When I was in first grade, I had a remarkable teacher who believed in the importance of reading so much that she built a small library in the back of our classroom when the school library closed.
With some plywood and a collection of paperbacks from her personal collection, she provided her students with their own little library where we could borrow books to read in our free time. Then she assigned the curious kid who always seemed to have her nose in a book to keep it organized. Thus began my long career in libraries.
Needless to say, I have never forgotten Rita Thrasher and her incredible influence on me. So it was an easy choice for me to honor her memory with a gift to Ruby Sisson Library Foundation’s 100 Extraordinary Women campaign in support of our library expansion.
Each $1,000 gift made to the campaign places one honoree’s name on our donor wall for the whole community to see for generations to come. Anyone can participate. Gifts can be paid in full or promised over time for as little as $18 per month.
I know each of you have your own story to share about an extraordinary woman who believed in you, nurtured you or simply inspired you.
In true Pagosa fashion, the library’s 100 Extraordinary Women campaign to fund the new library has exceeded expectations. More than 225 people have donated to honor an extraordinary woman in their life by adding their name to the donor wall planned for our new library addition. Please consider doing the same. The campaign ends on Oct. 31 and we’re aiming high. Won’t you join us at the summit?
Get started at https://www.pagosalibrary.org/donate-to-the-library-foundation.
New teen advisory group
We’re excited to revive our teen advisory group (TAG) under the capable leadership of Judy.
Teens can get together and talk, snack, do crafts and provide us with suggestions on how the library can best serve young people.
Stay tuned for details on our new grant award to fund teen dialogue sessions. Our next TAG meeting takes place at the library on Oct. 28 from 4 to 5 p.m. All teens are welcome.
Notary public services, legal counsel available by appointment
Ruby Sisson Library provides access to many services you might not know about. We have a notary public on staff, and we offer virtual appointments with attorneys by appointment. Our tech-savvy staff will sit down with you for technical instruction on your device or get you started using our e-books. Give us a call to reserve a time with experts.
New York Times Sunday edition now available in print
Come spread out with the New York Times (NYT) Sunday edition, then indulge in the NYT Magazine and shop your next great read via the NYT Book Review. Weekly editions arrive on Wednesday afternoons through the U.S. mail. Need more time? Check out last week’s paper and enjoy it at home.
Don’t forget, your library card gives you access to the daily edition of the New York Times through our digital library.
Construction update
We’re going vertical. The steel is starting to go up and framing begins in a few weeks. Barring any more natural disasters, we will have a roof on the new addition by Thanksgiving. May the sun shine until then.
Activity locations
Now that we 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, https://pagosalibrary.org, for location changes throughout the construction. If no other location is mentioned, the activity will stay at your library.
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.
Conversational Spanish
The Conversational Spanish group will meet Monday, Oct. 27, from 4 to 5 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church at 225 S. Pagosa Blvd. This is a great opportunity to practice your Spanish in a free group setting. No minimum skill level is needed.
Ruby’s Book Club
Ruby’s Book Club will meet from 2 to 3 p.m. on Nov. 11 to discuss “Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune” by Anderson Cooper. Copies are available at your library.
This free book club for adults is held the second Tuesday of each month, alternating between fiction and nonfiction titles. Anyone is welcome to attend.
During construction, it is taking place at the new Harman Park Transit Center, 83 Harman Park Drive, next to the Archuleta County Sheriff’s Office.
Family storytime
Wednesdays from 10 to 11 a.m., join a free educational hour of reading, singing and free play to build early literacy skills.
Elementary school tutoring
Free after-school tutoring for kids in first through third grade takes place on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Registration is required because of limited space, so call your library now at (970) 264-2209 to enroll your child.
This invaluable tutoring involves one-on-one and small-group help for math, literacy, writing and spelling.
Note that because of construction at the library these sessions will take place at the elementary school.
Writers Guild
Thursdays from 9 to 11 a.m., 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 Pagosa Senior Center, 451 Hot Springs Blvd. Enter through the left side of the building.
Tech Time
Free in-person slots are available from 2 to 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.
English as a second language classes
Free in-person evening classes happen on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 5 p.m. for students of all levels at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church, 225 S. Pagosa Blvd. Please help us pass the word about these classes.
Pagosa Adult Learning Services (PALS)
Join Mark or Sally for free individualized 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. No appointment is necessary.
New to collection
Readers are invited to place a hold on any of these new titles in advance of their availability. A full list of new titles as well as reading recommendations can be found under the Quick Links section of our website, www.pagosalibrary.org.
New in large print
Elizabeth Gilbert’s “All the Way to the River,” “Assistant to the Villain” by Hannah Nicole Maehrer, “Dark Horse” by Felix Francis, “In the Time of Five Pumpkins” by Alexander McCall Smith, “Grave Artist” by Jeffrey Deaver and “A Slowly Dying Cause” by Elizabeth George.
New nonfiction
“The Last Lions” by Don Pinnock; “Kids These Days: Understanding and Supporting Mental Health” by Will Dobud, Ph.D; “Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy” by Mary Roach; “We The People: A History of the U.S. Constitution” by Jill Lepore; “Chasing Evil: Shocking Crimes, Supernatural Forces, and an FBI Agent’s Search for Hope and Justice”; “When Everyone Knows that Everyone Knows” by Steven Pinkner; “Super Natural: How Life Thrives in Impossible Places” by Alex Riley; “McNamara at War: A New History by Philip Taubman”; “Tomorrow is Yesterday: Life, Death and the Pursuit of Peace in Israel/Palestine” by Hussein Agha; and “Tame Your Thoughts: Three Tools to Renew Your Mind and Transform Your Life” by Max Lucado.
Other novels
Clive Cussler’s “The Iron Storm,” “Listen for the Life” by Amy Tinter and “World Pacific” by Peter Mann.
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 pagosalibrary.org.
