Beginning Tue., Sept. 19, library cardholders will be able to check out no-cost passes to Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain thanks to the Culture Pass program. Patrons can check out passes to explore this cultural attraction seven-days-a-week through April 30, 2024.
Take in breathtaking vistas from the top of the mountain you call home. Colorado is known for its fourteen-thousand-foot mountains (14’ers), which thousands of people endeavor to climb every year. Pikes Peak’s scenic highway offers a unique opportunity for people of all ages and abilities to experience the beautiful terrain that Colorado’s 14’ers have to offer. Conditions on the Summit can be wildly different than at the base of the mountain, so be sure to plan ahead and check condition and safety information before your visit.
The pass grants access to the Pikes Peak Highway, and depending on the weather, patrons may enjoy the Summit House and Visitors Center at the top or the many beautiful interpretive stops along the way. With the addition of Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain, the Culture Pass program offers PPLD patrons 12 cultural attractions throughout El Paso and Teller counties and Denver. For more information about Pikes Peak Culture Passes visit ppld.org/culturepass.
Note on visiting the Summit in September:
Your Pikes Peak Culture Pass will serve as your no-cost admission ticket (for up to two adult admissions and two children’s admissions) to drive on the Pikes Peak Highway. Access to the Summit by personal vehicle is currently on a reservation system through Sat., Sept. 30, which is not automatically reserved by your Pikes Peak Culture Pass. If you want to ensure that you will have a parking spot on the Summit during the month of September, you will need to make a reservation by clicking here.
Poetry is a powerful, flexible form of expression that conveys feelings across generations, and often across cultures as well. Pikes Peak Library District is celebrating poetry in collaboration with Pikes Peak Poet Laureate Ashley Cornelius and Imagination Celebration with the Pikes Peak Poet Laureate Global Poetry Experience throughout September. Join us for this interactive global poetry project and experience poetry and writing like never before!
On select Saturdays in September, Ashley will host poetry workshops from inside of the “Sojourner” Portal, a poetry portal set up outside of Manitou Springs Library this month. “Sojourner” is connected to other poetry portals around the world, and participants will have the opportunity to interact with people in other countries as they explore themes through writing. At the end of the month, Ashley will create a community poem drawing from participants’ experiences, and the poem is planned to be presented in October.
The workshops presented by the Pikes Peak Poet Laureate include:
- “Home” on Sat., Sept. 2 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. with Santos, Brazil
- “Belonging” on Sat., Sept. 9 from 9 - 11:00 a.m. with Erbil, Iraq
- “Connection” on Sat., Sept. 16 from 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. with Johannesburg, South Africa
- “Joy” on Sat., Sept. 30 from 9 - 11 a.m. with Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Registration is required for the workshops and space is limited, so sign up today!
Imagination Celebration plans to host programs at the portal on weekdays throughout the month.
Constitution Day on September 17 commemorates the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution by thirty-nine brave people in 1787 and recognizes those who have become U.S. citizens through coming of age or naturalization. Celebrate this historic day with resources available at the Library!
- We the People U.S. Pocket Constitutions
Celebrate the penning of the U.S. Constitution by picking up a pocket-sized copy of the U.S. Constitution from your local library beginning Wed., Sept 13, while supplies last.
Recommended Resources
Use your library card to check out books and eBooks exploring the Constitution and its history through different lenses.
- A Young Reader's Edition of Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story by McClay, Wilfred M.
- Allow Me to Retort: A Black Guy's Guide to the Constitution by Mystal, Elie
- OMG WTF Does the Constitution Actually Say?: A Non-boring Guide to How Our Democracy is Supposed to Work by Sheehan, ben
- Ordinary Equality: The Fearless Women and Queer People Who Shaped the U.S. Constitution and the Equal Rights Amendment by Kelly, Kat; art by LaRue, Nicole
- For Which We Stand: How Our Government Works and Why it Matters by Foster, Jeff
- eBooks available with your library card through OverDrive or by using the Libby app:
- Two Revolutions and the Constitution by D.R. Philips, James
- The United States Constitution (this title is always available)
- The Great Debate – Advocates and Opponents of the American Constitution by Thomas Pangle, The Great Courses
Enjoy a selection of documentaries with your library card on Kanopy, including:
- An American (1775 – 1790)
- Books That Matter: The Federalist Papers, Episode 12: The Future of the United States Constitution
- History of the United States, Episode 14: Creating the Constitution
Take an in-depth look at the history of the U.S. Constitution with these web resources:
- Britannica Kids: United States Constitution
Spark young learners’ curiosity about the U.S. Constitution. - History.com: This Day in History: U.S. Constitution Signed
Enjoy an overview of the efforts that went into the creation of the U.S. Constitution. - National Archives: Constitution of the United States – A History
Dive into this in-depth look at the Constitutional Convention and the process of creating the U.S. Constitution. - National Archives: The First Amendments to the U.S. Constitution
Discover some of the first changes made to the U.S. Constitution and learn about the development of the Bill of Rights. - U.S. History in Context database: Constitution and the Bill of Rights (you must be in a Pikes Peak Library District location or have a library card starting with the number 4 to access).
Explore the creation of the U.S. Constitution and the cultural pressures involved in its development.