, resources and camaraderie with other writers at this free gathering.
Dungeons and Dragons
Next Tuesday, April 18, from 4 to 5:30 p.m., join our Dungeons and Dragons game free for teens and young adults. Preregistration is required because space is limited. Contact Josie@pagosalibrary.org to join.
ESL classes
Free in-person evening classes take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with 4 to 5 p.m. reserved for beginners, 5 to 6 p.m. for intermediate and 6 to 7 p.m. for advanced students. Please help us share the word about these classes.
Tech Time
Free in-person slots are available from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and 2 to 4 p.m. Thursdays. Judy helps you 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 to 8 p.m. to help with high school equivalency, GED, college prep, financial aid, tutoring and more.
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, answer a few simple questions, select AspenCat Union Catalog for the name of your library, then enter your library card number and four-digit PIN. Library staff are happy to help you set up your device if you need assistance.
Spanish-language novel
“En Agosto Now Vemos” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is the rediscovered novel from the Nobel Prize-winning author that Time magazine called “one of the 15 most anticipated books of 2024.” It’s about a woman who leaves her family for one night each August to travel to an island where she takes a new lover each trip.
DVDs
“The Color Purple” received 11 Academy Award nominations. Disney’s “Wish” is an animated musical comedy.
Large print
“Good Half Gone” by Tarryn Fisher features a woman investigating her twin’s kidnapping. “Every Single Secret” by Christina Dodd is about revenge for the murder of a mother. “Rock Bottom” by Fern Michaels is part of the Sisterhood mystery series. “The Summer Book Club” by Susan Mallery deals with romance books and new beginnings. “The New Couple in 5B” by Lisa Unger begins with a major inheritance. “Murder in the Tea Leaves” by Laura Childs is a Tea Shop mystery. “The Lantern’s Dance” by Laurie R. King features Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes. “The Heat Will Kill You First” by Jeff Goodell explores the extreme ways our planet is already changing because of extreme heat.
Mysteries, thrillers and suspense
“Wolf at the Table” by Pulitzer Prize finalist Adam Rapp is a saga about a family harboring a serial killer. “Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter?” by Nicci French is a psychological suspense story set in a small English village. “Diavola” by Jennifer Thorne is a Gothic family vacation story set in a remote villa.
Books on CD
“Expiration Dates” by Rebecca Serle is a romance that begins with a blind date. “Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter?” by Nicci French is a psychological suspense story set in a small English village. “After Annie” by Anna Quindlan follows a family and friends after a woman’s death. “The Morningside” by Tea Obreht tells of a woman and her mother after they were expelled from their ancestral home.
Nonfiction
“Shakespeare’s Sisters” by Ramie Targoff explores the lives of four writers creating at a time when women were legally the property of men. “One Way Back” by Christine Blasey Ford is a memoir of the woman who testified about an alleged assault by a Supreme Court nominee. “The Anxious Generation” by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt explores the causes of teen mental illness and what to do to help drop the increasingly high rates.
Donation guidelines
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 drop box at City Market, please.
Here are the Friends’ new 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 to CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray, VHS or cassette tapes; textbooks, outdated travel books or reference books because they do not sell. No more than two boxes at a time because of space constraints.
Quotable quote
“Believe in yourself. Whenever someone tells you ‘no,’ and you know there’s a great reason to say ‘yes,’ listen to yourself.” — Patti Labelle, R&B singer and actress, known as “the godmother of soul.”
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.
