The hugely popular three-day Friends of the Library book sale happens next week at the Community United Methodist Church located downtown at 434 Lewis St.
You can take advantage of great bargains on books of all genres for all ages while helping the Friends raise money for your library’s programs and operations.
Thursday, July 17 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. is the members-only early shopping opportunity — and if you are not a member, you’re welcome to join at the door. Annual memberships are $15 per person or $25 per family. Lifetime memberships are $150 per person.
Friday, July 18, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday, July 19, from 9 a.m. to noon the book sale is open to the public.
Special birds event for kids
Next Thursday, July 17 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Keith Bruno from the Audubon Society’s Community Naturalist Program will share lots of fun facts about local birds, including their camouflage coloring, at a free event for children.
Library closure
We will close Aug. 4-9 to keep you safe as construction begins on our expansion project.
At that time we will be constructing a new entrance and walkway from the new parking lot to the west and also building a temporary wall to separate our inside service area from construction activity.
We will welcome you back to our temporarily much reduced library space on Aug. 11.
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.
Library staff are deep into planning to minimize disruption to programs and patrons during construction. Digging up the current parking lot will be the first step, signaling the start of the project on Aug. 4, which is expected to continue through June 2026.
Initial construction involves creating a new entrance to the library on the west side of the building where you’ll enter through the community garden.
The new addition will feature a large program room that can accommodate 100 people or be divided in two for smaller groups, as well as a children’s room and an adjacent children’s garden.
Eagerly awaited improvements like these will happen only with some temporary dislocation to library operations as construction proceeds, according to Brattin.
“But, the good news is that we are staying in the building during construction,” she said.
The circulation desk will remain in place with your dedicated, knowledgeable staff there to help you, but you’ll enter the building by a different route. Parking will move to a new lot west of the library, on property donated by Margaret and Jim Wilson, which you’ll enter off U.S. 160.
You’ll have the same copy, fax and print services available, but fewer computers and no meeting rooms during construction.
Children’s programs will move temporarily to the Turner Reading Room, and the Hershey and Chimney Rock Collections will go into storage to make this happen. Inside bathrooms cannot be accessed, so porta-potties will have to do.
Brattin said that she and her team are looking for space elsewhere in the community to temporarily house programs like after-school tutoring, adult crafts and book clubs.
“We’re determined to keep disruptions to a minimum as construction proceeds over the next two years,” Brattin said. “We’re excited because we know the end result will make the temporary interruptions more than worthwhile as the new building will provide so many of the facilities our patrons have requested for a very long time.”
Brattin pointed out that the expansion is totally paid for by private donations and grants — not taxpayer money — that has raised $4.2 million.
As an example, she cited a $840,000 grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. Fundraising continues for upgrades to the existing building.
“All of us on staff are already dreaming of the new and improved programs and services we’ll be able to offer when the construction is complete,” she said.
Free musical fun
Tomorrow, Friday, July 11, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., a local musician, Kim, will play her favorite instruments — bass, violin or viola. Patrons will use tambourines, shakers and bells to accompany Kim and her songs.
Adult knitting and
needlework
Join new and experienced knitters Saturday, July 12, 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. Any type of needleworker is welcome.
Adult DIY
At the free in-person adult DIY next Tuesday, July 15, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., we will learn about calligraphy, the art of beautifully stylized hand writing. All supplies will be provided.
Reading rewards
Pick up your free Summer Reading Program bingo sheets every week at the library through Aug. 1. Then, complete activities to earn rewards throughout the summer and a chance to win a grand prize. There will be awards for different age groups: infants and preschool, youth aged 5-11, tweens and teens, and adults.
Watch for details with dates and times of Summer Reading events and activities in future “Library News” columns throughout the summer. And, pick up the Summer Reading Program flyer at the library so you don’t miss any of the free programs, events and activities available to you and your family.
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.
Short stories
“The History of Sound” by Ben Shattuck is a collection of 12 interconnected stories set in New England set across three centuries.
Books on CD
“Ride the Moon Down” by Terry C. Johnston is book seven in the Titus Bass western series. “The Wager” by David Grann is a nonfiction tale of shipwreck, mutiny and murder off the coast of South America. “Cold Dead Cash” by William W. and J.A. Johnstone is a Shotgun Johnny western. “The Love Haters” by Katherine Center is a complicated romance set in Key West. “Bad Lands” by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child tells of an archaeologist and FBI agent investigating bizarre deaths in the New Mexico badlands. “The First Gentleman” by Bill Clinton and James Patterson features a president up for reelection and her husband on trial for murder.
Mysteries and thrillers
“Silent Are the Dead” by D.M. Rowell features a Kiowa woman facing threats to her tribe and identity. “Bad Lands” by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child tells of an archaeologist and FBI agent investigating bizarre deaths in the New Mexico badlands. “Broken Fields” by Marcie R. Rendon explores American Indian life in Northern Minnesota. “Anita de Monte Laughs Last” by Xochitl Gonzalez is about an art history student who becomes fascinated by the death of an artist now forgotten. “Hidden Nature” by Nora Roberts is a mystery featuring police officer Sloan Cooper and her partner.
Other novels
“Zeal” by Morgan Jerkins is a multigenerational epic about Black star-crossed lovers and their families. “Heart Be At Peace” by Donal Ryan is a story of a small town in Ireland told in 21 voices. “Dream Count” by Ngozi Adichie focuses on four Nigerian women whose lives interconnect. “A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara explores the relationships of four male classmates who move from a small town to New York City. “Colton Gray” by William W. and J.A. Johnstone is a new western series about a brazen young deputy marshal.
“We Used To Live Here” by Marcus Kliewer follows the chaos when former homeowners unexpectedly visit. “The Shop Down the Lane” by Leslie Gould is an Amish romance. “Happy Land” by Dolen Perkins-Valdez is a multigenerational story set in the hills of Appalachia. “Fireweed” by Lauren Haddad explores race, class and gender in rural communities. “Junie” by Erin Crosby Eckstein tells of a young girl facing a life-altering decision as the Civil War looms. “When the Harvest Comes” by Denne Michele Norris explores a complicated love between father and son.
Large print
“Return to Sender” in Craig Johnson is a Longmire adventure. “Hidden Nature” by Nora Roberts is a mystery featuring police officer Sloan Cooper and her partner. “Don’t Forget Me, Little Bessie” by James Lee Burke focuses on a woman who accidentally killed a man to defend her father. “The River is Waiting” by Wally Lamb tells of a prisoner who begins to transcend the boundaries of his confinement. “Stuart Woods Finders Keepers” by Brett Battles is a Stone Barrington adventure.
“Never Flinch” by Stephen King is a psychological thriller. “The Doorman” by Chris Pavone tells of life inside a famous apartment building in New York City. “We Live Here Now” by Sarah Pinborough deals with bizarre events in a beautiful country house. “Tom Clancy Line of Demarcation” is a Jack Ryan adventure. “Going Home in the Dark” by Dean Koontz is a psychological thriller.
DVDs
“Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning” stars Tom Cruise. “Tom Cruise Mission: Impossible” is a six-movie collection. “Agatha Raisin” is series three of this British mystery series. “Talk to Me” is a supernatural movie. “Bugs That Rule the World” is a PBS documentary.
Nonfiction
“The Holy Bible King James version” is a beautifully designed edition. “Bright From The Start” by Jill Stamm is a science-based way to nurture your child’s developing mind from birth to age 3. “Strategic Responsiveness: How Congress Confronts Presidential Power” by Scott H. Ainsworth, Brian M. Harward and Kenneth W. Moffett explores the separation of powers system of government. “The Many Loves of Mama Love” by Lara Love Hardin is a memoir of a woman who went from wealthy soccer mom to the jailhouse.
Quotable quote
“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone else planted a tree a long time ago.” — Warren Buffet, American investor and philanthropist who is CEO and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway in Omaha, Neb. He is considered one of the most successful investors of the 20th and 21st centuries.
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.
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