Learn about heritage and culture this October with Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD). On this page, discover resources, web links, and booklists for some of the nationally recognized holidays and heritage months. Explore National Disability Employment Awareness Month and Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
National Disability Employment Awareness Month
National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) commemorates the contributions people with disabilities have made to workplaces and to the U.S. economy. Below, PPLD has compiled a list of books, resources, and websites with more information.
Booklist
- The Power of Potential: How a Nontraditional Workforce Can Lead You to Run Your Business Better, by Tom D’Eri
- The Disability Experience: Working Toward Belonging, by Hannalora Leavitt and Belle Wuthrich
PPLD Resources
Disability Resources Guide
In this guide, find information about Assistive Technology at PPLD, along with books, websites, and local resources on disabilities.
Intelligent Lives, film on Kanopy
Intelligent Lives stars three pioneering young American adults with intellectual disabilities – Micah, Naieer, and Naomie – who challenge perceptions of intelligence as they navigate high school, college, and the workforce.
Websites
National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)
From the Office of Disability Employment Policy, part of the U.S. Department of Labor, this website contains information on NDEAM, including resources for employers, key messages for the month, and 31 activities to commemorate NDEAM throughout October.
The Campaign for Disability Employment
Learn ways that you and your organization can recognize National Disability Awareness Month, from the Campaign for Disability Employment.
The American Association of People with Disabilities
The American Association of People with Disabilities works to increase the political and economic power of disabled people.
Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR)
DVR provides services which can include vocational guidance and counseling, short- or long-term training, job seeking skills, job development and coaching, assistive technology, and accommodations.
The Independence Center
The Independence Center provides information, resources, and support for disabled people to live, learn, work, play, and participate in civic life accessibly.
Job Accommodation Network
The Job Accommodation Network is the leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on job accommodations and disability employment issues.
Pikes Peak Workforce Center – Accessibility to Services
The Pikes Peak Workforce Center connects businesses with work-ready job seekers and employer-driven services. They help residents of El Paso & Teller counties with career transition, whether they are unemployed, underemployed, or employed.
Rocky Mountain ADA Center
The Rocky Mountain ADA Center provides information, guidance, and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) tailored to meet the needs of individuals and organizations in our region.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Colorado Springs resides on land inhabited for thousands of years by indigenous peoples, including the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Tribes. Artifacts found at Garden of the Gods, one of Colorado Springs’ most beautiful natural attractions, date back an astonishing 3,500 years. The following resources can be used to learn more about the original inhabitants of Colorado and other lands.
Booklist
- Overdrive/Libby: Indigenous Peoples
- Warrior Artists: Historic Cheyenne and Kiowa Indian Ledger Art, by Herman J. Viola, Zotum Making Medicine, George P. Horse Capture, and Joseph D. Horse Capture.
- Halfbreed: the Remarkable True Story of George Bent, by David Fridtjof and Andrew Edward Masich
- Red twilight : the last free days of the Ute Indians, by Val FitzPatrick
- God is Red, by Vine Deloria
- Playing Indian, by Philip J. Deloria
PPLD Resources
Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes (Must have a library card that starts with a 4 to access outside of a Library location.)
Provides detailed studies of tribes from all over the United States and Canada, including small tribes and some that no longer exist. Gives detailed yet accessible information on history, religion, art, government, economy, daily life, and current social and political issues.
Explore the Digital Collections
Discover a wealth of historic photos and news articles from around the Pikes Peak region. A few possible search terms include Ute, Chipeta, Native American, American Indian, Severo, Sioux, and Chief Ouray.
Films on Kanopy
Use your library card to log into Kanopy and watch these films, or search “Indigenous Peoples’ Day” for more content:
Websites
History Colorado – Native American History & Heritage
History Colorado documents and shares the living history of Indigenous peoples who originally inhabited this state.
United Nations - International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
Explore information from the United Nations about the world’s Indigenous populations and the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples.
National Museum of the American Indian
Discover online resources, collections, and exhibits from the National Museum of the American Indian.
Library of Congress - Living Nations, Living Words: A Guide for Educators
This guide from the Library of Congress offers teachers and other educators’ ideas for using U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo's signature project, "Living Nations, Living Words," in the classroom.
National Park Service – Mesa Verde
Learn about Mesa Verde National Park, a World Heritage Site in Colorado where the cliff dwellings of Ancestral Pueblo people still stand.
National Park Service – Alaska Native Cultures
Find out about Alaska Native culture through stories, photos, history, and information.
Museum of Indigenous People
Explore an online gallery of photos and videos showcasing the arts and cultures of Indigenous Peoples.
Your Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) library card gives you access to a world of possibilities. In addition to a wide selection of physical and digital items you can check out, you also have access to a variety of online resources and databases. This month, take a closer look at JobNow and our Author Alert services.
JobNow
Get set up for success with the numerous resources available through JobNow. You will find live help from experts, resources to peruse, and even online courses to hone your skills.
Polish your resume with live online help or submit it to their resume lab. They have a selection of winning resume templates and resume resources for you to explore as well, where you can find a good match for your career search.
When you are ready to launch into the job search itself, visit their live online job coaching to support your search and application process. The job resources section offers helpful job search resources to support your efforts.
Prepare for the interview with live online interview coaching and find key interview tips. For further interview preparation, explore the online interview resources, and live life skills support, and give yourself a competitive edge with skills preparation courses.
If you are not sure what career is best for you, check out the expert job matching questionnaire and career assessment, or find out what college majors and careers match your skills and interests.
For even more career search support, check out our Job Search & Career Tools guide.
Author Alert Services
Reading is a personal experience, and when you find an author that resonates with you, you likely want to read more of their work. Follow authors with ease through our Author Alert services! Get text or email notifications when the Library orders new titles by your favorite authors. You can also set up alerts for performers and directors if there are music artists or film makers you want to hear about.
Setting up an alert is a no-stress process. Go to our online catalog. Next, search our catalog for an author or performer you want to follow. Next to each result, look for the “Add Author Alert” button. You will then have the option to add your email address or phone number where you would like to receive alerts. Done!
You can also modify what authors and performers you want to hear about. In our online catalog, you will find "Add Author Alert” on the left side of the page under Reading Resources. Next, you will be asked to provide the phone number or email address where you get author alerts. After that step, you can remove or add authors and performers in your alert list and browse lists of recent and popular alerts added by other users.
From there, kick back and relax. You will receive an alert the next time the Library adds an item from the authors and performers you love!
Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) is excited to partner with The Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival to host two film screenings in their Festival in the Community program. Festival in the Community hosts free sneak-peak screenings of select films leading up to the film festival itself. These screenings provide a great opportunity to see the wonderful and thought-provoking films the Rocky Mountain Women’s Film brings to the Pikes Peak region.
There is no cost to attend these film screenings, but registration is required.
Join us for the following film screenings:
- Tue., Oct. 8 at 6:30 p.m.
Fountain Library
230 S. Main St., Fountain, CO
Register online here
- Fri., Oct. 11 at 3 p.m.
Library 21c
1175 Chapel Hills Dr., Colorado Springs, CO
Register online here
The following short films will be presented at Fountain Library on Tue., Oct. 8 at 6:30 p.m.:
MOTORCYCLE MARY
Directed by Haley Watson
The untold story of legendary motorsports pioneer Mary McGee with stunning never-before-seen archival footage and stills, an undaunted racing career spanning thirty years that saw Mary shatter gender norms while mastering multiple racing disciplines. Following in her brother’s footsteps, Mary’s remarkable racing odyssey begins in the world of cars, where she outshines her male competitors, only to later discover her greatest sense of freedom racing motorcycles. Mary pushes herself to greater and greater heights—culminating in her most hair-raising challenge: Attempting to become the first person ever to solo the grueling Baja 500 on a motorcycle.
STRONG GRANDMA
Directed by Cecilia Brown & Winslow Crane-Murdoch
Catherine Kuehn is a 95-year old world record winning deadlifter. As she prepares for her last competition she reflects on the love and loss that brought her to this moment.
FIRE TOWER
Directed by Tova Krentzman
High in the Rocky Mountains, nestled in the boreal forest, are solitary sentinels who survey the landscape as a critical first line of defense in wildfire detection. As North America grapples every year with the threat and devastation of such fires, which is increasing due to climate change, those who work the watchtowers with a bird’s-eye view sound the critical alarm that warns of impending danger. Like the occupations of lighthouse keeper or astronaut, the remote locations and voluntary isolation that are part of the job—along with the very real risk of being struck by lightning—attract a unique kind of individual to this vocation.
View film trailers for the Fountain Library film showing.
The following short films will be presented at Library 21c on Fri., Oct. 11 at 3 p.m.:
ULTIMATE CITIZENS
Directed by Francine Strickwerda
Ultimate Citizens, Jamshid is an Iranian who came to study in 1970’s America, and due to the Revolution, never went “home.” As a guidance counselor in Seattle Public Schools, Jamshid’s best work takes place on the playing field with “his kids,” the children of refugees and immigrants. Their parents are in the grips of their own struggles to make a living and a home in a strange land. Mr. Jamshid is the charismatic, fiery, funny human with a Frisbee in hand, who shows that love wins on the field, off the field, at home with family, or boldly forging a new community, in a new country – one kid, chicken, ultra-endurance race, and friend at a time.
BEARING WITNESS: A NAME & A VOICE
Directed by Dina Rudick
Bearing Witness: A Name & A Voice delves into the backstories and convictions of four extraordinary newspaper reporters. Their distinct personal narratives explain the profound motivations that fuel their work, as well as the indelible stories that continue to resonate within them – revealing the who behind the who-what-when-where, and why. The film challenges audiences to transcend the monolithic term “The Media” and instead see clearly individuals who propel it forward.
View film trailers for the Library 21c film showing.
Visit the Festival in the Community webpage for Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival’s complete listing of films that will be hosted throughout the community from Oct. 1 - 13, 2024.