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Summer Adventure: Secret Decoder

Take and Makes for this project, for ages 5-12, will be available at area PPLD libraries Friday, June 4, 2021.

Secret Decoder Assembly

  1. Cut out both wheels from the template. Click on the pdf file below to find the template.
  2. Place the smaller wheel on top of the larger wheel, lining up the dots in the middle of each wheel.
  3. Poke a paper fastener (brad) through both wheels and fasten on the bottom. You can use a pencil to poke a small hole to make it easier to push the brad through.

Decode a Secret Message

  1. Spin the smaller, inside wheel around until the outer and inner letters match the key on the secret message. For example, the key AZ would mean that the letter “Z” on the inner wheel would line up with the letter “A” on the outer wheel.
  2. Decode the message by finding the letters on the outer wheel and writing the corresponding letter found on the inner wheel down on a piece of paper.

Write a Secret Message

  1. Write out your message on a piece of paper.
  2. Decide on your secret code. Chose any two letters and spin the inner wheel around until your chosen letters line up on the outer and inner wheel.
  3. Find the letters for your secret message on the inner wheel. Write down the corresponding letter on the outer wheel.
  4. Write the secret code on a new sheet of paper so no one can see your original message!
  5. Give the secret code and the decoder to a friend. Tell them the key (the two letters you chose) and see if they can figure out your secret message!
Decoder Ring Template.pdf
Secret Decoder Instructions and Practice.pdf

Math Stroll

Come and enjoy a Math Stroll at your local library! Families will enjoy doing interactive math activities outdoors during this engaging program.

For ages 3 - 10. Available in English and Spanish!

Window Strolls:

Outdoor Strolls:

Homeschool: Backyard Birds Bookmark

Take and Makes for this project will be available at area PPLD libraries beginning Friday, May 28, 2021.

Spring is a great time to learn more about the birds that live in Colorado Springs! Look at the photos on the bookmark in your Take and Make and check off the birds that you can find (or click on the birds bookmark below to print). There may be some hidden in plain sight at your library location! Or head outdoors to see how many species you can spy. With your Take and Make laminated copy, erase your checkmarks with a damp cloth and use the bookmark again and again. See the bird identification chart below for bird species names.

Checkout the Birds Resources pdf below also. There are websites and books to check out.

Photo by mana5280 on Unsplash
Birds Bookmark.pdf
BirdIdentification.pdf
BirdResources.pdf
Backyard Birds Instructions.pdf

COVID-19 Vaccinations at PPLD

Pikes Peak Library District was selected as a vaccine equity clinic site as part of Governor Polis’ efforts to ensure that every person in Colorado has access to the COVID-19 vaccine, no matter who they are or where they live.

“Since we began distributing vaccines to communities across our state, we have made a concerted effort to do so in a way that is equitable, saves the most lives, and ends the immediate public health crisis as quickly as possible,” said Governor Jared Polis. “With each vaccine administered we take another step toward getting back to life as we knew it. I want to thank community organizations across our state for their partnership in ensuring that every person who wants a vaccine, can get one.”

Get Vaccinated at PPLD!

Everybody’s Welcome Community Celebration PPLD Booth

  • Where: UCHealth Park Vibes Stadium
  • IMPORTANT: Please remember, patients must commit to both dates (1st and 2nd doses) in order to receive their first dose. We cannot guarantee accommodation for those who can’t attend the 2nd dose clinic.
  • Vaccine: Pfizer

    • Additional dates and locations coming soon. If you are unable to attend, the registration link below provides additional options. An American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter and Spanish translator will be on-site for the clinic as well.

The clinic is open to those 12 years and older. Appointments preferred but walk-ins welcome.

Get Your Second Dose!

Sand Creek Clinic May 5
If you received your first dose at Sand Creek Library on May 5, you must register for your second dose below.

COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions - EN
Preguntas frecuentes sobre la vacuna COVID-19 - SP
Pfizer Fact Sheet
Moderna Fact Sheet
Janssen Fact Sheet
What to expect after getting a COVID-19 vaccine - EN
What to expect after getting a COVID-19 vaccine - SP
COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions - CDC

KidsMAKE: Tissue Paper Painting

Take and Makes for this project will be available at area PPLD libraries beginning this Friday, May 21, 2021.

Supplies and Directions:

Step 1.
Gather your supplies.
Provided in your bag: art paper, assorted tissue paper colors, paint brush
From home: water

Step 2.
Pre-wet your art paper using your paint brush and water.

Step 3.
Put your colorful tissue paper squares on your art paper however you like. This is process art which means you get to decide what to do and have fun doing it!

Step 4.
Using your paintbrush, brush water all over your tissue paper. Make sure you are soaking it pretty well; the colors will be more vibrant.

Step 5.
Once it is dry, peel your tissue paper pieces off and display your colorful creation!

Tissue Paper Painting.pdf

National Week of Making

Celebrate creativity with us for National Week of Making! From Mon., May 17 - Sun., May 23, we’ll be shining a light on ways to get involved with making in El Paso County. Share your creations with us with the hashtag #WeekofMaking2021. To read more about National Week of Making, visit Nation of Makers.

To kick off the week, we’ll be offering Watercolor Take and Makes at all Makerspace locations (Sand Creek Library, East Library, Library 21C, and Manitou Springs Library). Kits will include simple watercolor supplies and a written and video tutorial to get you started (available while supplies last).

While you’re there, check out our Makerspaces! We offer a wide range of tools and technology, from laser cutters to sewing machines to 3D printers to conversion machines. East Library and Sand Creek Library also offer a recording studio. You can take a tour, book time to use the space, and stop by our Creation Station to take a selfie!

Check out some of the resources below to learn more about what the library has to offer for makers!

STEM: A Really Long Straw

Take and Makes for this STEM project will be available at area PPLD libraries beginning Fri., May 14.

Supplies and Directions

Materials Provided: 12 drinking straws, duct tape


Materials You Provide: Scissors, ruler, drinking glass filled with water, level surface that can get wet (or if not, something to protect it), sturdy chair to stand on.


While sipping a drink through your straw seems fairly simple, it’s actually a complicated process. As you sip, you are lowering the air pressure inside your mouth and the liquid is pushed up into your mouth.
In this activity, you’ll experiment with the length of your straw. Are you able to create a long straw that actually works? What is the longest straw you can create and drink out of?


Let’s get started and find out.

  1. Cut 2 lengthwise slits in one end of each plastic straw. The slits should be about ½" long. An adult can help with this is necessary.
  2. Slip the cut straw end over the uncut end of another straw.
  3. Cut the strip of duct tape into short 3/4” strips.
  4. Wrap tape around your joint so there is an airtight seal. (Why do you think it’s necessary to have an airtight seal?)
  5. Test your straw by placing the end of the straw into your glass of water. The glass of water should be on a level surface that can get wet. Try taking a drink. It’s best to hold your straw vertically.
  6. If you’re able to drink, try adding more straws one at a time. Test after each addition.
  7. If you’re unable to drink, then check each connection to see if it’s airtight. All holes will need sealed with your tape.
  8. As your straw gets longer, you may need to stand on a chair to drink. You can also test your straw with different angles.
  9. What is the longest straw that you created that worked?
Really Long Straw template.pdf

National Foster Care Month

May is National Foster Care Month. Learn more with PPLD!

All-Ages Booklist

About Foster Care

An average of 10 children and youth entered foster care each day in Colorado in 2020. In 2019, the Colorado Department of Human Services child abuse and neglect hotline received 219,478 calls. Foster care is always a last resort for kids and families. In El Paso County alone, the Department of Human Services receives approximately 16,000 Child Abuse Hotline calls per year. Of those calls, only about 400 results in the removal of the child.

This means, the children placed in foster care are the most severely abused and neglected and their removal was either an emergency or a last measure after their parents failed to remedy the problems in their home. – Hope & Home

ReMoved Video:

Hope & Home
Hope & Home is a local foster care agency. At Hope & Home, we believe that foster parenting is a calling. We believe that every single child who walks through our doors is precious and deserving of safety and love. We believe that reunification with a child’s biological parents when possible is best. We believe that adoption when necessary is beautiful.

Hope & Home is a licensed child placement agency, serving children and families across Colorado. We recruit, train, license, and support families to care for children in foster care.

Hope & Home is a community-based foster care agency on a mission to reinvent foster care across Colorado.

Abused and neglected children who have been removed from their birth homes get a stable and nurturing family to live with until it’s safe to go home again, or — when that safety isn’t possible — a family to give them a forever home through adoption.

Watch one family’s incredible foster care story.

Learn More About Foster Parenting:

References:

Kids Crossing

  • About Kids Crossing:
    Kids Crossing is an agency founded BY foster parents, FOR foster parents. Our mission is to strengthen families so they may provide the best care to those children entrusted to them.
  • Monthly Informational Meetings:
    Learn more about how you can become involved with Kids Crossing! Attend one of our informational meetings to meet staff and learn how Kids Crossing is different from other child placement agencies.
  • Support:
    As a Kids Crossing Foster Parent, YOU ARE NOT ALONE…Becoming a foster parent is a life changing decision, and being a foster parent is a tough job! Foster care is not for everyone, but if you are ready to commit to foster youth in need, Kids Crossing is here to support you every step of the way.

Special Kids Special Families

  • About Special Kids Special Families:
    SKSF’s Foster Care & Adoption program places children with special needs, including mental, emotional and physical disabilities into loving and caring homes. We serve children of all ethnicities, ages and situations. It is uniquely positioned as the “go-to” agency supporting foster children with disabilities due to its integration and access to the full range of SKSF programs and services.
  • Become a foster parent:
    Our foster care program encourages the achievement of every child’s full potential by providing a stable and nurturing alternative family environment. At the same time, we implement specific treatment plans for foster children and their families while working towards the best permanent outcome for everyone involved. To Become a Foster Parent with SKSF can be one of the most rewarding experiences.
  • Zoom Info Meetings:
    Special Kids Special Families is offering a FREE informational meeting about becoming a foster parent/family. This is the perfect opportunity to learn about the need for more foster families, what it takes to become a foster parent, and have all your questions answered. This meeting also serves as our orientation to those who have decided to begin the process of becoming foster parents. This meeting is offered remotely via Zoom.
  • Foster Family Stories

Bethany Christian Services

  • About Bethany Christian Services:
    Family Changes Everything: We believe every child deserves to be safe, loved, and connected through family. Bethany is a global nonprofit that supports children and families with world-class social services, all designed to help families thrive.
  • Of all the ways you can show love, foster care is one of the greatest. When you welcome a child or teen into your home, you show them bold love while their family works toward reunification. If you're interested in playing this important role, Bethany can help you be the answer for a child in need. You provide a loving home, and we'll provide the support you need.
  • Unaccompanied minors at the border:
    What’s happening and how you can help. Thousands of unaccompanied children crossing the border need safe and loving foster homes now.
  • Dismantling the Myths of Foster Care
  • Bobbi, a mom reunited with her kids after foster care.

Adoption & Genealogy Resources from Regional History & Genealogy

Laws governing access to birth records vary depending on the state where you were born. If you are adopted, you may or may not be able to request an original birth certificate, or certain information on your certificate may not be available. Use the resources below to learn more about the research process and record availability.

Online Resources
Child Welfare Information Gateway (A service of the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)

FamilySearch (Nonprofit genealogy database)

Special Collections Reference Books:

National Foster Care Month Booklist

May is National Foster Care Awareness Month

On average, 10 children and youth enter foster care each day in Colorado because their parents need time to learn new skills and address safety concerns. This all-ages booklist is filled with captivating and engaging stories about children and teens experiencing foster care, click on pdf to view booklist. Source: CO4K.org

FosterCare Booklist 2021.pdf

Tween Twist: Paint Pouring

Take and Makes for Paint Pouring, for ages 9-12, will be available at area PPLD libraries starting Friday, May 7, 2021.

Watch this project at: https://youtu.be/sdIewTwn6lo?list=PLMEg2Dd0dSFctLfDQxsL5SmuE8zkwQFmu

Supplies:

Included in kit: 1 canvas, 1 container of Floetrol (stabilizer), 2 containers of acrylic paint, wooden craft sticks for stirring, small cups for mixing

Needed from home: Newspaper, plastic, or foil (to cover your workspace)

Directions:

  1. Cover your workspace with newspaper, plastic, or foil to contain the mess from the paint. Consider wearing an old shirt or apron and push your sleeves out of the way of the paint.
  2. Pour the stabilizer (the Floetrol) into three plastic cups. Add a separate paint color to each plastic cup and mix with wooden stirrers. For best results, keep a 1:1 ratio of stabilizer to paint in the disposable cups. You can combine the two paints in one cup to make three colors.
  3. Decide which technique you want to use and follow those instructions for prepping the paint. (See “techniques” below).
  4. Pour the paint onto the canvas until it covers the whole thing.
  5. If you are not happy with the design, while the paint is still wet you can tilt the canvas in any direction and the paint will change before your eyes!
  6. As an optional step you can flick or drip rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer onto the canvas and watch the awesome things it does to your creation. A little goes a long way.
  7. One you are done pouring put in a dry place and wait 10 hours for it to dry fully.

Techniques:

  • Dirty Pour: After mixing the medium into each color, layer each color into a single cup. The first color you pour into the cup will be the last to appear on your surface and likely the most prominent. Pour straight on your surface or place surface face down over cup and flip the entire thing over. The paint will pour out of the cup and onto the surface of your canvas.
  • Direct Pour: Keeping your color mixtures separate, alternate pouring directly onto the surface. Tilt surface to create a marbleized pattern.
Tween Twist Take and Make Paint Pouring.pdf

Children's Book Week! May 3-9, 2021

Many adults and kids in the Pikes Peak Library District have voted for their favorite children's book! Thank you. Below, you will find the Children's Book Week booklist with the voting results. Pilkey's Dog Man is the most popular book!
Nationally, Reading is a Superpower is the theme of Children's Book Week this year.

Children's Book Week 2021.pdf

Virtual Homeschool: Earth Day

April is Earth Month, and this project introduces the idea of upcycling. Upcycling occurs when you transform something that you no longer use into something useful. In this instance, we’re upcycling our unused summer adventure T-shirts into very useful shopping bags that you can be used again and again! It’s called upcycling because the value of the item is increased. Take and Make kits, for ages 7 and up, will be available at area PPLD libraries beginning Friday, April 30, 2021.

Supplies: (see pdf link below for additional pictures)

  • Old summer adventure T-shirt (in kit)
  • Scissors (supplied at home)

Please note: Younger children may need help cutting and tying knots.

Directions:

  1. Lay the T-shirt flat. Cut off the sleeves at the seam, and then cut out the collar. Cut a second semi-circle or rectangle below the cut-out collar (the shoulders of the T-shirt will become the handles, and this will make them deeper). See red lines in photo for where to cut.
  2. Next, you will cut strips out of the bottom of the T-shirt. You might want to cut off the bottom hem of the T-shirt to make cutting the strips easier. Hold the back and front of the shirt together so you are cutting both sides at the same time to form an equal number of strips. Strips should be about one-half to one inch in width.
  3. Now, tie the strips together (front side to back side) using an overhand knot. The overhand knot is the knot you tie first when you are tying shoelaces. Check out a video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwdJ5op25SM. You might want to double knot for a stronger bag. Tie overhand knots until all the strips are knotted and the bottom of the bag is closed. Ta da! You made a bag!

Optional: Use the handles as they are, or cut apart the shoulder seam and then tie the two ends together using the overhand knot. This is basically a decorative element as the sleeve holes can be used as handles without this step.

Want another project? Check out the directions below for an Ecosystem in a Bottle

Upcycled T-Shirt Bage Instructions.pdf
Ecosystem In A Soda Bottle.pdf

Asian Pacific Heritage Month Books for Kids

Celebrate Asian Pacific Heritage Month in May! See two booklist links below, one for picture books and the other for kids' chapter books:

Asian Pacific American Heritage Picture Books.pdf
Asian Pacific American Heritage Chapter Books.pdf

Early Literacy Take and Make: Straw "Bead" Bracelet

Take and Makes for this project, for ages 3-5, will be available at area PPLD libraries starting Friday, April 30, 2021.

Mix and match straw "beads" to create a colorful bracelet. For ages 3-5.

Directions and Supplies included in kit:

  • Pipe cleaner
  • Straw “beads”

Directions:

  1. Bend one end of the pipe cleaner, so that the beads do not fall off.
  2. String beads on pipe cleaner. Note: Leave about 1” of pipe cleaner on both ends so that you can connect the bracelet at the end.
  3. When your child is finished stringing beads, twist the ends of the pipe cleaner together to close the bracelet and then tuck them inside the beads.
  4. Enjoy your beaded bracelet!

Beading is a fun activity for children of all ages. As children are placing beads on the pipe cleaner, they are developing their pincer grasp and eye hand coordination. Beading also provides an opportunity to work on patterning, naming colors, and counting!

Patterns are arrangements of things that repeat in logical way (color, size, shape, etc.). Patterns help children learn how to make predictions. As they learn more about patterns, children begin to understand what comes next, how to make logical connections, and how to use reasoning skills. These skills are important in learning to read and in math.

Try out these beading ideas:

  • Thread Cheerios onto pipe cleaners.
  • Thread egg cartons onto pipe cleaners. (Cut egg carton into 12 pieces and use a hole punch to punch holes on two sides of each piece.)
  • Cut shapes out of heavier paper or cardboard. Thread the shapes onto pipe cleaners, ribbon, or a shoe string. Tip: When threading on ribbon or a shoe string, tape one end to a table so the beads don’t slide off.

Have fun making patterns:

  • With toys, such as blocks and cars. (Block – Car – Block – Car – Block - Car)
  • By doing something. (Jump – Clap – Clap – Jump – Clap – Clap - Jump)
  • With stickers. (Animal Sticker – Shape Sticker – Animal Sticker – Shape Sticker)
  • With items you find on a nature walk. (Rock – Stick – Leaf - Rock – Stick - Leaf)

What other items can you make patterns with? Vary the patterns, making them harder as your child has more experience doing this.

Artists of the Knight

Artist of the Knight is a virtual program presented by Pikes Peak Library District, highlighting creatives who work in a variety of media in the Pikes Peak Region. Each episode focuses on an individual creative and displays examples of their work, as well as a conversational interview with the intent to explore the artist’s creative process. Watch the video anytime after they premiere! Watch here:

Be sure to follow us on Facebook for updates and more! Some videos and galleries contain nudity as part of visual art pieces, and may only be considered appropriate for ages 18+. Viewer discretion advised.

Season 1:

Season 2:

Click here to learn more about KCH.

Pikes Peak Regional History Symposium: Nice, Naughty, & Notable

Pikes Peak Library District’s Pikes Peak Regional History Symposium Program
Nice, Naughty, & Notable
Colorado Springs at 150

In a year marking the 150-year anniversary of the founding of Colorado Springs by William Jackson Palmer, Pikes Peak Library District is pleased to offer our 2021 Pikes Peak Regional History Symposium virtually! This year's program has been divided into four separate virtual events. We are excited to celebrate our city's sesquicentennial with you!

  • Saturdays from 10 - 11:30 a.m.
  • May 22, June 26, July 24, and Aug. 28

Full Program

Program Summary
Part 1 Program
Part 2 Program
Part 3 Program
Part 4 Program

KidsMAKE: Clothespin Butterflies

Take and Makes for this project for ages 5-12, will be available at area PPLD libraries beginning Friday, April 23, 2021.

Watch this project at: https://youtu.be/u08_xD4-Ok4?list=PLMEg2Dd0dSFctLfDQxsL5SmuE8zkwQFmu

Supplies and Directions:

Step 1.
Gather your supplies.
Provided in your bag: clothespin, coffee filter, pipe cleaner
From home: you will need glue, scissors, washable markers, other coloring materials (optional), water (a spray bottle makes this easier), and something to lay your butterfly on while it dries.

Step 2.
Decorate your coffee filter with colorful designs using washable markers. Once complete, place the coffee filter on a cookie sheet or plastic bag to protect your work surface. Mist the coffee filter with the spray bottle filled with water. Watch the colors blend! Set aside to dry.

Step 3.
Decorate clothespin with markers or other coloring materials. Make any design! Set aside to dry.

Step 4.
Once the coffee filter is dry, fold it in half. Take your scissors, cut the filter into a football shape starting at the crease and cut out to the edge (you may need a grownup’s help with this). Unfold coffee filter. Cut-outs should be on the sides of the filter when lying flat on your work surface. Pinch the top and bottom of the filter to meet in the center. Open the clothespin and place the coffee filter inside.

Step 5.
Curl your pipe cleaner into antennas and put inside the clothespin. Use glue to secure it all. Take your completed butterfly and enjoy it outside, in your room, and share it with your friends!

Discovery Kits

Discovery Kits are a collection of interactive items that patrons can check out to explore new topics, hobbies, and interests at home. There are Discovery Kits for all ages, from toddlers to adults. Learn more about the different kits here.

Click here to reserve your kit today!

 

They are currently available at:

Kits:

  • Round Looms
  • Electronic Playground
  • Lego Mindstorms EV3
  • Bee Bots
  • Survive the Quake Engineering Kit
  • Remote Control Gear Bot
  • Ultimate Fort Builder
  • Cubelets Discovery Set
  • Code & Go Robot Mouse Activity Set
  • MAGNA-TILES Building Set

Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month

Celebrate Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month with PPLD!

Library Crafts: Paper Lei
Take and Make available on Fri., May 7 at all locations.
In celebration of Lei Day and Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, take home everything you need to make your very own paper lei. All materials will be included, along with a brief history of the lei.

Library Crafts: Tea
Take and Make available on Fri., May 7 at Calhan, Cheyenne Mountain, East, Fountain, Library 21c, Monument, Old Colorado City, Penrose, Rockrimmon, and Sand Creek Libraries.
In celebration of Asian Pacific Heritage Month, try three teas at home! We will provide the tea and instructions for brewing.

Learn Chinese Calligraphy

Learn the art of Chinese Calligraphy in the comforts of your own home! Let JoJo, a California based instructor, teach you all about this beautiful and ancient writing style. You will learn the brief history of Chinese calligraphy, proper writing techniques, and the opportunity to write a few phrases using Chinese Calligraphy.

Please register to reserve your supply kit. Kits will be available to pick up from the East, Library 21c, and Penrose Libraries beginning on Mon., May 10. When registering, indicate in the notes field at which library you like to pick up your supply kit. One kit per registration. For ages 18+.

Special Virtual Storytime
Thu., May 20 at 10:30 a.m. on PPLDTV Youtube. Videos are not live, so you can always view the videos whenever it’s convenient for you.

Children’s Staff from around the district will invite you to join in a sing-along and then read a children’s book.

Teens Read: #Ownvoices

Resources:

Regional History & Genealogy Resources:

Website Links:

Asian Pacific American Heritage Chapter Books
Asian Pacific American Heritage Picture Books
Asian Pacific American Heritage Adult Books

Jewish American Heritage Month

Celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month with PPLD!

Library Crafts: Felt Flower for Shavuot
Take and Make available on Fri., May 7 at all locations.

In celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month, take home everything you need to make your very own Felt Flower for Shavuot. All materials will be included (you will need a glue gun and scissors), along with a brief history of the significance of Flowers for Shavuot. For ages 18+.

Resources

Regional History & Genealogy Resources

Archival Collections

Website Links:

Jewish American Heritage Month: The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Jewish Americans who have helped form the fabric of American history, culture and society.

Jewish-American Heritage Month Adult Booklist

STEM: Balancing Buddy

Take and Makes for this project will be available at area PPLD libraries beginning this Friday, April 16, 2021.

The video instructions are available at: https://tinyurl.com/PPLDVirtualSTEM

Supplies and Directions:

Materials included: Cork, two 12 inch bamboo skewers, toothpick, modeling clay, googly eyes
Materials needed: glue, paint or markers (optional)

  1. Push the pointy end of a skewer into one side of the cork at a 45 degree angle; repeat on the other side just opposite the first skewer.
  2. Push the toothpick in the center of the bottom of the cork. (*The skewers should be pointing down.)
  3. Roll two equal-sized balls of clay and press them onto the bottom ends of the skewers.
  4. Glue the two googly eyes on the cork. You’ll need to allow time for glue to dry. If you want, you can use paint or a marker to add more details to the face.
  5. Place the tip of the toothpick on your finger and see if it balances. If it leans too much to one side, adjust the angle of the skewers one at a time until the cork stands upright when balanced on the tip of your finger.

Now, have some fun! See if you can gently spin your Balancing Buddy on the tip of your finger. Try walking around the house while keeping the Balancing Buddy in place. Can you balance Balancing Buddy on your elbow? Your knee? What other experiments can you do with your Balancing Buddy?

balancing buddybalancing buddy

The science behind the project:

Everything has a center of gravity, which is the point at which its mass is evenly distributed. The clay balls are heavier than the cork, so they bring the center of gravity to the bottom of the toothpick. That’s why the bottom of the toothpick will balance on your fingertip!

Balancing Buddy.pdf

15th Annual Mountain of Authors

Welcome to the 15th Annual Pikes Peak Library District Mountain of Authors!

Keynote: Lt. Joe Kenda (Ret.)

Check out the 2021 Mountain of Authors keynote address by author and retired homicide detective Lt. Joe Kenda. Joe spoke for approximately 45 minutes, and then opened it up to a question and answer session.

Get your signed book from PPLD Friends HERE!

Lt. Joe Kenda, a twenty-three-year veteran of the Colorado Springs Police Department, spent twenty-one years chasing killers as a homicide detective and commander of the major crimes unit. Kenda and his team solved 356 of his 387 homicide cases, getting a 92 percent solve rate—one of the highest in the country. After retiring from law enforcement, he starred in Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda, an American true-crime documentary series that ran for nine seasons on the Investigation Discovery network and was aired in sixty-nine countries and territories worldwide. At its peak, Homicide Hunter averaged 1.9 million viewers in the US. See Lt. Kenda on his new crime series, American Detective, available to stream now on discovery+.

Live Panel

Please join us for this year's live, in-person panel, "Case File Conversations: Crime and the People that Chronicle It." This hour long presentation will complement the virtual keynote address by Joe Kenda on Sat., May 1, 2021, and recorded local author Book Buzz presentations. The panelists will discuss their respective careers, how they became involved in the field of crime writing/solving/reporting, and their experiences with it in the Colorado Springs community.

Recording coming soon

This year's panelists include:

  • 2020 Colorado Book Award finalist (Thriller Category) for Black Pearl and author of police procedural and psychological suspense fiction Donnell Ann Bell
  • Retired Colorado Springs Police Officer and compiler of the Homicides of the Colorado Springs Area, 1872 to Present index in Pikes Peak Library District Special Collections, Dwight Haverkorn.
  • Hosts of the Colorado Springs Gazette podcast Colorado Cold Case, Olivia Prentzel and Lance Benzel.

Book Buzz

Pike Peak Library District's annual Mountain of Authors program, including the Local Author Showcase, has gone virtual! For our virtual event, local authors have created fun and exciting Book Buzzes (short videos) to share their new books with you. Join us to discover new authors and great books for the fall. View all the videos here and see what the buzz is all about!

Videos premiered Sat., May 1 on PPLDTV YouTube.

Self-Publishing Workshop
Want to publish your own book? Learn more about self-publishing opportunities with the Library, such as Biblioboard and the Indie Author Project. This class is an overview about the self-publishing process, including creating an eBook, distribution channels, and marketing.

Video premieres Sat., May 1 on PPLDTV YouTube.

Earth Month

Celebrate Earth Month with PPLD!

Family & Children's Services
Learn about Earth Day and celebrate our green planet with fun activities, fascinating facts, and ideas for going green. For ages 6 and up. This video will be available on PPLDTV YouTube on Tue., April 27.

Visit your favorite Library starting Fri., April 30 to pick up materials for this program while supplies last.

Nature Detectives

Join Detective Honeycomb as she solves various mysteries in Colorado Springs Parks throughout the city. Learn about the Leave No Trace Principles and how to be good stewards of the land. Watch the video and discuss the "Leave No Trace" principle that is in the link in each program description.

Young Adults

Creative Services: Visible Mending

Do you have well-loved items in your wardrobe that could use a breath of new life? In this video, you'll learn about visible mending, a technique for fixing up damaged clothes with a little extra flair.

For more information on the techniques featured in this video, check out our Clothing Repair LibGuide. We've curated a list of videos and good books on the topic to get you started.

If you're interested in reserving a sewing machine or using any of the other resources available in our makerspaces, click here.

Jump to some of the techniques we covered in this video:

  • 2:54 - darning
  • 3:36 - patching & sashiko
  • 4:36 - embroidery
  • 6:00 - machine mending

Tween Twist: Origami Fun

Take and Makes for origami fun, for ages 9-12, will be available at area PPLD libraries beginning Friday, April 9, 2021.

Supplies:

Take and Makes will supply assorted Origami paper
Optional supplies needed needed from home: Scissors and a pen, pencil, or marker

Directions:

Star Wars X-wing Starfighter
Watch this project at: https://youtu.be/GyOw1JMO4hI and see pdf below for pictures.

  1. Fold Paper in half.
  2. Fold paper in half again to create a small square.
  3. Fold the square into a triangle.
  4. Unfold paper completely. Fold sides into each other to create a large triangle. You may want to watch the video for this step.
  5. Fold bottom corner of top side down to the crease. Repeat on the other side.
  6. Flip paper over and follow step 5.
  7. Fold bottom corner of one side up so that it creates a new triangle with a flat side on top. Repeat on other side. Flip paper and repeat.
  8. Fold the bottom edge to top of new triangle edge. Repeat on 3 other sides. This will complete the wings.
  9. Fold wing tips down to create guns on the wings.
  10. Enjoy your finished X-wing fighter!

See directions below for a cool Tortoise project also!

Tween Twist Take and Make Origami.pdf

Community Conversation

Community Conversations at Pikes Peak Library District is a new series of monthly events that invites the public to discuss current events and issues impacting the Pikes Peak region. We want to promote civil dialogue and greater understanding of different perspectives.

Keep an eye on our calendar to join us for future conversations on timely and relevant topics to the Pikes Peak region. More information to come on locations and times!