Join Pikes Peak Library District in celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day and welcome Carlotta Walls LaNier as she takes us through her journey as one of the Little Rock Nine. In 1957, at age 14, Mrs. LaNier and eight other students integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. This act of courage became the catalyst for change in the American educational system. The Little Rock Nine, as they would eventually be called, became ‘foot soldiers’ for freedom. In 1999, members of Congress and former President Bill Clinton bestowed upon Mrs. LaNier and the other members of the Little Rock Nine the nation’s highest civilian award, the Congressional Gold Medal, for their sacrifice and contribution to the cause of equality.
Mrs. LaNier will share her story with us at the upcoming presentation, A Mighty Long Way, and introduce her new book A Mighty Long Way, My Journey to Justice, at Little Rock Central High. Please join us in-person or on the livestream. Registration is encouraged.
When:
Library 21c: Tue., Jan. 17 from 10 a.m. - noon
Chilly winter days are perfect for curling up with a good book or entertaining yourself with new experiences. Join Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) for this year’s Winter Adult Reading Program! Participants log 30 days of activities from Wed., Feb. 1 - Fri., March 31 to earn prizes. To participate, you can log 30 minutes or more of reading time each day or do activities like join a PPLD Book Group, stop by a Little Free Library in your area, read a new author or genre, explore the NOAA website, and more. You can also choose to attend selected PPLD events, which include fun activities like handmade hand warmers, bleach textile art, and card making.
Participants who log 30 days of activities during the challenge will earn the annual Winter Adult Reading Program mug, a chocolate bar from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, and an entry into the grand prize drawing.
Registration opens on Wed., Feb. 1. Register in person or at curbside and receive a tote bag with everything you need to help you participate in the reading program. Bags will be available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.
To learn more and to find out how to register, click here
Reflecting on 2022 and looking ahead
As we welcome 2023 and what’s to come, I want to take a moment and reflect on the past year for Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD).
The Library has been a staple in our community for more than 130 years, evolving to become a public institution that offers physical and digital spaces for belonging, personal growth, and strong communities. Thanks to the investment from El Paso County taxpayers, we can provide residents like you with access to 16 facilities, three mobile library services, and a large online hub of resources and services that are inclusive and welcoming to all.
Because of you, we were able to do so much for the community this past year. PPLD connected hundreds of thousands of people with services, resources, and spaces to help them achieve their goals. Many patrons visited one of our libraries, whether to browse our collection and check out an item, attend a program, use a meeting or study room, create something in a makerspace or recording studio, or use a computer, copier, scanner, or something else they needed. Library cardholders checked out more than 4 million physical items, and we surpassed more than 2 million digital checkouts via OverDrive and Libby by the end of September 2022.
We hosted another year of successful programs that strive to improve literacy like the Winter Adult Reading Program, Summer Adventure for kids and teens, and All Pikes Peak Reads this past fall. PPLD expanded the PowerPass partnership program to include Calhan School District and Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8, providing more students with access to Library resources and services to help further their success in and out of the classroom. And we also added a few new museums and attractions to the Pikes Peak Culture Pass, meaning individuals and families can check out even more cultural experiences right here in our community and beyond.
In the spring of 2022, PPLD also announced its new vision, mission, and values. This became the starting point to develop a three-year strategic plan, which was publicly released in December and officially kicks off this month.
The plan for 2023 - 2025 was informed by staff and public input. Last summer, our team hosted multiple opportunities for Library patrons and other community members to engage with us as part of the planning process, and nearly 1,200 participated, whether online or in-person at one of our libraries. With rich qualitative data from the public and 400-plus staff, we uncovered several common themes – and those helped guide a strategic planning committee of staff, Board, and community representatives in identifying PPLD’s six areas of focus. If you want to find out more and see where, why, and how the Library District will reinvest taxpayer dollars back into the community through 2025, please visit ppld.org/strategicplan.
It's because of the community’s continued support for PPLD that we have been able to do all of this in 2022 and what we’re planning for 2023. Your investment, trust, and patronage truly are an investment into improving the Pikes Peak region for everyone.
We look forward to serving you throughout this new year – and using our new strategic plan to fulfill our mission, uphold our values, and aim to achieve our vision for this great community!
Teona Shainidze Krebs
Chief Librarian & CEO
Pikes Peak Library District