What's New!

Take and Makes for this project will be available at area PPLD libraries starting this Friday, August 13, 2021. Watch this project at https://youtu.be/zGzv7SBx9Iw

Supplies and Directions:

Materials Included:

• 4 washable markers
• A pipette
• A paintbrush
• White paper

Materials You Provide:

• A few crayons of different colors
• A small glass of water
• A cookie sheet or other flat board or tray
• Some scotch tape

1. Use some scotch tape to tape the corners of a piece of the white paper to a cookie tray or other flat board. This will help to keep your paper from blowing away.
2. Find a sunny spot in a window or a place outside to set your tray. It should be a spot where the sun will shine on your paper for several hours. Use the pipette to make a puddle of water in the middle of the paper. Make the puddle big enough so that the water almost reaches the sides of the paper. Use a crayon to draw around the shape of the puddle. Be careful to draw around the water, not through it.
3. Wait an hour or so and check on your puddle. Did the puddle shrink? Did it change shape? Use a different color crayon to draw around the puddle’s new shape.
4. After another hour or so, check again. Each time you check, your puddle will be smaller and you will need to draw a new line with a different color crayon around the new shape. This process will take some time – at least a few hours - so you can do other things while you wait.
5. After your puddle is completely dry, you should see rings of different color crayon shapes on your paper. Use the markers to color in between the crayon shapes. You can do this any way you want. Then wet the paintbrush in your glass of water and brush over the marker colors you made on the paper to spread the colors. It will look like a watercolor painting! The water won’t stick to the places where the crayon is, so you will still be able to see the original shapes.

You and the power of the sun have teamed up to make some beautiful Evaporation Art!

Here’s the science behind the project:

Evaporation happens when water, a liquid, turns into vapor, a gas, and rises up. You’ve seen what happens to a puddle after a rainstorm. Does the water stay there forever? No. The heat of the sun causes the water to turn into a vapor. It evaporates, and the puddle disappears. The same thing happens in our project. The little puddle you create will evaporate and shrink when exposed to the heat of the sun until it is gone.

Take and Makes for this project will be available at area libraries beginning, Friday, August 6, 2021. Be sure to check out Free Comic Book Day on Saturday, August 14!

Materials and Instructions:

• Scissors (you provide)
• Bam! and Pow! icons (found on PDF below)
• Epoxy sticker (clear & round)
• Magnet with adhesive sticker

1. Cut out a “Bam!” or “Pow!” icon found in the PDF linked below. There are two of each icon on this sheet in case you make a mistake! Or, cut out a 1" circle and decorate it.
2. Place your icon face up on the table. Take the backing off the clear plastic epoxy sticker and press the sticky side to the top of the colorful side of the icon. You want to be able to see the icon through the sticker. If there is a piece of plastic on the non-sticky side of the epoxy sticker, peel it off and discard.
3. If the magnet has a separate adhesive sticker, peel the paper backing off one side of the double-sided adhesive sticker and attach to the magnet. If the adhesive sticker is already attached, skip this step.
4. Remove the backing from the sticker attached to the magnet and stick the magnet to the back of the paper circle.
5. Congrats you have a magnet! Repeat for the second magnet.

Come dance under the sea with us! Twirl, jump, and jam out with family and friends as we celebrate our underwater friends - you might even see an octopus!

Costumes and dressing up are encouraged.

East Library*

• When: Wed., Sep. 8 from 9:30 - 11 a.m.
• Where: Community Room
• Click here to register.

Mobile Library Services

• When: Sat., Sep. 11 from 10 - 11 a.m.
• Where: Switchback Coffee Roasters Hillside, 917 E. Moreno St., 80903
• Click here for more information.

Library 21c*

• When: Sat., Sep. 18 from 4 - 4:45 p.m.
• Where: Venue
• Click here for information.

Penrose Library*

• When: Wed., Sep. 29 from 11 - 11:30 a.m.
• Where: Columbine Meeting Room
• Click here for more information.

Mobile Library Services

• When: Sat., Oct. 2 from 11 - 11:30 a.m
• Where: Banning Lewis Ranch, 8833 Vista Del Pico Blvd, 80927
• Click here for more information.

High Prairie Library

• When: Sat., Oct. 9 from 9:30 - 10 a.m.
• Click here for more information.

Rockrimmon Library*

• When: Tue., Oct. 19 from 9 - 9:30 a.m.
• Click here for more information.

Cheyenne Mountain Library

• When: Sat., Oct 30 from 10:30 - 11 a.m.
• Click here for more information.

*Registration required.

Coding is fun and very cool. Check out this list of coding books for tweens. Click on link below.

Photo by Marta Wave from Pexels

Can your water balloons survive a big drop? Find out with this experiment.

Supplies:

• One balloon
• Water
• One plastic shopping bag
• One rubber band

Directions:

1. Add water to your balloon, don't fill the balloon, leave lots of room to tie the balloon closed.
2. Cut the ends of the handles of the bags. Tie or rubber band them to the knotted end of a water balloon.
3. Go outside and drop it from a high place to see if it breaks when it lands.
4. Test and retest until your balloon breaks.
5. Try it again with another balloon.

See what else you can attach to your parachute and let drop.

Take and Makes for this project will be available at area libraries beginning, Friday, July 23, 2021. Watch this project at: https://youtu.be/nrhKBIg0sl4?list=PLMEg2Dd0dSFctLfDQxsL5SmuE8zkwQFmu

Supplies and Directions:

Provided in your bag: a paper bowl, streamers, fishing line, assorted decorative materials (decorative materials vary amongst bags)

From home: glue, markers, tape, other decorative materials (optional)

Step 1
Color and decorate the outside of your bowl. Make sure to leave room to draw some eyes if your jellyfish needs them!

Step 2
Cut your streamers in half longways and glue/tape them to the inside rim of your bowl so they are hanging down.

Step 3
Poke a hole in the middle of your bowl and string your piece of fishing line through it; tape it on the inside so it stays in place.

Step 4
Hang your jellyfish up (you can use a piece of tape to attach the other end of the fishing line) and enjoy your new, colorful friend! Give them a name too!

Take and Makes for this project, for ages 9-12, will be available at area PPLD libraries starting Friday, July 16, 2021. Watch the YouTube tutorial here: https://youtu.be/5o6RJm9AMGY

Note: If you are not familiar with macrame knotting, watching the YouTube tutorial is highly recommended. The pdf file below will show all the steps in pictures.

Directions:

1. Attach the cords to the keychain clasp. Secure each of the 48” pieces of cord to the keychain clasp using larks head knots. To create a larks head knot, fold one of the pieces of cord in half. Hold the cord close to the middle so it makes a little loop. Slip this behind the keychain clasp. Pull the two ends of the cord around the keychain clasp and through the loop and pull tight. Your cord should now be wrapped tightly around the keychain clasp. Repeat for the other two 48” pieces of cord.
2. Use the safety pin or some tape to secure the clasp to something stable. You are now ready to start knotting!
3. Tie diagonal double half hitch knots. Take the two pieces of cord on the left. Wrap the right cord (the working cord) around the left cord (the filler cord) and pull the end of the cord through the loop. Pull the knot tight and position it toward the top of the filler cord. Repeat to have two (or a double) knots. The working cord becomes the new filler cord and the cord directly to its right becomes the new working cord. Wrap the working cord around the filler cord and pull the end through the loop. Pull the knot tight and position it slightly lower at a diagonal to the first set of knots. Repeat to create your second double half hitch knot.
4. On the right, make three diagonal double half hitch knots going down and to the left. Repeat the steps above, only going the opposite direction. This will form a nice V shape.
5. Continue this process for six more rows (there will be seven all together). You should have two double half hitch knots going from left to right and three going from right to left for each row.
6. For the eighth row, starting on the left you’ll do the one diagonal double half hitch down and to the right, then you’ll hold both the filler cord AND the working cord from the first knot together and tie the second diagonal double half hitch over them both (down and to the right).
7. Then switch over to the right side and do the same process. The first diagonal double half hitch down and to the left will be normal. For the second knot, you’ll hold the filler cord and the working cord from the first knot together and tie the knot over them.
8. Finish with a wrapping knot at the bottom. Grab the 20″ long piece of rope and hold it against the ends in a U shape. Then begin wrapping firmly right under the last row of double half hitch knots. Wrap around four times. Thread the end of the cord you’ve been wrapping with through the loop underneath the wraps (the bottom of the U you made earlier). Then pull the short cord sticking out of the top of the wraps until the loop slides up under the wraps about halfway. Don’t accidentally pull it out of the top! Trim the two ends of the wrapping knot and push them up under the wraps. Knot your thread near the end, leaving a couple inches of tail at the end so that you can tie off your thread when you’re done.
9. Now for the fun part! Cut the fringe at the bottom in an inverted V shape (like a fish tail, or a mermaid tail in this case). If you have a macrame or pet brush, use that to brush the strands out really well. You can also pick the strands apart to create the fringe. Once it’s brushed out, trim it again back into the upside-down V shape. Optional: If desired, you can spray the fringe tail with a stiffener such as some Aleene’s Stiffen Quik spray to help it hold its shape.

It's Colorado Springs 150^th birthday this month! 150 years is a sesquicentennial birthday. To celebrate, PPLD children's staff gathered some great historical fiction for kids. The books touch on several different times and places in the history of our country. Click on the pdf link below to see the booklist.

Starting on Thu., July 1, 3D printers will be available for use during Open Hours through walk-ins and reservations at East Library, Library 21c, Sand Creek Library, and Manitou Springs Library! Learn about all equipment available here.

PPLD Makerspace Equipment is also available now at Manitou Springs Library. Learn more about what's available here.

Visit our 3D Printing LibGuide for more information.

PPLD is proud to announce the return of the Pikes Peak Poet Laureate Program! We will be accepting applications for the position from Thu., July 15 to Sun., Aug. 15. The Poet Laureate builds a literary arts community through poetry by developing an appreciation of written and performance poetry and inspiring and celebrating poetry and poets in the Pikes Peak Region with dynamic programs of engagement, advocacy, and education.

Click here to apply!

Printed applications can be submitted at any PPLD Location.

Take and Makes for this project will be available at area PPLD libraries beginning this Friday, July 9, 2021. Watch this project at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_g0THNq4WI

Film Canister Rockets propel with a strong force. Please provide adult supervision and stand back about 6 feet as the canister flies. Personal safety goggles are recommended. This project is best done outside as the rocket may fly over 20 feet into the air! In addition, the “Alka-Seltzer” used for propulsion could be harmful if ingested.

Supplies and Directions:

Materials provided: film canister, Alka-Seltzer tablets
Materials you provide: water

Procedure:

1. Put on your safety goggles and head outside with your materials. (If you must do this inside, do not turn the canister upside down in step 5.)
2. Break an Alka-Seltzer tablet in thirds.
3. Fill your canister a third full of water.
4. Quickly drop an Alka-Seltzer piece into your water and snap on the lid.
5. Continuing to work quickly, turn the film canister upside down and place it on the ground. Step back 6 feet.
6. In about 10 seconds, you will hear a pop and watch your canister fly!
7. If the canister hasn’t launched in about a minute, you may have a leak. Look around your area for evidence of a leak. Pick up the canister while aiming it away from you to empty it and try again.
8. If your canister doesn’t launch or doesn’t fly far, try some of the experiments listed below.

The science behind this:

When you combine the Alka-Seltzer tablet and the water, they produce carbon dioxide. Pressure builds up inside the canister as the gas is released. The gas builds until the lid is blasted down and the canister is propelled upwards. Real rockets use rocket fuel to produce thrust in a similar way. If you’d like, you can create fins and a cone out of paper to control your rocket’s path.

Extensions: Experiment with the following:

• Does water temperature affect either timing or height of the propulsion?
• How does the size of the tablet piece affect the time it takes for the rocket to launch?
• How do your paper fins & cone affect the rocket’s path?
• What amount of water gives your rocket its highest flight?
• What amount of water gives your rocket tis quickest launch?

Lemonade slushies are a great way to beat the summer heat! There's little to no mess. They're fun for all ages and you get slushy goodness.

Take and Makes for this family project will be available at area PPLD libraries beginning Friday, July 2, 2021.

Supplies and Directions:

Materials provided in the Take and Make kit: 1-gallon Ziploc, 1-quart Ziploc, 2 lemonade packets.
Materials you provide at home: water, salt, ice, spoon, cup (optional), towel (optional)

1. Place ice cubes and salt in the gallon sized Ziploc bag. Start with 15-20 ice cubes and 1-2 tablespoons salt.
2. Mix HALF of a lemonade powder packet and 8-10 ounces of water in the quart-sized Ziploc. Remove as much excess air as possible and seal the bag.
3. Place the bag with lemonade into the bag of ice and salt. Seal the large Ziploc.
4. Shake or knead the bags for about 5 minutes until your lemonade has become a slushy. If the bags get too cold, wrap them in a towel.
5. Carefully remove the lemonade bag from the larger bag. You don't want to get salt in your lemonade. Pour it into a cup to eat it or eat it right out of the bag.

Tips:
If it seems to be taking too long, add more salt and ice.
Other beverages also work, so experiment to find your favorite.

We need your help to create art for Panorama Park! The tile art project will include over 7,000 individual tiles made by the community that will come together to create a beautiful statement piece that celebrates the diversity and unity of Southeast Colorado Springs. Please attend a FREE tile art workshop to put your personal touch on the park through the tile art project.

This project is being paid for by the Trust for Public Land and facilitated by Sand Creek Library and local artist Jere Rose (aka Rizzo). Tile-making workshops will be happening throughout 2021 and tiles will be fired at Sand Creek Library. The mural will be installed in Panorama Park once the renovation is finished (goal of late Spring 2022).

The Knob Hill neighborhood is home to an extraordinary amount of street art. Tour the neighborhood and see the murals at the street level with the street artists who created the art. Learn about the community focused organization, Knob Hill Urban Art District, that creates the murals. Talk with the artists. Experience the art up close. Snake your way through the alleys of the district to find hidden gems. Don't forget your walking shoes!

• Where: Knob Hill, meet at 2331 E. Platte Ave., Colorado Springs, CO 80918
• When:
  • Fri., July 23 at 3 p.m.
  • Fri., Aug 6 at 3 p.m.
  • Fri., Aug. 20 at 3 p.m.
  • Fri., Sept. 10 at 3 p.m.

Take and Makes for this project will be available at area libraries beginning Friday, June 25, 2021.

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

Supplies and Directions:

Provided in your Take and Make bag: a paper plate, four craft sticks, sequins
Supplies from home: glue, markers, other decorative materials

1. Cut your paper plate in half; you now have two halves to make two fans.
2. Take your first half and two craft sticks, cross the craft sticks like an X, and glue/tape them to the back of the plate. This will be your handle.
3. Using sequins, markers, crayons, paint, whatever you like, decorate your fans for summer! Keep one with you on hot days to stay cool!

Take and Makes for this project will be available at area PPLD libraries beginning Friday, June 18, 2021.

Watch this project at: https://youtu.be/dQVo4jP7a_c?list=PLMEg2Dd0dSFctLfDQxsL5SmuE8zkwQFmu

Supplies and Directions:

Materials provided in Take and Make kit: container for boat, plastic straw, rubber band, balloon
Materials you provide: sharp pencil to poke hole, container of water.

1. Poke a hole in one of the short sides of the boat using a sharp pencil. It should be nearer to the top.
2. Slide the balloon onto one end of the straw. (Pro tip: Blow the balloon up a couple times to ease expansion when on the straw.)
3. Rubber band the balloon into place. Blow the balloon up through the straw to test if it’s secured.
4. Stick the straw through the hole in the boat with the balloon on the inside. Having the balloon inside the boat allows it to move forward through the water.
5. Test your boat by blowing the balloon up through the straw. Pinch the straw to keep the balloon inflated until it can be released in water such as the bathtub or pool.
6. Watch your boat zoom off. How does air power move your boat across the water?
7. Bend the straw in the back of the boat to make it turn.

Take & Makes for Harry Potter Bookmarks, for ages 9-12, will be available at area PPLD libraries starting Fri., Jun. 11, 2021.

Supplies and Directions:

Supplies Provided: 2 pieces of Origami paper & 2 Harry Potter themed stickers

Optional Supplies Needed (from home): Markers or other items to decorate the bookmarks if desired

See pdf instructions below for more pictures to go along with each step, or watch this project at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTBlwPG3Q6s

1. Place the paper on the desk with the side that has the pattern or color you want to show facing down. Fold it in half from bottom to top and crease. You should now have a triangle.
2. Take the bottom right corner, fold it up to the tip of the triangle, and crease. Repeat this with the bottom left corner and crease. Now unfold both corners. You should see lines from creasing it where the dotted lines are in the picture to the right.
3. Now grab the tip of the triangle. There are 2 layers of paper there from where we folded it in half. Grab just the top layer and fold it down so that the tip of the triangle is touching the bottom point where the two creases meet. This will expose the other side of the paper. It should now look like this, with a little pocket in the middle of the triangle:
4. Now take the bottom left corner and fold it up to cover the left half of the triangle. Crease, then tuck the top part of it into the pocket you formed in step 3.
5. Repeat this with the bottom right corner, covering the right side of the triangle and tucking it into the flap.
6. You have a bookmark! Just stick the page into the pocket you’ve formed to mark where you are in a book. You can decorate your bookmark using markers, pens, or colored pencils or by using the provided stickers.

The Pikes Peak Library District Foundation’s sole mission is to raise and manage funds to assure excellence in the Pikes Peak Library District by funding the expansion of programs, services, and facilities beyond what is directly supported by the residents of the District. PPLD received a grant from NextFifty to increase capacity of the Mobile Library Services to better serve our aging population. The Pikes Peak Library District’s Lobby Stop service provides library access to older adults living in Independent, Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing and Memory care throughout El Paso county. NextFifty Initiative’s grant for a new lift gate on the Lobby Stop will allow the Lobby Stop staff to continue to provide patrons with access to book carts filled with materials to browse. Many patrons describe how browsing materials allows them freedom of choice which can lessen in care facilities, provides a shopping experience, and offers resources they would not otherwise have access to as most no longer drive.

Granted funds will be used for:

• A new lift gate for the Lobby Stop vehicle
• Storage cupboards and desk, installation, electrical for desk lighting: The storage provided by proposed cupboards affords the Lobby Stop staff space for more materials that patrons can access during each stop.
• Williams Sound FM ADA Compliance Kit seed money: FM systems amplify sound in smaller meeting and study room spaces. Up to four patrons who are hard of hearing can use the receiver and headphones included in this kit, or can have sound transmitted directly to their hearing aids via a receiver and neck loop. A lapel microphone is included as well as a table mic. Currently, PPLD is equipped with only one kit to use throughout the entire district. With an additional kit for the district, the Lobby Stop staff will be enabled to bring a kit to the assisted living facilities it serves to use during programs. Furthermore, the library district will have more kits available to offer patrons to use in the Pikes Peak Library District’s meeting room spaces.
• Large print book club collection seed money: Medical research shows that social interaction allows people to enjoy healthier lives. Social isolation increases dementia and cognitive decline after retirement. The Pikes Peak Library District’s Mobile Library Department, which includes the Lobby Stop Van Service, gathers books for thirteen book clubs every month. Most of the patrons participating in these book clubs require large print to participate. Currently, staff comb the catalog to find large print titles with enough copies, place holds on all the copies and monitor the holds which become available at different times. With a book club collection that is strategically developed with large print books already collated into a set that can be checked out all at once (along with book club discussion questions, DVDs, Playaways and/or CD book), wait times are decreased and the library district’s capacity to meet the demand (currently a long wait list) for large print book club collections increases, ultimately increasing number of patrons who benefit from the service.

In a hurry? Need lots of books for your kids? Looking for something new or unexpected to read? Try a PPLD Bundle! PPLD Bundles consist of a mix of titles chosen by staff from the shelves of your local branch based on your selections in the form below. After you submit the form, you will be notified via your current hold notification method (email, text, or phone call) when your PPLD Bundle is ready for pickup.

Learn more and request a bundle today!

June is Pride Month! Celebrate with these exciting books for ages 0-12! Click on the pdf link below to see the list.

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!

Celebrate Pride Month with PPLD!

Pride Month Pour Art

• Ruth Holley Library, Tue., June 7, 2 - 3:30 p.m. – Register here.
• Ute Pass Library, Sat., June 11, noon - 1:30 p.m. – Register here.
• Old Colorado City Library, Sat., June 11, 2 - 3:30 p.m. – Register here.
• Library 21c, Sat., June 11, 2 - 3:30 p.m. – Register here.
• East Library, Sat., June 11, 2 - 3:30 p.m. – Register here.
• Monument Library, Mon., June 13, 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. – Register here.
• Fountain Library, Tue., June 14, 2 - 3:30 p.m.Register here.
• Calhan Library, Wed., June 15, 2 - 3 p.m. – More info here.
• Manitou Springs Library, Sat., June 18, noon - 1:30 p.m. – Register here.
• High Prairie Library, Mon., June 20, 2:30 - 4 p.m. – Register here.
• Sand Creek Library, Wed., June 22, 5:30 - 7 p.m. – Register here.
• Palmer Lake Library, Thu., June 23, 3:30 - 5 p.m.
• Cheyenne Mountain Library, Mon., June 27, 10:30 a.m. - noon – Register here.

Teens Make: Ziggy Stardust Painting

Honor David Bowie with this Ziggy Stardust/Aladdin Sane painting for Pride Month! Don't love David Bowie as much as we do? Choose another musical icon to paint.

• Fountain Library, Sat., Jun. 4, 2 - 4 p.m. – More info here.
• Penrose Library, Tue., June 14, 2 - 3:30 p.m. – More info here.
• Rockrimmon Library, Tue., June 21, 4 - 5:30 p.m. – Register here.
• High Prairie Library, Sat., June 25, 3 - 5 p.m. – Register here.
• East Library, Tue., July 5, 6 - 7:30 p.m. – More info here.

Virtual Teen Programs

Teen Tech: Ziggy Stardust 3D Designed Earrings - Learn basic 3D modeling and celebrate bisexual icon David Bowie with a 3D-modeled Ziggy Stardust earring.

Teens Read: Books for PRIDE

Booklists

• Adults
• Children
• Teens
• Family and Children's Pride Month Booklist
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Pride Month Booklist

Regional History and Genealogy Resources

• The Pikes Peak Lavender Film Festival Records (archival collection MSS 0342):The city of Colorado Springs has a fascinating and often tumultuous history with the LGBTQ+ community. When the Lavender Film Festival began in 2000, it was the only LGBTQ+ film festival in the state of Colorado. The material in this collection provides valuable insight into this groundbreaking event. The collection includes VHS tapes and DVDs of the films shown at the festival. Newspaper clippings provide a glimpse at how the event was promoted, and in turn viewed, by the local community. The opening remarks of the event give us an understanding about why the organizers felt the festival would help bring awareness and educate people about LGBTQ+ issues and filmmaking. Various budgets and meeting minutes provide a detailed look into the work involved in bringing this innovative event to the community.
• Colorado Springs Pride Center Records (archival collection MSS 0461): The Colorado Springs Pride Center was one of the oldest LGBTQ+ community centers in the United States. Founded in 1978, the Center offered assistance and support programs to people across the Pikes Peak region. In 2014 alone, more than 8,400 people contacted the Center for help. Topics covered in this collection include – but are not limited to – Amendment 2, marriage, hate crimes, local news, and legal cases. News releases, newspaper clippings, and scrapbooks show the highs and lows of what was happening in the community. This nonprofit organization served as a much-needed medium for marginalized voices in the Pikes Peak region, and the material in this collection shows why.
• Citizens Project Collection (archival collection MSS 0307): Citizens Project’s mission statement is to “spotlight issues in the Pikes Peak region and mobilize people to strengthen the traditional values of our nation: equal rights, individual freedoms, separation of Church and State, civic engagement, and respect for diversity.” The Organizational Records provide a look at the inner workings of this watchdog group, including correspondence, meeting minutes, information on news coverage, and material from their workshops and diversity forums. The LGBTQ+ series includes a large amount of Amendment 2 material as well as documents on same-sex health benefits, the military, and marriage. The group distributes their own newsletter, Freedom Watch, highlighting many of the issues occurring in the local community. Researchers can also find VHS tapes on Amendment 2, photographs of Citizens Project events, and research on LGBTQ+ topics.

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:

• Cheyenne Mountain Library
• High Prairie Library
• Fountain Library
• Library 21c
• Penrose Library
• Rockrimmon Library

Outdoor Strolls:

• East Library
• Old Colorado City Library
• Mobile Libraries in July

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

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!