Applications to share your makes at All Pikes Peak Makes are now open! Please use the form below to submit your idea. We can't wait to hear from you!
When: Sat., April 27, 2024 - 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Where: Library 21c
A maker is someone who creates – to be innovative, to solve problems, to bring something beautiful into the world, or simply to have fun. They have an idea and they bring it to life. Making can encompass just about anything, from high tech to low tech to no tech, from art to fabrication to artistic fabrication, from needles to table saws to software.
Join us for this event as we spend the day celebrating ingenuity in the Pikes Peak Region – by tinkering, thinking, and, of course, making! Past experiences include:
Paper rockets
Lego builds
Local makerspaces
Cosplay
Whittling
Cardboard creations
3D printing
And so much more
Want to share what you make? The application for exhibitors is now open.
Interested in seeing some amazing experiments from up-and-coming scientists? Visit our annual Homeschool Science Fair to browse and chat with project creators. Kids can fill out a "What I learned" and receive a prize! Come and discover something new, or be inspired for next year!
Our annual Homeschool Science Fair is open to grades K-12! Homeschool students are invited to demonstrate a science project for other families. There are no rules or guidelines for this non-competitive event, and planning is left up to individual families.
Registration required. Students will arrive by 9:15 a.m., and the event will be open to the public from 10 - 11:30 a.m.
December is packed with festive celebrations, including Hannukah, winter solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and others. It’s a busy time when you may find yourself decorating, planning or prepping meals and treats, making or shopping for gifts, visiting friends and family, and attending community celebrations. Pikes Peak Library District has all the programs, tools, and resources you need to make the best of the holiday season, including cookbooks and classes, DIY gifts, holiday book lists, and more!
Resources
New recipes from a vast array of new-to-you cookbooks for all occasions
CultureGrams to learn about holiday celebrations from around the world (must have a library card that starts with a 4 to access outside the Library)
Reviews, shopping guides, and more for your holiday shopping experience with Consumer Reports (must have a library card that starts with a 4 to access outside the Library)
A wide assortment of holiday films and documentaries on Kanopy
Don’t miss our Makerspace Holiday Open Houses at East Library, Sand Creek Library, and Library 21c this month to learn how you can use makerspace equipment to create DIY gifts and decorations.
Find craft inspiration or delve into new hobbies with the Hobbies & Crafts Reference Center. (Must have a library card that starts with a 4 to access outside the Library)
Join us for makerspace classes and use your new knowledge to make custom gifts for your loved ones.
Get gifts for your family while supporting your Library! The Friends of PPLD sponsors and supports numerous programs and events to further the enjoyment of reading and love for books by all individuals. They are best known for their volunteerism, their bookstores in each library (you never know what you will find in the ever-changing inventory of previously-read books and magazines) and, of course, the two Big Book Sales each year.
Stop by the Friends store at the Library and find books, CDs, movies, magazines, and more from $0.25 to $3. Or shop for specialty items online! Purchases made through the Friends of PPLD support library programming and materials.
Do you love books, reading, and libraries? Have you considered becoming involved in your community? One easy step covers it all! Get involved with the Friends and support your community, one book at a time.
Programs
Forté Handbell Quartet
Ring in the season with Forté Handbell Quartet! This talented group will perform familiar holiday classics and more. Registration is not required. Seating is available for the first 175 guests. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Pikes Peak Library District.
Get a head start on your gift wrapping at the Wrap & Yap Party! Get gift wrapping tips from the Library and fellow participants. Enjoy hot cocoa and cider while you work.
Need an affordable gift or want to treat yourself? Make a peppermint mocha-scented candle in your own mug or one provided by the Library. Registration required.
Join us for an afternoon of winter holiday fun! Make a peppermint mocha-scented candle mug or a sock gnome for yourself or as a gift. Or get a head start on your gift wrapping at the Wrap & Yap Party! Get gift wrapping tips from the library and fellow participants. Enjoy hot cocoa and cider while you work. Registration required.
Meet a Master Maker: Festive Wall Hanging (open to ages 9 and up)
Join us at the Sand Creek makerspace to meet Master Maker, Debbie Urquijo! In this hands-on demonstration, Debbie will show you how to use the laser to create a festive wall hanging. Registration required. This program is for ages 9 and up.
Bring yourself or the whole family to the makerspace to make some fun holiday crafts perfect for gifting. You will also get to learn more about the resources and equipment available year-round in the makerspace. All ages are welcome. All materials provided.
Chilly weather got you down? Warm up in the kitchen and join us to make a delicious and comforting fig newton recipe. In this class, you will learn about seasonal baking and proper cooking techniques while you cook and enjoy a sweet culinary treat. This program is for ages 9 and up.
All attendees will be required to sign a waiver for working in the kitchen.
Make your own holiday cards, under the tutelage of local crafts guru Theresa Pingel, to send to your friends and family. All materials will be provided. Beginner/Intermediate skill level. Registration required.
Chilly weather got you down? Warm up in the kitchen and join us to make a delicious and comforting scone recipe. In this class, you will learn about the history of scones and proper cooking techniques while you cook and enjoy a sweet culinary treat. For ages 9 and up.
All attendees will be required to sign a waiver for working in the kitchen.
Join us at Ute Pass Library for an Ugly Sweater Party! We will be decorating festive cookies and upcycling clothing into ugly sweater creations. The library will provide all decorating supplies and cookies. Please bring your own clothing to decorate, such as T-shirts, hats, sweaters, etc. For kids, tweens, and families. Registration required.
Homeschoolers, get ready to tell the world about your favorite book! Prepare a creative book report at home and present it informally to other families in a science fair-style format. What you create to represent your book is up to you. Build a diorama, design a game based on the plot and characters, or make a poster for the movie version. Or you might create a book in a bag project, make a clothes hanger mobile, or draw the story in a comic book format. The possibilities are endless! For homeschool students in grades K – 8.
Register here to be a book presenter. Registration opens on Fri., Nov. 3 at 10 a.m. and closes on Thu., Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. Please make sure that each participating student registers separately.
If you aren’t ready to present a book report yourself, drop by to support other homeschoolers by browsing the projects and discover your next favorite book!
When: Fri., Dec. 8 from 1 - 2 p.m. Where: East Library
Need ideas to help you get started? Take a look at our idea file.
Poetry creates opportunities for children to explore a variety of topics and emotions through writing, and Pikes Peak Library District’s annual Jean Ciavonne Poetry Contest engages 4th and 5th grade writers. Submissions are open from Fri., Dec. 1 – Fri., March 1. This year’s theme is Lost & Found: Poems of Importance. Young poets can reflect on something they have lost or found in the last few years as they work with poetic devices like imagery, form, meter, and rich vocabulary to create an original poem for a chance to win a prize. This contest continues Jean Ciavonne’s legacy of connecting children with poetry and writing.
Lost & Found: Poems of Importance
What have you lost AND what have you found in the past few years? What makes them important?
Questions to ask yourself as you write your poem:
Can we see, smell, hear, and taste the imagery in your poem?
Have you used rich vocabulary that tells us a story or paints a picture?
Does your poem reflect the theme?
Prizes: Six winners will receive a book and $50 each! The contest is open to all 4th and 5th graders in the Pikes Peak Region.
Eligibility
Open to all 4th and 5th graders in the Pikes Peak Region.
Contest Rules
One entry per student. Teachers are urged to review poems and submit no more than five per class.
Each poem must be the original work of the contestant.
Poems will be judged on originality, including poem title and adherence to the theme.
Submit two typed, double-spaced copies of each poem on 8 ½” x 11” paper (no handwritten submissions or illustrations will be accepted.) Include ON A SEPARATE PIECE OF PAPER: name, telephone number, home address, school name and address, and teacher and principal’s names. Poems will not be returned. Please keep a copy.
Entries must be postmarked by Fri., March 1, 2024. Submission of a poem constitutes full permission to exhibit, use and publish the poem for any purpose – printed or electronic media – and to publish the name, school, and photographs and/or video of the student without compensation.
Winners will be celebrated at an Awards Ceremony where they will be given the opportunity to read their poem to the audience.
Entries may be mailed to:
The Jean Ciavonne Poetry Contest c/o Christa Funke Pikes Peak Library District P.O. Box 1579 Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1579 Or email entries, following guidelines above to: cfunke@ppld.org
In November, Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) joins with people and organizations across the nation to draw attention to hunger and homelessness through education, programs, and events.
Pikes Peak Library District Collects to Share is once again putting out the call to collect hand-crafted items for our community shelters. Starting in November, as part of Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week, we will be accepting donations every month for a year. If you have knitted items such as hats, scarves, socks, and blankets that you would like to donate, please bring them to the public desk at any Library location and let staff know that they are for PPLD Collects to Share. Through your hard work and creative generosity, we donated over 120 hand-crafted items to those in need in our community since November 2022. Thank you!
Helping Hands Community Resource The Helping Hands El Paso County Community Resources guide is a list of services available in El Paso County.
PPLD Community Resource Officers Pikes Peak Library District offers community resources across the District. Our Community Resources Specialists are here to help you navigate and connect with services by providing referrals and information to get the help you need for your specific situation.
Website Links
Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is sponsored by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness.
Materials for this eclipse Take and Make will be available at area PPLD libraries beginning Friday, October 13, 2023.
Materials and Instructions
Materials Included in Take and Make:
Black paper
Circle template
White, non-toxic chalk You provide:
Pencil
Scissors
Masking Tape
OPTIONAL: Brightly colored construction paper or foam sheets for cut-out horizon detail.
Instructions: See pdf file below for more pictures and science information.
1. Place the template on a piece of dark paper. Secure with a loop of masking tape or simply hold down with one hand.
2. Draw a thick circle of chalk around the template. Go around 2 or 3 times. It does not need to be neat.
3. Holding the template in place, smudge the chalk away from the center of the circle using a finger to create the corona of the Sun.
4, When you are done smudging, remove the circle template.
5. Add words, pictures, or fun designs.
Take a spooky stroll in Old Colorado City and read Trick Arrr Treat by Leslie Kimmelman. Pick up a map at Old Colorado City Library, or print one here, and stop by each location to read the book. The story will be available Oct. 1 - 31.
The free supplies for this September Take and Make will be available at area PPLD libraries beginning September 8, 2023.
Materials and Directions:
Materials we provide:
plastic needle, yarn, styrofoam plates Materials you provide:
pencil, scissors, tape, scrap paper (optional) Directions:
Here are tutorials (https://tinyurl.com/bdfv82kk) for basic sewing stitches. We recommend running stitch, backstitch, whip stitch, and cross stitch for this project. Also, see additional photos in the pdf file provided.
Running stitch and Backstitch – great for sewing straight lines
Whip Stitch – great for adding a border
Cross Stitch – great for adding details Step 1:
Use your pencil to create a design on your plate by gently poking the pencil through the plate. The holes should be at least ½" apart. (You may want to draw it on scratch paper first.) Step 2:
Cut a piece of yarn no longer than your arm. Thread it through the needle. It may help to tie one end of the yarn to the needle so it doesn’t come unthreaded. You should have a long end and a shorter end. Step 3:
Beginning at the back of the plate, sew in and out of the holes you poked to complete your design. Pull the yarn taut after each stitch, but don’t pull too hard and tear the plate. You may tape the end of the yarn to the back of the plate to hold it. When you run out of yarn you can either continue with the same color or begin a new color.
Use the second plate to create a different design.
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from Fri., Sept. 15 - Sun., Oct. 15, recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. The Library offers several opportunities to learn and celebrate. Scroll down to explore resources celebrating Hispanic heritage.
Hispanic Heritage Month Recipe Cards
Learn about favorite foods and make recipes from some of the cultures celebrated during Hispanic Heritage Month. Available at all locations starting Fri., Sept. 15.
Colorado Experience Justicia Y Libertad (27 min., NR) 1968 was a pivotal year in American history: The Vietnam War hit its peak, Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, and riots shook the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. At home in Colorado, it marked the birth of the Chicano Movement. These pivotal times brought political activist Corky Gonzalez to the forefront as an early pioneer of equal rights for Mexican Americans.
Regional History & Genealogy
Archival Collections
Heidi Vazquez Guy Records (MSS 0408) The Heidi Vazquez Guy Records consist of two series: Biographical Files and VHS Tapes. Biographical information provided in each file includes: birthdate, parents names, names and number of children, education, careers, and Colorado memories. Most files also include a photograph. The VHS tapes contain oral history interviews of people in the Biographical Files conducted by Heidi Vazquez Guy. See staff in Regional History & Genealogy if you want to find out more about this collection.
De Donde Eres oral histories Conducted between the years 2003 -2005, ¿De Donde Eres? was an oral history project organized by Pikes Peak Library District’s Special Collections in an effort to document and promote understanding of the region’s Hispanic community and their many contributions to Colorado Springs. The collection is comprised of 25 individual videotaped interviews which have been digitized into audio-only format. A complete listing of the project interviews is available at the Regional History & Genealogy reference desk and transcripts are available for a few of the oral histories.
Enjoy some incredibly colorful costumes and dance from Ballet Folklórico México Danza to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month! The music is so energetic you might want to get up and dance with your family! Click here to view the video.
For more titles and information, visit Special Collections or search our catalog! Books are from the Carnegie Library - Special Collections. (Some titles are available for checkout from other library locations.)
Websites
HispanicHeritageMonth.gov Hosted by the Library of Congress, this site provides access to curated arts exhibits and collections, audio and video collections, and resources for Hispanic Heritage Month.
La Fiesta Bonita Read about a historic local heritage celebration from right here in El Paso County posted by our friends at the Colorado Springs Pioneer Museum.
