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Immigrant Heritage Month in June celebrates the history and cultures of immigrants to the U.S. from around the world now and throughout U.S. history and the contributions that immigrants have made in the U.S. Celebrate and learn more using the resources, booklists, and websites on this page.

Booklists

• Coming to America picture booklist
• Teens booklist
• Adult fiction booklist
• Adult nonfiction booklist

PPLD Resources

• CultureGrams

  Find over 200 articles exploring the diversity and history of each U.S. state and the District of Columbia. This resource is designed for upper elementary-aged children.

• EBSCOhost: Ethnic Diversity Source (must have a library card that starts with a 4 to access outside of the Library).

  This full-text database is a dedicated resource covering the culture, traditions, social treatment, and lived experiences of different ethnic groups throughout the U.S. It contains a growing list of sources including peer-reviewed journals, magazines, eBooks, biographies, and primary source documents.

• Gale eBooks: Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Foods and Recipes of the World (must have a library card that starts with a 4 to access)

  Read up on the foods and recipes from 70 countries and culture groups worldwide. This database is designed for students grades K - 12.

• Adult Education: English as a Second Language

  Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) offers English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. These no-cost classes are for adults ages 17 and older and focus on reading, writing, listening, and speaking in English. ESL classes are for beginning, intermediate, and high-intermediate levels. Enrollment opens in July and December.

• Adult Education: Practice English

  Speak English groups at PPLD are informal English language conversation groups for adults who speak some English. Each group meets once a week for two hours at various Libraries. There is no cost to attend and no registration is necessary.

• Immigrant and Refugee Resources Subject Guide

  Pikes Peak Library District serves to support immigrant and refugee populations in our community. This Subject Guide will provide resources available through various local, state, and national organizations.

Websites

• Immigration (History.com)

  Explore articles and videos about immigration throughout U.S. history.

• Federal Register: National Immigrant Heritage Month Proclamation

  Read the National Immigrant Heritage Month presidential proclamation from 2023 and look for the 2024 proclamation on The White House website.

• The Office of New Americans

  Find recent data on immigrant populations in Colorado and discover resources and toolkits for new U.S. citizens.

• Ellis Island (History.com)

  Take a deep-dive into the history of Ellis Island, a major historic hub for immigration to the U.S., now serving as the Ellis Island Museum of Immigration.

Short stories and poems contain layers of depth and meaning. Casual readers may enjoy the emotions and concepts explored, while literary scholars and enthusiasts can take deeper dives into themes, academic interpretations, and even examinations of writers’ bodies of work. No matter which type of reader you are, there is a lot to explore in the Literary Reference Center and the Poetry & Short Story Reference Center. Use your PPLD library card to access these databases to explore full text poems and stories, articles, and author information for thousands of classic and contemporary writers. Students will also find these databases useful.  

The Literary Reference Center offers thousands of synopses, critical essays, book reviews, literary journals, and author biographies covering work from all genres and time periods. For high school and college students, the Research Guide tab on the Literary Reference Center home page is a useful tool where you can find handouts and guides to assist with research steps, essay organization, developing thesis statements, and more. You will also find full-text classical novels, short stories, and poems that you can read.  

In the Poetry & Short Story Reference Center, you will find thousands of full-text classic and contemporary poems and short stories. Each poem or short story includes information such as author details, poetic form, themes, techniques used, literary genre and movement, subject, and other key information. Essays, reviews, analyses, and author biographies in this database allow you to explore these and other works more in-depth. Additionally, you can discover high-quality videos and audio recordings from the Academy of American Poets. For educators, there is an extensive selection of lesson plans to help bring these literary works into your classroom.  

Access these databases at any Pikes Peak Library District location, or El Paso County residents can access remotely from anywhere (must have a resident library card, which starts with a 4).  

Kids and teens can enjoy lunch (and books) at no cost this summer!

School District 11 will bring their mobile unit to East Library every weekday beginning Wed., May 29 through Fri., Aug. 2 (except for Thu., July 4). Meal service will be available 11 a.m. - noon, Monday - Friday, along with a basket of age-appropriate books that kids and teens can take with them. Lunches are provided at no-cost to kids and teens. Adult lunches are $5.25. 

Outside of East Library
5550 N. Union Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80918  
May 29 – Aug. 2 (every weekday except Thu., July 4)  
11 a.m. - noon

The Summer Food Service Program, funded by USDA, provides nutritious meals to all children and teenagers ages 0 - 18. There are no income or registration requirements for participation.  

To find other nearby summer meal sites, visit D11's Summer Food Service Program page or find other participating school districts at KidsFoodFinder.org.