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Promotional Graphic for Juneteenth with the date "June 19, 1865"

Juneteenth 2024

Juneteenth, occurring annually on June 19, honors the end of slavery in the United States on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. On that date, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas and freed enslaved people who had not been liberated following President Abraham Lincoln’s ruling. Celebrate this important history with the Library!   

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All Pikes Peak Writes

All Pikes Peak Writes – PPLD’s annual fiction writing contest 2024

Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) is excited to announce the call for submissions for All Pikes Peak Writes! All Pikes Peak Writes is PPLD’s annual fiction writing contest for ages 12 and older+ and seeks to highlight writers in our community through one competition. There are three categories, based on age group: Ages 12 - 18, Ages 19 - 24, and Ages 25 and up. Please see the guidelines, rules for entry, and submission form for each category below. 

Submissions will be accepted from June 3 through 9 p.m. on July 26, 2024.

Eligibility: 

All Pikes Peak Writes is open to El Paso County residents ages 12 and older.

Judging:

Entries will be judged on following category guidelines, quality of writing, use of language, plot development and resolution, believable characters, and correct punctuation, grammar, and spelling.

Awards:

Prizes will be awarded for first, second, and third place entries in each category. Winners will be announced in late August.

Please contact hbuljung@ppld.org or malvarez@ppld.org for questions or more information.

FAQs:

  • When will I know if I have won?
    • We will notify participants in late August if they have won an award.  
  • Are you publishing the digital anthology again?
    • Yes! We will be publishing the top three stories in all categories (ages 12 - 18, ages 19 - 24, and ages 25 and up).
  • Will I get feedback for my work?
    • Yes! You will receive a copy of the judges’ comments after the competition has concluded.  
  • Do I have to submit my story online?
    • Yes. To better facilitate the process, we are requiring all stories be submitted digitally. You can stop by any PPLD location to use one of our computers to submit your story ahead of the deadline. 

Ages 12 - 18

The Challenge: Write a story, up to 2,500 words, starting with the opening line: “And... go!”  

Guidelines: 

  • Ages 12 - 18 only.
  • Must be a resident of El Paso County, Colorado.  
  • Word count must not exceed 2,500 words, not including title. Word count will be established using Microsoft Word. Points will be automatically deducted from the total score of the piece if the word count exceeds 2,500 words.  
  • Stories must be original, previously unpublished works.
  • Stories must include a title page with the title and author’s name. The author’s name should not appear anywhere else on the document.  
  • Stories must be typed. Formatting should be double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman or Calibri font with the title and page number in the upper right-hand corner of each page.  
  • Only one entry per person.  
  • Participants must fill out the form and submit their story below by July 26, 2024 at 9 p.m. The file format should be PDF, .doc, or.docx. If you need help converting a file to one of these formats, please visit a Library location for assistance ahead of the deadline.  
  • Failure to follow the guidelines will result in disqualification.

Submit Your Story Here

Ages 19 - 24

The Challenge:

Write a story, up to 3,500 words, starting with the opening line: “And... go!”

Guidelines:

  • Ages 19 - 24 only
  • Must be a resident of El Paso County, Colorado.
  • Word count must not exceed 3,500 words, not including title. Word count will be established using Microsoft Word. Points will be automatically deducted from the total score of the piece if the word count exceeds 3,500 words.  
  • Stories must be original, previously unpublished works.
  • Stories must include a title page with title and author’s name. The author’s name should not appear anywhere else on the document.  
  • Stories must be typed. Formatting should be double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman or Calibri font with the title and page number in the upper right-hand corner of each page.  
  • Only one entry per person.  
  • Participants must fill out the form and submit their story below by July 26,  2024 at 9 p.m. The file format should be PDF, .doc, or.docx. If you need help converting a file, please visit a Library location for assistance ahead of the deadline.  
  • Failure to follow the guidelines will result in disqualification.

Submit Your Story Here

Ages 25 and Up

The Challenge:

Write an original fiction story of up to 3,500 words. Entries in this category do not need to use the assigned opening line from the other categories.

Guidelines for entry: 

  • Ages 25 and older.
  • Must be a resident of El Paso County, Colorado .
  • Word count must not exceed 3,500 words. Word count will be established using Microsoft Word. Points will automatically be deducted from the total score of the piece if the word count exceeds 3,500 words.  
  • Stories must be original, previously unpublished works.
  • Stories must include a title page with title and author’s name. The author’s name should not appear anywhere else on the document.  
  • Stories must be typed. Formatting should be double-spaced and in 12-point Times New Roman or Calibri font with the title and page number in the upper right-hand corner of each page.
  • Only one entry per person.
  • Participants must fill out the form and submit their story by July 26, 2024 at 9 p.m. The file format should be PDF, .doc, or .docx. If you need help converting a file, please visit a Library location for assistance ahead of the deadline.
  • Failure to follow the guidelines will result in disqualification. 

Submit Your Story Here

 

Caribbean-American Heritage Month 2024

Caribbean American Heritage Month 2024

Caribbean American Heritage Month in June celebrates the rich culture and heritage of Caribbean Americans. Learn more about their many contributions and influences on the United States of America with the resources, booklists, and websites on this page. (You must have a library card that starts with a 4 to access databases on this page outside of a Library location.)

Booklists

PPLD Resources

  • Countries & Cultures Subject Guide

    Use this guide as a starting place for finding information about countries and cultures from around the world within our collection at Pikes Peak Library District.

  • CultureGrams (all ages)

    Experience the diverse cultures of the world through information on more than 200 countries. 

  • Cities of the World  

    A compilation of current information on cultural, geographic, and political conditions in 193 countries and their cities covering six continents, based on the Department of State's Post Reports. Maps and photos of many cities included. 

  • Mango Languages  

    Celebrate the rich diversity of languages spoken throughout the Caribbean by learning a new language using Mango Languages. From Haitian Creole, Dutch, French, Spanish, and more! There are more than 70 languages to choose from including English as a Second Language (ESL).  

  • Gale: Biography in Context  

    Discover and learn about influential people from the Caribbean.  

  • Magazine & Newspaper Subject Guide 

    Research Caribbean American influence and history using one of PPLD’s many newspaper databases. Here are a few places you can start: 

  • 19th Century U.S. Newspapers   

    Nineteenth Century U.S. Newspapers provides an as-it-happened window to events, culture, and daily life in nineteenth-century America. With 1.8 million pages available, the collection features publications of all kinds, from the political party newspapers at the beginning of the nineteenth century to the mammoth dailies that shaped the nation at the century's end. 

  • Access World News 

    This comprehensive news collection covers issues and events at the local, regional, national, and international level. Its diverse source types include print and online-only newspapers, blogs, newswires, journals, broadcast transcripts, and videos.  

  • Newspaper Archive 

    Newspaper Archive contains tens of millions of newspaper pages from 1607 to present. Every newspaper in the archive is fully searchable by keyword and date, making it easy for you to quickly explore historical content. 

  • U.S. Major Dailies 

    U.S. Major Dailies provides access to The New York Times, Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, and Chicago Tribune. The current day’s content is available by 8 a.m. each day. 

Websites

  • Caribbean Spirit (Google Arts and Culture) 

    In this engaging resource, scroll to explore some of the notable contributions and influences of Caribbean people on Black history and culture in America. 

  • Caribbean American Heritage Month (National Archives) 

    The National Archives has a wide variety of records relating to the history of Caribbean Americans. Explore these records through the National Archives Catalog and additional resources on Archives.gov.  

  • Caribbean American Heritage Month (Institute of Caribbean Studies) 

    Explore Caribbean American history, life, and culture through resources provided by the Institute of Caribbean Studies.  

  • Caribbean American Heritage Month: Caribbean History and Culture (U.S. Department of Interior) 

    Learn about the history of Caribbean American Heritage Month and find an overview of Caribbean food and culture.