Media Contact:
Amy Gillentine, Director of PR, Marketing & Promotions 
(719) 482-5422 | agillentine@ppld.org

LIBRARY HAPPENINGS IN FEBRUARY

Celebrate with Open Houses at Manitou and Monument Libraries; Get the Passport to Library Discoveries, The Peak Legacy Series Continues, Experience the Homeschool  Science Fair 

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) presents many options to 
engage people of all ages and interests across El Paso County. Below are some of our 
activities and programs for February.

Explore Manitou Springs and Monument Libraries During Open Houses. To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Colorado statehood and the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) is hosting open 
houses throughout the year. This month, visit Monument Library to meet Ruby, the resident gecko, take part in a 
scavenger hunt, and create a community art project. The event is from 4 - 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 24. The following day, from 3 to 5 p.m., visit Manitou Springs Library to explore the seed library, stroll the grounds with your family, and read a story, and take part in additional activities and entertainment. For the full schedule, visit ppld.org/open-house.
 

Celebrate the Sesquisemiquincentennial With Library Passports. Get to know PPLD in 2026 through visiting each Library and earning prizes! Do you know which library building once served a different purpose and which one started as a 
bank? Have you heard the story of why East Library bears its name? Which locations are Carnegie libraries?
Did you know you can record a podcast, create art with a 3D printer, attend art and sewing classes, and access business and nonprofit resources?
 

Discover everything Pikes Peak Library District offers by picking up a Library Passport 
presented by the Colorado Springs Airport, and visiting library locations, Bookmobiles, 
and the Regional History & Genealogy Department. Learn more at ppld.org/passport.
 

Peak Legacies: The Mohls. Learn about the people who shaped the Pikes Peak region through the Peak Legacies 
program at Pikes Peak Library District’s Regional History & Genealogy Department. Leo and Hertha Mohl came to Colorado Springs after fleeing Nazi oppression in Vienna, Austria. Leo’s experiences in Nazi labor camps shaped the trajectory of their lives. Learn more about Leo and Hertha from their son, Bob, and discover the impact they had on the Pikes Peak region. Bob will share photos, stories, and reflections on his parents’ extraordinary lives in Europe, the United Kingdom, and Colorado Springs. Learn how they made their home in  the region and why they chose to stay.

The event is from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7, at East Library. Registration is required. Learn more at ppld.org/peak-legacies.
 

Experience the Homeschool Science Fair. Pikes Peak Library District’s (PPLD) annual Homeschool Science Fair is open to 
students in grades K–12, and the community is invited to view the projects. Homeschooled students may demonstrate science projects for other families. This noncompetitive event has no formal rules or guidelines, and project planning is left to 
individual families.
 

Registration is required for any student who wishes to present a project. Registration is 
open Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, through Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.

Event details:
• When: Friday, Feb. 20, from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
• Where: Library 21c
• Registration: Jan. 2 – Feb. 13
Presenting students should arrive by 9:15 a.m. The event will be open to the public from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
 

There’s Still Time: Sign Up for Winter Reading. The Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) is halfway through its annual Winter Adult Reading Program, and there is still time to sign up, pick up a book or two, and log reading time. You can even add reading days from January to count toward your total.

Not only does reading build healthy habits and move your family away from endless scrolling, but it also offers an escape into other worlds. Take a walk in someone else’s shoes through the pages of a book, listening to an Audiobook, or reading on your tablet.
 

Read or listen to a book and earn prizes this winter! Get started today at ppld.org/winter-reading.
Learn more at ppld.org/winter-reading