What's New!

The numbers are in, and our community made excellent use of the Library in 2023! From eLibrary use and program attendance, to the most checked out book titles of the year, we feel that this data reflects the vibrant communities we serve. We also had 27,489 people sign up for library cards last year.

As one exciting 2023 achievement, we reached 3 million digital checkouts on Libby and OverDrive. In September 2023, we announced on social media that we reached 2 million Libby/OverDrive checkouts about a month earlier than we had reached the same milestone in 2022. We thought this was the height of excitement until we joined 22 other libraries in surpassing 3 million. Our community made this possible by borrowing eMagazines, eBooks, and eAudiobooks through the Libby app and its parent website OverDrive.

People throughout El Paso County visited our libraries more than 1,878,247 times to check out 2,298,021 physical materials (and 3,096,369 digital materials, but you don’t have to visit for that), use computers 219,885 times, ask 96,218 reference questions, and fill meeting rooms 27,623 times. We saw more than 156,790 people attend our 6,533 program offerings, and 3,180 Pikes Peak Culture Pass checkouts allowed people to visit cultural attractions around the Pikes Peak region and Denver. We are excited to see how you use your Library in 2024!

Here are the top checkouts of 2023:

Top 10 Juvenile Checkouts

1. The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor (checked out 915 times)
2. Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling (checked out 801 times)
3. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (checked out 764 times)
4. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (checked out 735 times)
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (checked out 715 times)
6. Front Desk by Kelly Yang (checked out 711 times)
7. City Spies by James Ponti (checked out 698 times)
8. Rhinos at Recess by Mary Pope Osborne (checked out 607 times)
9. A Long Walk to Water: A Novel by Linda Sue Park (checked out 584 times)
10. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (checked out 569 times)

Top 10 Teen Checkouts

1. Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (checked out 425 times)
2. Scythe by Neal Shusterman (checked out 398)
3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (checked out 329 times)
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (checked out 275 times)
5. Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan (checked out 199 times)
6. Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman (checked out 189 times)
7. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han (checked out 186 times)
8. Eragon by Christopher Paolini (checked out 184 times)
9. The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure by Rick Riordan (checked out 176 times)
10. Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer (checked out 167 times)

Top 10 Adult Checkouts

1. The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line by Mari K. Eder (our 2022 All Pikes Peak Reads title, checked out 1,088 times)
2. Simply Lies by David Baldacci (checked out 954 times)
3. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (checked out 953 times)
4. Storm Watch by C.J. Box (checked out 901 times)
5. Desert Star by Michael Connelly (checked out 829 times)
6. The Boys from Biloxi by John Grisham (checked out 821 times)
7. Spare by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (checked out 796 times)
8. Fairy Tale: A Novel by Stephen King (checked out 729 times)
9. Mad Honey: A Novel by Jodi Picoult (checked out 684 times)
10. Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes (checked out 669 times)

Join Pikes Peak Library District in celebrating Black History Month! Black History Month is a time to celebrate the contributions and achievements of African Americans throughout history. This month-long observance is an opportunity to recognize the impact that Black Americans have made on our society. Browse this page to explore Library resources and links to other websites where you can explore this history in-depth. 

Virtual Author Visit

Join us for a Virtual Author Visit with award-winning author Jason Mott about his recent novel Hell of a Book on Tue., Feb. 20 at 2 p.m. This magnificent work of fiction is deeply honest, at times electrically funny, and is a book that goes to the heart of racism, police violence, and the hidden costs exacted upon Black Americans and America as a whole. Register to get the link.

• Online: Tue., Feb. 20 at 2 p.m.

Virtual Genealogy Class: Researching African American Ancestors

Researching your African American ancestors can be a challenging, yet rewarding, process. In addition to research strategies, this class will cover how to use both traditional and unique resources to explore your family tree. Register for the access link.

• Online: Tue., Feb. 13, 7 - 8:30 p.m.

Resources

• Hoopla Audiobooks
• Hoopla Resources
• 50 Songs to Honor Black History Month - Freegal 

Education Resources

• The Shivers African American Historical Cultural Collection
  • Explore the Shivers African American Historical Cultural Collection to find a wide variety of materials for all ages that celebrate African American culture.
• Biography in Context 
• National Archives: African American Heritage 
• Reading Rockets: Celebrating and Learning about Black History and Culture 
• ProQuest: Black Freedom Struggle in the United States 
   

Regional History & Genealogy Resources

• The Invisible People of the Pikes PeakRegion: an Afro-American Chronical by John Stokes Holley 
• Everybody Welcome: a Memoir of Fannie Mae Duncan and the Cotton Club by Fannie Mae Duncan 
• Negro Historical Association Newsletters and Yearbooks (available in Special Collections reference stacks) 
• African Americans in Colorado Springs in PPLD Digital Collections 
• Lew Tilley Photographs in PPLD Digital Collections 
• Black History Scrapbooks (Archival collection MSS 0387, available in Special Collections) 
• Colorado Springs Branch National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) (Archival collection MSS 0256, available in Special Collections) 
• African American Historical and Genealogical Society of Colorado Springs 
   

Websites

• Biography in Context 
• National Archives: African American Heritage 
• Black History Month 
• Black History Month - History Channel 
• ProQuest: Black Freedom Struggle in the United States 
• Celebrate African American History Month – Library Of Congress 
• National Museum of African American History and Culture 
• Black History Month – National Parks Service 

In collaboration with Who Gives a SCRAP Creative Reuse Center, we are hosting an arts, crafts, and hobby material exchange! Bring in your new, clean/gently used, and unwanted craft materials and exchange them for "tickets" to exchange for new-to-you craft supplies!

Please refrain from bringing items that can be recycled (plastic food containers), bedding, and building waste. Check the Who Gives a Scrap Donation Guidelines for a full list of items that can and cannot be donated.

We will also have a fun up-cycling craft going on, so you can take your time and check for new inventory! No registration required. 

For more information about each event, check our events calendar

• Sat., March 16 from 1 - 4 p.m. at Sand Creek Library – Calendar
• Sat., April. 27 from 1 - 4 p.m. at High Prairie Library – Calendar
• Sat., May 11 from 1 - 4 p.m. at Manitou Springs Library – Calendar
• Sat., June 15 from 1 - 4 p.m. at Library 21c – Calendar
• Sat., July 20 from 1 - 4 p.m. at East Library – Calendar
• Sat., Aug. 31 from 1 - 4 p.m. at Rockrimmon Library – Calendar
• Sat., Sep. 14 from 1 - 4 p.m. at Penrose Library – Calendar
• Sat., Oct. 19 from 1 - 4 p.m. at Monument Library – Calendar
• Sat., Nov. 2 from 1 - 4 p.m. at Banning Lewis Ranch – Calendar