Beginning this week, you are welcome to pick up free pumpkins at your library to decorate for the pumpkin contest. One per family while supplies last.
Bring your decorated entries to the library on Oct. 30 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Fun prizes for the pumpkin contest winners of all ages will be awarded at a free Halloween party from 4 to 5 p.m. on Oct. 31. Wear your costume and come share Halloween treats, spooky crafts and fun.
To get into the Halloween spirit, all ages are invited to a free Craftapalooza event tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 25, from 2 to 3:30 p.m., when you can makes some scary crafts.
Lifelong Learning Lectures continue
Our new free weekly Lifelong Learning Lecture series continues today with four more interesting presentations, all from 6 to 7:15 p.m. on Thursdays through Nov. 14:
• Today, Oct. 24, Bill Trimarco from the Wildfire Adapted Partnership will share tips on how you can make your property fire safe by creating defensible space, planning evacuations and preparing well.
• Oct. 31 will showcase Dayton Romero on Zoom discussing the many opportunities the Senior Planet social media platform offers you via their OATS (Older Adults Technology Services) program. Senior Planet is an AARP nonprofit offering many free classes for seniors.
• On Nov. 7, Matt Huber from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center will explain the power of avalanches and give you practical advice on how you can have safe fun in the mountains during the winter.
• On Nov. 14 Doug Coombs, a member of the Pagosa Springs Photography Club, will share his remarkable photos from four different trips to Africa and describe options for traveling to Africa.
Pick up a brochure at the library for more details on each of these presenters and their informative talks. No registration is required to attend.
Beginners basket weaving
A two-class adult beginners basket weaving class takes place tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 25, and Saturday, Oct. 26, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration is required and the group is limited to six people. The cost is $10 to pay for all needed materials. Bring your lunch so you can keep learning while you eat.
Adult knitting Saturday
Join new and experienced knitters Saturday, Oct. 26, 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.
Shakespeare read-aloud
Shakespeare fans of all ages are invited to join in reading aloud “Romeo and Juliet” on Monday, Oct. 28, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the free Shakespeare Read Aloud Club. This is an all-ages program. Call Jenny at (240) 426-7887 for more information.
Elementary tutoring sessions
Children in first through third grade are invited to free sessions on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. where they will build essential skills in core subjects as they are tutored in reading and math. Preregistration is required.
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.
Teen/tween activity
Join us in the teen area every Wednesday after school from 4 to 4:30 p.m. this month for a fun craft or challenge. Activities will range from taste tests to art challenges to minute-to-win-it-style games.
Writers Guild
Every Thursday from 9 to 11 a.m., the Ruby’s Writers Guild welcomes writers looking for opportunities, support, resources and camaraderie with other writers at this free gathering.
The guild has published a new anthology, “Tales from the San Juans,” which the members say includes “life musings, creative short fiction, retrospectives, poetry, novellas and short observations — all inspired by the beauty that surrounds us.”
The book is available at the library, with net proceeds going to the library’s building campaign.
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.
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.
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.
Large print
“When the Sea Came Alive” by Garrett M. Graff is an oral history of D-Day. “America’s Deadliest Election” by Dana Bash with David Fisher explores the election of 1872, which the authors call the most violent election in American history.
Nonfiction
“Budapest” is a Fodor’s Travel guide that also includes other highlights of Hungary. “Monument Man” by Harold Holzer documents the life and art of Daniel Chester French, one of America’s best-known sculptors of public monuments, including the Lincoln Memorial. “Autocracy, Inc.” by Anne Applebaum explores dictatorships from China to Russia to Iran and how they undermine democracies, including the U.S. “All Hands on Deck” by Will Sofrin is a maritime adventure memoir featuring a crew of misfits on an 18th century warship. “The Backyard Bird Chronicles” written and illustrated by Amy Tan charts the author’s foray into birding. “The Widow, the Priest and the Octopus Hunter” by Amy Chavez tells of life on a secluded Japanese island. “Total Garbage” by Edward Humes documents many ways we can fix our waste and heal our world.
DVDs
“Fire Country” season one and season two are on two separate discs. “The Garfield Movie” is an animated family film. “The Fabulous Four,” a comedy about three friends who travel to Key West to be bridesmaids to their best friend, stars Susan Sarandon, Bette Midler, Megan Mullally and Sheryl Lee Ralph. Three seasons featuring street-smart detective “Van Der Valk” are on three separate discs. “The Hunger Games” is a four-movie collection. “The Gilded Age” is the second season. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is a sci-fi action film.
Mysteries, suspense and thrillers
“The Dark Wives” by Ann Cleeves is a mystery featuring DI Vera Stanhope. “Legacy of Blood” by Heather Graham is a Blackbird Files mystery set on a French vineyard. “Where They Last Saw Her” by Marcie R. Rendon features a Native American woman investigating women disappearing from a reservation in Minnesota. “Only the Dead” by Jack Carr features former SEAL James Reece investigating the death of a freshman congressman. “Counting Miracles” by Nicholas Sparks follows an Army ranger setting out to find a father he never knew.
Other novels
“In the Garden of Monsters” by Crystal King features Salvador Dali’s model in a blending of historical fiction, fantasy, mythology and horror. “The Wildes: a Novel in Five Acts” by Louis Bayard follows Oscar Wilde’s family dealing with his homosexuality. “Where I End” by Sophie White was described by a fellow writer as “perhaps the finest Irish horror novel of the 21st century.”
Books on CD
“By Any Other Name” by Jodi Picoult tells of a young female playwright whose work is submitted to a festival under a male pseudonym. “Joy” by Danielle Steel follows a man posted to Afghanistan and his young wife as they deal with the horrors of war. “Robert B. Parker’s Buzzkill” by Alison Gaylin is a mystery featuring PI Sunny Randall. “Counting Miracles” by Nicholas Sparks follows an Army ranger setting out to find a father he never knew.
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.
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
“Know your circle of competence and stick within it. The size of that circle is not very important; knowing its boundaries, however, is vital.” — Warren Buffett, investor and philanthropist known as the Oracle of Omaha; with a net worth of $145 billion, he is one of the best known and most successful investors in the world.
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.
