Penrose Library will undergo the next stages of its improvement project starting on Mon., Jan. 6. The Library will remain open, but the Computer Lab and Children's area will be closed during construction.Categories
Can your water balloons survive a big drop? Find out with this experiment.
Supplies and Directions:
- One balloon
- Water
- One plastic shopping bag
- One rubber band
Directions:
- Add water to your balloon, don't fill the balloon, leave lots of room to tie the balloon closed.
- Cut the ends of the handles of the bags. Tie or rubber band them to the knotted end of a water balloon
- Go outside and drop it from a high place to see if it breaks when it lands.
- Test and retest until your balloon breaks.
- Try it again with another balloon.
- See what else you can attach to your parachute and let drop.
International best-selling author Jim Fergus has been named the 2022 recipient of the Frank Waters Award by the Friends of the Pikes Peak Library District. Fergus, a Colorado College graduate, received the award and was the keynote speaker at the annual Literary Awards Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 18 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, 1775 East Cheyenne Mountain Blvd.
Fergus’s first novel, “One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd,” was published in 1998. The novel won the 1999 Fiction of the Year Award from the Mountains & Plains Booksellers Association. It has since sold over 700,000 copies in the United States.
Fergus has also published a collection of outdoor articles and essays, titled “The Sporting Road.” In 2005, his second novel, “The Wild Girl: The Notebooks of Ned Giles” set in the 1930’s in Chicago, Arizona, and the Sierra Madres of Mexico, was published. In 2018, he published “The Vengeance of Mothers,” a sequel to his first novel. followed by “Strongheart” in 2021. Fergus divides his time between southern Arizona and France, where he also is a best-selling author.
The 2022 Golden Quill award was also presented at the luncheon. The annual prize, given to a local author or publication, went to John Anderson, former El Paso County sheriff, historian and writer. His works include: “Sherlock Holmes in Little London: 1896 The Missing Year”; “Rankin Scott Kelly: First Sheriff of El Paso County Colorado Territory 1861-1867”; and “Ute Prayer Tees of the Pikes Peak Region.”
Proceeds from the event benefitted Friends, who support library district programs and needs.
From a small reading room established 136 years ago, Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) has evolved to meet the ever-changing needs of our sprawling community. Our service area covers 2,070 square miles of El Paso County with population of about 700,000 – people of all ages and backgrounds with varying views and interests. Thanks to taxpayer funding, we provide residents 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. We strive to make our physical and digital spaces safe and respectful for diverse voices, perspectives, and pursuit; to foster community dialogue and connections; and to help people achieve their goals and dreams in life.
Beginning in January 2022, we initiated a process to revisit PPLD’s mission statement and develop a vision statement and organizational values that reflect our public library system and growing community. Having such clearly defined statements and values also will allow us to prepare for the next stage – working on a new strategic plan that we hope to release later this fall.
In partnership with a local third-party vendor, Library leadership engaged all staff in a design thinking process to gather individual input and collectively see which themes emerged – and it resulted in much alignment from frontline staff to management. With such rich qualitative data, PPLD’s Board of Trustees and leadership team were able to craft new statements and values that capture our core purpose and aspirations for a public institution that’s here for everyone.
We are excited to share them with you, our Library cardholders and patrons.
VISION
Access to resources and opportunities leads to thriving people and connected communities.
MISSION
Cultivate spaces for belonging, personal growth, and strong communities.
VALUES
- Access: We ensure all people feel safe to connect with services, resources, and experiences.
- Service: We remove barriers to provide access for all to pursue their interests, needs, and goals.
- Freedom: We ensure the right of community members to interact with and experience library services as they choose.
- Accountability: We responsibly steward resources with integrity and transparent practices.
- Creativity: We foster imagination and resolve problems in new ways.
- Community: We bring people together.
You will see these new statements in many places going forward, and they are already featured on our About Us page. We look forward to fulfilling our new mission, upholding our new values, and aiming to achieve our vision for this great community.