We’ve hired an additional children’s librarian, and that means we have a whole lot more fun in store for our young visitors.
New programs in May include a storytime just for babies, Preschool Pasta Art and Super Mario Bingo. Old favorites like Wednesday storytimes for all ages with Miss Sherry and Saturday LEGO Play continue, but get an enhancement with added movement and themed LEGO challenges.
After-school tutoring at the elementary school continues weekly on Wednesdays, and our therapy dog visits happen twice in May. Join Miss Sherry and Miss Saira as they delight and entertain you.
Here’s the full schedule:
• Baby Storytime (ages 0-2): You and your baby are invited to join us for a morning of stories, songs and giggles. Stay and play after storytime, connecting with fellow caregivers. Fridays, May 8 and 22, from 10 to 11 a.m.
• Family Storytime (all ages): Join us for an educational hour of reading, singing and free play, building early literacy skills together. Wednesdays from 10 to 11 a.m.
• LEGO Play (ages 6-11): Bring your own or use our LEGOs to free build. Each session will have a guided theme. Saturday, May 16, from 11 a.m. to noon.
• Preschool Pasta Art (ages 3-5): Make necklaces out of uncooked pasta. Tuesday, May 12, from 4 to 5 p.m.
• Super Mario Bingo (grades 1-5): Play bingo with the characters from the newest Super Mario movie. Winners will receive a prize and every participant will receive a small reward. Thursday, May 21, from 4 to 5 p.m.
• Therapy dog visits (all ages): After storytime, take a moment to visit with certified therapy dog Mia. It’s a great way to de-stress, boost your mood and relax. Wednesdays, May 20 and 27, from 11 a.m. to noon.
• After-school tutoring in reading and math takes place every Wednesday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Pagosa Springs Elementary School. (There will be no tutoring on May 27).
Pick up a schedule at the library’s front desk or find it online at www.pagosalibrary.org/events-calendar. We hope to see you at the library.
Thank you, Susan McAdams
When we lost our beloved friend and library cataloger Jeanne Hanson, we experienced a big backlog of new books to add to our catalog. In stepped Susan McAdams, retired library employee and cataloger, to save the day.
Susan caught us up in a matter of weeks, meaning our community got its new books faster. Thank you, Susan, for your tremendous help.
Library by the numbers
• 127: The number of tutor volunteer hours this school year.
• 1,723: The number of electronic books downloaded from Libby and Cloud Library in March.
• 16,984: The number of people with a Ruby Sisson Library card.
• 19,564: The number of physical items checked out the first three months of 2026.
Construction update
We have a fiber optic internet connection waiting for us on the other side of the alley that we are going to connect for an even faster library internet experience. To mitigate any road damage, we will bore a fiber optic pathway underneath the alleyway to run the cable across.
Washable rubber flooring in pretty colors will go into the children’s room in May to cushion toddler falls and reduce the traveling noise of happy children. Once all the flooring is installed in the addition, we’ll be able to add our new service desk and set up the children’s room. How fun.
June marks a big transition as we switch from the old side to the new side. We’ll transfer service to the new section while the old section gets a facelift.
In late August, the two portions will be combined into one big, beautiful building. Our grand opening is tentatively set for Labor Day weekend.
Follow us on Facebook for periodic pictures of progress.
Get ready for Summer Reading
It won’t be long till we kick off Summer Reading 2026. This year’s theme is “READ WILD!” and features books filled with action and adventure, plus lots of fun field trips and activities for all ages.
Collecting for local food banks
Are you heading out for the summer? Are you moving away? If you have an extra can or two of food you can share, or some dried food in sturdy packaging, please bring it to the library. Our local agencies will pick up and distribute the food where it’s needed.
English as a second language switches to citizenship classes
Join our test prep classes for the U.S. citizenship test on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 4 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church on South Pagosa Boulevard.
Colorado Parks Passes for checkout
The weather is perfect to get outside. Colorado state parks require a paid pass to enter, but you can borrow one from the library for a few days at no cost to you.
Passes come with a backpack filled with nature guides, binoculars and fun activities. Reserve yours today.
Meet us out in the community
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, 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 or check the website, www.pagosalibrary.org/events-calendar, so you don’t miss any of the free programs, events and activities available to you and your family.
Online author talks
Join us live or catch the presentation later. Reserve your spot at libraryc.org/pagosalibrary.
On Thursday, May 7, at 5 p.m., join for an exciting conversation, “On Courage, Turmoil, and the Transformative Power of Love,” with Marjan Kamali, bestselling author of “The Lion Women of Tehran.”
On Thursday, May 14, at noon, join in conversation with Ruchika Sikri and Dr. Patrick Porter to chat about their book, “Brain Fitness Blueprint,” in which they present a 30-day action plan to supercharge your brain and achieve peak performance.
Conversational Spanish
Our popular Conversational Spanish group continues on Mondays 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, friendly group setting. No minimum skill level is needed.
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.
New books collections brimming with interesting titles
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 as an e-book or e-audiobook on CloudLibrary or Libby.
New and notable nonfiction
• “Boom: The True Story of the Wickedest Town in Texas,” is the true story of lawless Borger, Texas, and the Texas ranger sent to tame it.
• “Pope Leo XIV: The Biography” is by Rome correspondent Elise Ann Allen.
• “Last Branch Standing: A Potentially Surprising, Occasionally Witty Journey Inside Today’s Supreme Court” is by Advisory Opinions podcaster Sarah Isgur.
College prep
• “How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay,” and “Accepted! 50 Successful College Admission Essays” are from experts Gen and Kelly Tanabe.
For your health
• “How to Meditate Without Even Trying” is by Peter Russell, with a foreword by Eckhart Tolle.
• “Confronting Chronic Pain: A Guide to Relief” is from Johns Hopkins Press.
New fiction from bestselling authors
• Michael Crichton passed away in 2008, but left behind a newly released manuscript of “A Murder in Hollywood,” written under his pseudonym John Lange and featuring the brilliant investigator Harvey Jason.
• Viola Davis and James Patterson teamed up to write “Judge Stone,” full of courtroom drama and strong characters wrapped up in a moral dilemma.
• U.K author Anthony Horowitz (Magpie Murders) is back with “A Deadly Episode,” which solves the murder of fictional movie star David Caine.
Debut novels worth a look
• “I am Agatha” by Nancy Foley is described as “a beautiful love story and meditation on grief, memory, and art.”
• “Upward Bound” from autistic, nonspeaking author Woody Brown is set in a dreary day care for adults with disabilities and is filled with unforgettable characters who have a thing or two to teach us.
New literary fiction
• “Small Boat” from French philosopher Vincent Delecroix, shortlisted for the International Booker Prize, is a fictional account of the French radio operator responsible for the deaths of a boatful of desperate migrants.
• “Transcription,” a novel from poet Ben Lerner, is “an exploration of fathers and sons, male friendship and rivalry.”
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