What's New!

We are so excited to announce the Teen Fiction Writing 2015 Anthology is complete! The anthology features our winners and honorable mentions from the 2015 contest.

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it." - Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Nelle Harper Lee has died at the age of 89. Lee won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1961 for her book, To Kill a Mockingbird, one of the great works of American literature. Search the Catalog for titles by Harper Lee

The results are in!
Last Stop on Market Street

Newbery Medal

The Newbery Medal for "the most distinguished American children's book" of 2016 was awarded to Last Stop on Market Street, written by Matt de la Peña.

"The celebratory warmth is irresistible, offering a picture of community that resonates with harmony and diversity." - Booklist.

Finding Winnie

Caldecott Medal

Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick, is the 2016 Caldecott Medal winner.

"A perfect melding of beautiful art with soulful, imaginative writing, this lovely story, penned by Colebourn's great-great granddaughter, is ideal for sharing aloud or poring over individually." - School Library Journal.

PPLD's Award Booklists:

Caldecott Medal Winners
- (printable)

Newbery Medal Winners
- (printable)

Visit the Newbery Medal and Caldecott Medal websites for a full list of Honor books.

The Teen Art Contest is for teens and by teens. Teens create the art, and teens determine the winners.

The theme for our 2015 Teen Art Show & Contest was Out of This World. Teens were encouraged to think beyond the scope of the everyday and explore a fantastical realm or the deepest depths of space through art.

A HUGE thank you to our sponsors Meininger Art Supply and Her Story Café for donating prizes for the teen artists!

Middle School


Isabella Wright
"Deep Sea Universe"
Middle School - 1st Place


Andrea Lira
"The World Is Too Big for Us to Hold
Middle School - 2nd Place

High School


Hector Medrano
"Moon Rise"
High School - 1st Place


Molly Meyer
"Melted Hearts"
High School - 2nd Place


Natalia Valentine
Infinite Sky
High School - Coordinators' Choice

Best of Show


Pamela Flores
"Space Encounter"
Middle School - Best of Show


Taylor Logar
"It Looks Cooler Upside Down"
High School - Best of Show

The great David Bowie passed away on January 10, 2016 after an 18 month battle with cancer. What can we say? His legacy cannot be understated. A multi-talented trailblazer who made some of the most powerful music of recent times. I try to think of my favorite, but it's impossible to pick just one, especially since his lexicon is so varied. Perhaps "Heroes", "Space Oddity", or "Changes"? When I hear "Space Oddity" I get goosebumps. "Kooks" is a love song to my six year old daughter. His "Blue Jean" music video opened the door. And that's just his music. Bowie was also an actor, producer, songwriter, and style icon.

Click here to learn more about David Bowie.

Want to hear some Bowie? Try PPLD's Hoopla and Freegal services. Hoopla lets you stream music and temporarily download songs. Freegal allows you to download up to 5 songs per week for free. You will need a valid library card to access these services.

What's your favorite David Bowie song?

PPLD checked out a whopping 8 million titles in 2015! Here are lists of the top ten titles by number of checkouts for 2015. How many of these have you read?

Adult Fiction and Nonfiction

  1. The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. Total Checkouts = 2492
  2. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Total Checkouts = 1747
  3. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee. Total Checkouts = 1218
  4. Memory Man by David Baldacci. Total Checkouts = 1149
  5. In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides. Total Checkouts = 1005
  6. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. Total Checkouts = 847
  7. The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. Total Checkouts = 804
  8. Gray Mountain by John Grisham. Total Checkouts = 800
  9. A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler. Total Checkouts = 775
  10. 14th Deadly Sin by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro. Total Checkouts = 662

Juvenile Fiction

  1. Wonder by R.J. Palacio. Total Checkouts = 1770
  2. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. Total Checkouts = 923
  3. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney. Total Checkouts = 813
  4. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul by Jeff Kinney. Total Checkouts = 716
  5. Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss. Total Checkouts = 678
  6. Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss. Total Checkouts = 625
  7. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling. Total Checkouts = 620
  8. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. Total Checkouts = 603
  9. The Cat in the Hat Comes Back! by Dr. Seuss. Total Checkouts = 585
  10. Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage. Total Checkouts = 577

Teen Fiction

  1. The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. Total Checkouts = 770
  2. The Maze Runner by James Dashner. Total Checkouts = 711
  3. The Giver by Lois Lowry. Total Checkouts = 627
  4. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner. Total Checkouts = 608
  5. Paper Towns by John Green. Total Checkouts = 582
  6. If I Stay by Gayle Forman. Total Checkouts = 493
  7. Allegiant by Veronica Roth. Total Checkouts = 481
  8. Insurgent by Veronica Roth. Total Checkouts = 478
  9. Four : A Divergent Collection by Veronica Roth. Total Checkouts = 446
  10. The Death Cure by James Dashner. Total Checkouts = 425

Want to review a book? Fill out our Book Review Form!

There is a $50 fee for makers selling merchandise at the Colorado Springs Mini Maker Faire. If you wish to sell any items, you must have a city sales tax license and collect tax yourself.

If you are not selling anything at the Faire, you do not have to pay.

Downton Abbey fundraiserThe dedication of Pikes Peak Library District staff went above and beyond the call of duty during the Tri-Building Capital Campaign. Having challenged themselves to raise $50,000 for the campaign, the staff committee held various events for PPLD employees. The events included a Sushi and Sake tasting, a Downton Abbey Tea and Tour held at Grace and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, and a Tuesday Night Karma Hour held at Bristol Brewing Co., along with other events.

Many staff members also choose to donate back to the Pikes Peak Library District Foundation through payroll deductions. This type of dedication and support from the staff at PPLD went a long way in making the Tri-Building Capital Campaign a success.
Sushi and Sake Tasting fundraiser
Karma Hour fundraiser

Staff Committee Members:

Greg Roes
Margaret Morris
Karin Huxman
Tina Marie Matiatos
Missy Hernandez
Amy Rodda
Sandy Hancock
Deborah Worthey
Cheryl Martin

Gale Directory Library contains a wide variety of information that can help you start and grow your business. The database is a combination of several directories that cover the Encyclopedia of Associations, from the local to international level, as well as the Gale Directory of Early Stage Investment.

If you're looking for funding for your business, the Directory of Early Stage Investment could be a great place to start. It includes detailed information on venture capitalists, business incubators, angel investors, corporate investment divisions, crowd-funding and co-operative groups.

The Encyclopedia of Associations can help you identify associations that might apply to your topic or industry. Associations are valuable sources of information because they often will collect data on their industry of interest. Many associations have whole libraries of data and statistics that can help you with market research, competitors, industry reports, and much more. Becoming a member of a relevant association can be well worth the membership fee not just for the industry information that they can provide you with, but for making connections with others in your industry.

You can search the Gale Directory Library by entity name, keyword, or subject. Search the entire database, or use the "Advanced Search" function to search just a specific publication.

You can access this and other business databases through PPLD's Business/Finance subject guide. If you're accessing the database from your home or office, you will be prompted to login using your library card number and PIN. Once you login you have access to this resource totally free!

Take some time to explore this resource and, as always, we're here to help if you have questions!

The Friends of the Pikes Peak Library District are now selling books online, through Amazon, Ebay and our web store. The Friends growing online collection features an assortment of both non-fiction and fiction, including history, textbooks, best-sellers and more. Purchases benefit Pikes Peak Library District. Now you can purchase books for yourself and help us provide books for others. Contact us if you have questions.

Purchasing a courtyard paver is a great way to honor family and friends, commemorate memories and events, or to publicize your organization or business. Your purchase of a courtyard paver also contributes to PPLD's Tri-Building project, providing 21st Century Library service through innovative library spaces and technology for everyone in our community.

Commemorative pavers are now available at Fountain Library!

Congratulations to the winners of the Teen Fiction Writing Contest! All the winners stories will be published in an anthology—details on the anthology to come!

Results:

Middle School

  • 1st place: "Usual" by Anika Nelsestuen
  • 2nd place: "My Home" by Emma Rose Bufkin
  • 3rd place: "Shaded Sprouts" by Selena Mendez
  • Honorable mention: "Journey to the Top" by Maggie Frohnhoefer
  • Honorable mention: "Up To You" by Ally Hall

High School

  • 1st place: “Wings” by Maggie Hart
  • 2nd place: "And the Heavens Split" by Sariah Smith
  • 3rd place: "Strength in the Shadows" by Emma DeHerrera
  • Honorable mention: "To Renuvial" by Jacqueline Dunn
  • Honorable mention: "The Unexpected" by Mariah Mayhugh

Terry Pratchett, the immensely popular British fantasy novelist whose more than 70 books include the series known as Discworld, died on Thursday at his home near Salisbury, England. He was 66. Beloved by many readers, he will most certainly be missed.

 

Click here for a list of titles by Terry Pratchett
available at Pikes Peak Library District.

 

"It is hard for me to believe that there will never, ever be another book from the Disc. For years, I have waited with excitement for the newest installment from Sir Terry's universe. Each new book was better than the last: funny, insightful, and built in an immensely rich world populated with people and places that were real and widely loved. I wanted to visit Ankh Morpork. I wanted to enroll in Unseen University. I wanted to drink scumble with Nanny Ogg. I would have killed to serve in Sam Vimes' Guard. Everyone has some time in their lives when they have a brush with the famous. My proudest such moment is the time I actually had dinner with Sir Terry. He was a lover of libraries, and donated his time to the Boston Public Library for the cost of a Thai Dinner, which I was privileged to share with him. I will never forget it, and I will never forget the happy hours his work brought me. I will miss his voice immensely.

(BTW: I asked Sir Terry during dinner about his favorite character. He was writing Wintersmith at the time, and said that he was currently fascinated by Tiffany Aching. He did say, however, that he most aspired to be Sam Vimes. I told him I knew it. Because I do, too)."

-Carolyn Coulter - PPLD IT Officer

Please help up create a lasting legacy honoring one our communities most beloved leaders: Judy Noyes.

When Dick and Judy Noyes opened the Chinook Bookstore in 1950 in downtown Colorado Springs, they began writing a story of passion for reading, community service, leadership and a deep commitment to First Amendment rights. Since Judy’s passing earlier this year, friends, family members and colleagues have established several funds in honor of her various community passions.

Because Judy served as a PPLD Foundation Director and supported the library in numerous other ways over the years, PPLD would like to celebrate her memory with the creation of a new children’s garden in front of Penrose Library. Because Judy believed absolutely in everyone’s right to read, and in the power of literacy---especially for our children, and because she also had a passion for maintaining the downtown area as a vibrant space within our community, we believe a children’s garden in the midst of downtown would provide an excellent way for the community to remember her. Dick Noyes joins us in thanking you so much for considering a donation to make the Judy Noyes Children’s Garden a reality.

If you have questions about a gift, please call the Pikes Peak Library District Foundation at (719) 884-9850.

The results are in!

The Newbery Medal for "the most distinguished American children's book" of 2015 was awarded to The Crossover, written by Kwame Alexander.

"Twelve-year-old narrator Josh Bell uses the rhythms of a poetry jam to emulate the "moving & grooving/popping and rocking" of life on the basketball court with his twin brother, J.B. This powerful novel in verse paints an authentic portrait of a closely-knit family on the brink of crisis. Swish! This book is nothing but net!"

The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, illustrated by Dan Santat, is the 2015 Caldecott Medal winner.

"In four delightful “visual chapters,” Beekle, an imaginary friend, undergoes an emotional journey looking for his human. Santat uses fine details, kaleidoscopic saturated colors, and exquisite curved and angular lines to masterfully convey the emotional essence of this special childhood relationship."

PPLD's Award Booklists:

Caldecott Medal Winners
- (printable)

Newbery Medal Winners
- (printable)

Visit the Newbery Medal and Caldecott Medal websites for a full list of Honor books.

For what it's worth, my daughter and I LOVE Beekle!

All the Light We Cannot See, by Anthony Doerr, was awarded the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

"An imaginative and intricate novel inspired by the horrors of World War II and written in short, elegant chapters that explore human nature and the contradictory power of technology."

The High Prairie Seed Library officially launched on Saturday, April 25, 2015!

PPLD is very proud of the hard work that Rhonda Curtis, High Prairie staff member extraordinaire, has put into this 2 year project.

High Prairie Library kicked off the grand opening with a speech from Rhonda (and tutorial), ribbon cutting, cake (carrot), refreshments, and lots of community engagement! In the process of creating the Seed Library we have made some strong connections to our communities in the area, garden clubs, and independent farmers, including generations of growers in the county extending to Calhan.

High Prairie Library will conduct a contest for the biggest pumpkin patrons can grow using the giant pumpkin seeds from the Seed Library! The pumpkins will be judged at the 4th Annual Harvest Festival on October 3, 2015.

A special thanks goes to the High Prairie Friends and staff, who have all contributed both time and resources to help get the Seed Library open.

The High Prairie Seed Library joins the Manitou Springs Seed Library as PPLD's two seed repositories.

Click here to visit the High Prairie Seed Library web page.

Pikes Peak Library District is pleased to announce the winners of the 2015 Jean Ciavonne Poetry Contest for Children:

Congratulations!

Colorado Poet Laureate Joseph Hutchison was featured on KCME's Culture Zone program which aired on March 29 and 30, 2015. Keith Simon of KCME 88.7 conducted the interview.

Many thanks to KCME for sharing the audio with us!

The Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance recognized Pikes Peak Library District for their Excellence in Community Infrastructure award.

"The Pikes Peak Library District proudly opened Library 21c this summer. It is the "launch pad" for 21st century library service and the first facility of its kind in the country. If you haven’t seen it yet, it will challenge everything you know about the public library. It’s not just a space, it’s a paradigm shift. Features include Makerspaces, Center for Public Media, Business & Entrepreneurial Center, a 400-seat Performance and Meeting Venue, and many additional services."

Love playing board games? Want to try out new games each month and meet other teens interested in board games? Come to the Teen TableTop Gaming Club at Library 21c. We meet the first Friday of the month from 4 - 5:30 p.m. in the teen area. Each month we learn and play a different game (and sometimes get out old favorites as well!). Drop by and maybe you'll discover your new favorite game! For ages 12-18. Co-sponsored by Petrie's Family Games!

When: 1st Fridays, 4 - 5:30 p.m.
Where: Library 21c teen area

Esteemed Colorado author Kent Haruf, author of Plainsong and other novels set in small-town Colorado, passed away on Sunday, November 30, 2014. Haruf was 71 years old. Haruf was born in Pueblo, Colorado in 1943. He was an undergraduate at Nebraska Wesleyan University and a graduate student in the Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa. He served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Turkey and taught high school English in Wisconsin and Colorado and fiction writing at Nebraska Wesleyan and Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. Haruf was awarded the prestigious Frank Waters Award by the Friends of the Pikes Peak Library District in 2012. Kent has received national recognition and awards for his books, The Tie That Binds, Where You Once Belonged, and Plainsong. Eventide won the Colorado Book Award and West of Last Chance, the prose/photo book co-authored with photographer Peter Brown, received the Dorothea Lange – Paul Taylor prize from the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University.

Check the Catalog for titles by Kent Haruf

From computer, meeting rooms, databases, and printing, to makerspaces, tutorials, and much more, all your business and entrepreneurial needs are met at Library 21c. And it's FREE! Watch this video for more information:

PPLD's Library 21c has been featured in two articles recently:

Library Journal - "The Library of the Century | Design4Impact"

The Gazette - "Colorado Springs library is ahead of the tech curve"

Indeed, "(Libraries) are becoming the vibrant centers of the community where everyone is welcome and there is something available for everyone."

After 15 years and 272,236 miles of service to the residents of El Paso County, Mobile Library 698 will be leaving tomorrow to serve another library district in Southern Colorado. Happy trails, old friend!
Mobile Library 698

Mobile Library 698