Interested in getting involved as a leader in your community? Pikes Peak Library District’s Board of Trustees seeks applications due to an upcoming vacancy beginning Jan. 1, 2024.
Members of PPLD’s Board of Trustees are appointed by a joint committee of the Colorado Springs City Council and the El Paso County Board of Commissioners. It is a governing board as opposed to an advisory board. Trustees serve without remuneration and must live within the Library District’s service area. They are limited to two five-year terms.
Responsibilities include attending regular board and committee meetings, following bylaws, serving as a community liaison, appointing and evaluating the performance of the Library’s Chief Librarian and CEO, setting policy, performing strategic planning duties, reviewing and approving the annual budget, and more.
Applications for the vacancy close at 11:59 p.m. MST on Sunday, Sept. 10. Applications must be completed and submitted online. Learn more and apply at ppld.org/BOT
All applicants are requested to attend the PPLD Board of Trustees meeting on Wed., Sept. 20, 2023, at
5 p.m. at Library 21c in the Venue, 1175 Chapel Hills Drive. A reception will follow the meeting so that applicants may introduce themselves, meet the current Trustees, and learn more about the position.
Please RSVP for the Sept. 20, 2023, Board of Trustees meeting to Laura Foster at lfoster@ppld.org or 719-531-6333, x6009.
Celebrate Colorado Day Mon., Aug. 1 and enjoy other events throughout the month of August.
Colorado Day: Ed Dwight
Join us as we celebrate Colorado through the life of Ed Dwight, the first African American considered for the NASA astronaut program! The two-hour event includes:
- Mark Dickerson, Col. USAF (Ret), on the confluence of African American and Aviation History
- Rachel English, the Director of the Space Foundation, on the importance of space to Colorado's history
- A screening of the 13-minute documentary The Lost Astronaut, a short film about Ed Dwight.
- Light refreshments will be provided. Registration required.
Genealogy Basics (Colorado Edition)
Are you interested in researching your genealogy, but aren't sure where to start? Join us for an introduction to basic genealogy research strategies including getting started, organizing research, and selecting and searching for records.
In celebration of Colorado Day, this month's Genealogy Basics classes will focus on researching your Colorado ancestors!
- Saturday, Aug. 19 from 2 - 3 p.m. - Virtual - Registration is required.
- Tuesday, Aug. 22 from 7 - 8 p.m. - Virtual - Registration is required.
- Saturday, Aug. 26 from 1 - 4 p.m. - Virtual - Registration is required.
Resources:
Adult
Have you checked out our digital archive? PPLD's Digital Collections features historic photographs, pamphlets, manuscripts, maps, oral histories, films and more that highlight the rich history of the Pikes Peak region. The materials come from the Special Collections of Pikes Peak Library District, housed in the 1905 Carnegie Library in downtown Colorado Springs.
Pikes Peak NewsFinder is our local historical newspaper index. This index contains citations to and scanned images of local news articles and obituaries from the Colorado Springs Gazette and other local newspapers from as early as the 1870s!
Children/Families
Need homework help? Check out our Colorado Homework Help page to get started with biographies, databases, and recommended websites.
Check some kids books about Colorado history, learn more.
Website Links:
Adult
Visit PPLD’s Regional History & Genealogy page to learn how you can research our local history. We have historic photos, manuscripts, books, and more!
Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) will host the Americans and the Holocaust traveling exhibit from the American Library Association and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. We are one of only 50 libraries nationwide and the only library in Colorado to host the exhibit. It will be at East Library from Sept. 5 – Oct. 11.
Learn about this period in American history and explore how people in the U.S. reacted to the Holocaust. Your journey will take you through the many factors impacting the decisions and opinions of the government, news media, organizations, and individuals in the 1930s and 1940s, including the Great Depression, isolationism, xenophobia, racism, and antisemitism.
During the exhibit’s stay, we will have related programming that will include a workshop for educators, an open reception, and special presentations. We selected this year’s community read book for All Pikes Peak Reads to compliment this exhibit as well. The selected book isThe Girls Who Stepped Out of Line: Untold Stories of the Women Who Changed the Course of WWII. Find the full schedule of events on our Americans and the Holocaust page.
Self-guided tours will be available during East Library’s open hours, or find out how to schedule a tour at ppld.org/holocaustExhibit