Your library card gives you access to a world of possibilities at Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD). In addition to a wide selection of physical and digital items you can check out, you also have access to a variety of online resources and databases. This month, take a closer look at Denver Post Digital and PPLD’s collection of board games. 

Denver Post Digital

The Denver Post Digital Collection gives you access to current and past issues of The Denver Post. Follow developing news stories or dive into the archives back to 1989.

The database offers convenient features that make saving, citing, and sharing articles easy. A toolbar at the top of each article offers options for citation, emailing the article to someone, printing or downloading, copying the article link, and even sharing to a Google Classroom. For accessibility options, the database also allows you to change font size and has a read-aloud function.  

You can also search this database by keyword if you want to find something specific.

One of the database options in this collection features the articles in image form, showing you the actual newspaper page instead of text on a web page. For this option, look at the Format column and choose the database that has its format as “Image.”

Board Games

Your PPLD library card gives you access to almost 300 board games to have fun trying out. They are available at Calhan, Cheyenne Mountain, High Prairie, Old Colorado City, and Penrose libraries, as well as Library 21c and our bookmobiles.

Board games lend themselves to all sorts of occasions. They let you connect with family and friends during game night, lower stress levels, and even develop skills in strategic thinking, creativity, and collaboration. The trouble many tabletop gamers run into is that there are too many excellent games out there for most people’s allotted storage space or budget. That’s where the Library comes in!

Checking out games from the Library empowers you to keep game night fresh. It also takes some of the guesswork out of buying a new game you may or may not enjoy. Try a wide range of games and only spend money (and shelf space) on ones you fall in love with.

The collection ranges from classics like Clue, Scrabble, and Boggle to popular titles like Catan, Ticket to Ride, and Sushi Go. Visit our catalog to see what’s available or stop by one of our board game locations today! 

Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) is excited to bring you Virtual Author Visits in partnership with the Library Speakers Consortium. Join us and hear from bestselling authors and thought leaders on a range of topics, from puzzling science to epic fantasy to decluttering your home. Whether you are an avid or occasional reader, there is nothing quite like listening to insightful talks by authors you have read or new ones you are just discovering. You never know what will catch your interest. Attend these events at no cost from the comfort of home.

In May, join us on Wed., May 7 at noon for an enlightening talk about anxiety with Dr. David Rosmarin, PhD, author of Thriving with Anxiety. Learn how to use anxiety to become more self-accepting, connected with others, and resilient. Register for the access link. 

Then, on Wed., May 14 at 5 p.m., join us for a propulsive online conversation with author Liann Zhang as she chats with us about her debut thriller Julie Chan is Dead. Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier with nothing to lose, finds herself thrust into the glamorous yet perilous world of her late twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a popular influencer. Transforming into Chloe is easier than expected. Register for the access link.

For the last Virtual Author Visit in May, you are invited to an in-depth conversation with bestselling author Rachelle Bergstein on Wed., May 21 at noon. Her book, The Genius of Judy: How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood for All of Us, takes an expansive look at Judy Blume’s life, work, and cultural impact, focusing on her most iconic—and controversial—young adult novels, from Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret to Blubber. Register for the access link.

Learn more and see upcoming authors on our Virtual Author Visits page or check out past Virtual Author Visits here!  

More Upcoming Virtual Author Visits 

• Wed., June 4 at noon: Extinctopedia – A Discovery of What We Have Lost, What is at Risk, and What to Do About it with Smithsonian Scientists
• Tue., June 10 at noon: Explore Unexpected Twists and Turns with Bestselling Author Lisa Jewell
• Tue., June 24 at 2 p.m.: Living the Otter Life with Katherine Applegate (geared for 3rd – 6th Grade audience) 

Are you expecting and have so many questions?
Join Pikes Peak Library District and Nurse-Family Partnership for a six-week series of prenatal classes. Each week we explore a different topic and have a Q&A session. The series is offered three times a year:

Winter Series
Feb. 5 - March 12

Summer Series
June 4 - July 9
Register for the Virtual Summer Series »

Fall Series
Oct. 1 - Nov. 5
Register for the Virtual Fall Series »

Session Time
Wednesdays, noon - 1 p.m. An additional 30 minutes will be available for questions. 

*This is a six-week series. Register for the first session in the series to receive the Zoom link. The same link will be used for each session. 

• Week 1: Birth Plan, Labor & Delivery, and the First Week  
  This session will cover birth plans and alternatives to medicines. We will discuss medications you may encounter in the hospital, the first week after birth, what happens in the hospital, and more!
• Week 2: Postpartum: The First Six Weeks
  Wonder what life will be like the first six weeks after your baby is born? At this session, we will discuss healing, rest, and mental health in postpartum. Learn about self-care during pregnancy and after baby's arrival, so you can take care of yourself, too!
• Week 3: Sleep and PURPLE Crying
  Having trouble getting enough rest? Learn techniques to help you and your newborn rest. Discover what the period of PURPLE crying is and the tools you can use to calm your baby.
• Week 4: Breastfeeding
  This session will cover breast feeding how-tos, latching, support, education, and more!
• Week 5: Nutrition and Infant Feeding
  Do you wonder what nutrition looks like during pregnancy and postpartum? We will discuss nutrition for mom and also look at infant feeding. Learn about WIC and the resources it offers.
• Week 6: Supporting Your Baby's Brain and Physical Health Pre and Postpartum
  This week, learn about your baby's brain and how to strengthen it from birth. Then, hear from a certified personal trainer and health coach about exercise during pregnancy.

January – March 2025

At the end of Q1 for 2025 I received the final statistics recounting Pikes Peak Library District’s (PPLD) services in 2024. An analysis of these figures revealed incredible access to materials and resources that were surprising in their extensiveness and their impact on the community. The numbers showed that PPLD has been serving El Paso County residents as intended and in alignment with its strategic plan’s goals.

• eLibrary Services
  • The District saw a 15% increase in eLibrary checkouts in 2024. We reached 3 million eLibrary checkouts on Libby, Hoopla, and Kanopy in early November, nearly two months earlier than we reached that milestone in 2023 and 2022. At the end of 2024 there were more than 3.5 million eLibrary checkouts of eBooks, magazines, newspapers, movies, music, and more across those databases.
• Meeting Rooms
  • More than 170,000 individuals utilized the Library’s event spaces, meeting rooms, and study rooms available throughout the District. Based on the median rental cost for similar spaces, these reservations saved the community approximately $1.2 million dollars in rental fees.
• Computers
  • Computers have long been part of a Library’s core services, and their usage is only increasing. In 2024, PPLD’s public computers across the District logged 164,297 hours of use.
• Library Card Distribution
  • At present, PPLD’s Legal Service Area includes roughly 678,000 individuals in El Paso County; these individuals hold more than 301,000 active library cards (meaning the cards have been used in the last 3 years).
  • In El Paso County there are just over 285,000 Households; at least one active library card exists in 65.7% of these households (187,650 households).
  • Over the last 12 months, the Library has registered an average of approximately 2,397 new library cards each month. 

See the included 2024 PPLD Statistics Snapshot for more details. 

View accessible version of this information

During the first three months of 2025 (January – March), PPLD experienced several accomplishments:

• Launching a redesigned website
  • The PPLD web team worked for more than a year to review, assess, refine, and redesign the Library’s website, ppld.org, with input from staff and the community. It was made more user-friendly, accessible, and informative for its visitors. The website launched on January 13 and was received enthusiastically.
• Reopening of Manitou Springs Library
  • Nearly 500 individuals joined the Library District on Fri., Feb. 7 for the reopening of Manitou Springs Library that had been closed for four years. Since its reopening, the Library has seen an average of 200 more checkouts per week than in the last three years; the expanded Children’s Area made it possible to add an additional children’s program, Toddler Time, to the schedule; and Manitou Springs Elementary School has made use of the Library’s community room weekly since the opening. The community room has also been used as a co-working space and the community is looking forward to enjoying the Library’s summer concerts from the new patio behind the building.
• Renovation and reopening of Penrose Library’s Children’s Area and Computer Lab.
  • After an approximately 2.5-month closure for upgrades and renovations, Penrose Library reopened its Children’s Area and Computer Lab on March 31. These renovations completed phase two of the Penrose Library renovation project. Since the renovations began, Penrose Library has seen increased attendance in its children’s programs six-fold and adult programming, as well as a decrease in incidents.
• Winter Adult Reading Program
  • For the fourth consecutive year, the annual Winter Adult Reading Program engaged the El Paso County community to read and learn for 30 days between February 1 – March 31, and registered a record-breaking number of participants. In 2025, 5,774 adults participated in the program, 700 more participants than in 2024. Below are the participation figures for the last four years showing increased interest and engagement:
    • 2022    3,428
    • 2023    4,076
    • 2024    5,074
    • 2025    5,774
• Library Card Design Contest
  • After 10 years with the same designs the Library District needed new library cards. This need prompted the District to hold a Library Card Design Contest. This contest’s intent was to engage the community in the process of determining new cards and to celebrate the talent in the region. Eight-hundred and fourteen designs were submitted, including 53 from District 2’s Centennial Elementary School and several from a UCCS art class. Six innovative designs were selected as winners. 
     

Thank you for your time,
Teona Shainidze-Krebs
PPLD CEO
 

Published Sun., April 27, 2025

Below is a letter that PPLD's attorney sent to the attorney for COS Reads on Thu., April 24.

View the PDF version of this letter

Page 2 of letter

Page 3 of letter

 
 

April 25, 2025: PPLD Updates Regarding the Library in the Rockrimmon Area

Published Fri., April 25, 2025

In the coming weeks, a new library will officially open in the Rockrimmon area. This library was created by COS Reads, the nonprofit organization spearheading the Save the Rockrimmon Library movement (the “COS Library”). These entities and the COS Library are completely independent of Pikes Peak Library District (“PPLD”). 

PPLD is made up of 14 locations and Mobile Library Services (“MLS”) that have been serving the growing needs of El Paso County residents for more than 60 years. These locations operate in compliance with the Colorado Library Laws that lay out the rights and responsibilities of public libraries and their Board of Trustees, as well as govern library operations. PPLD’s adherence to these laws ensures that all patrons receive safe access to all the services, materials, resources, and equipment that the 14 official PPLD locations and MLS stops offer. Therefore, it is important that the District helps the public to understand that only its official locations offer these assurances, and that the COS Library is not affiliated with Pikes Peak Library District. 

Some of the statements being made by these groups and the name that has been chosen for the COS Library are causing a bit of confusion for the public; books are being returned to the wrong locations; and the COS Library’s programs are bearing the same names as PPLD programs – Toddler Time and Paws to Read – giving the community the expectation of receiving the same quality service received at PPLD branches.

Please know that:

• For all PPLD programs that involve children, the staff presenting the programs are required to go through a nationally-accredited early children’s literacy training, along with a specific early literacy training. These trainings ensure that staff are knowledgeable on the developmental ages and stages of children, on how to use supplemental educational materials (such as, puppets or music) in the programs, and in “classroom” management techniques, etc.
• For all PPLD Paws to Read programs, the dogs are required to be therapy certified to ensure they can provide emotional support in diverse public settings. PPLD requires interviews for the handlers and assessments for the dogs. PPLD’s early literacy staff trains the handlers to work with young children, and the handlers must also complete the PPLD program expectations training. The handlers are provided with a Paws to Read Handbook, which they are required to read, acknowledge and agree to follow prior to hosting a program.
• All PPLD staff and volunteers must pass criminal background checks before they can be involved in any PPLD program or event. 

Moreover, PPLD is bound by Colorado and federal laws that provide a legal framework for library operations and responsibilities. By way of example, PPLD safeguards the privacy of its patrons’ library records (C.R.S. § 24-90-119), has a statutory obligation to provide access to library resources that express all points of view (C.R.S. § 24-90-122), and uses Internet filters to restrict access to visual depictions of obscene materials, pornography, and/or any other material harmful to minors as required under the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA).

Because the COS Library is privately operated, it is unclear whether it is required to comply with these laws – and it is even more uncertain whether patrons of the COS Library will understand that they do not have the same legal protections that they would have from PPLD. Therefore, PPLD wanted to inform the public that the COS Library is not affiliated with PPLD, that the COS Library is not an extension of PPLD, and that the COS Library is not bound by the same staff/volunteer training standards, background check requirements, or legal obligations as PPLD.

As these libraries are unaffiliated, PPLD patrons should know that any items checked out from one of its 14 locations or MLS stops must be returned to one of those locations or stops. They cannot be returned to the COS Library location. And items received from the COS Library cannot be returned to any PPLD locations; they will not be transferred to COS Library.

Know that PPLD is continuing to work for all its patrons throughout El Paso County, offering the quality and fulfilling services it has provided for decades. The Library District is thriving as the use of its amenities and participation in its programs, promotional campaigns, and donations continue to increase.

Thank you for your understanding and patience.

Pikes Peak Library District

PPLD is teaming up with Muse Comics + Games to offer Free Comic Book Day comic issues for teens on Sat., May 3. This annual nationwide initiative strives to put comics into the hands of both long-time and new comic fans alike. Comics are available at all PPLD locations during this one-day event while supplies last. 

Free Comic Book Day is an excellent way for teens to discover new comic series to fall in love with. Comic stores across the U.S. celebrate by giving out special Free Comic Book Day issues of comics, which can range from being the first issue of a comic series or short one-off stories of larger series. As a public library, we know that not all teens have a nearby comic store that they can visit for free comics. We are happy to connect teens in our community with free comic issues to add to their personal libraries.  

What brings people to libraries? The wide variety of things we have to offer! Libraries have something for everyone, whether you are looking for job support, homework help, reading materials to help you unwind, printing assistance, programs to help kids learn, local history archives, activities for your family to do together, or any number of other resources. National Library Week from April 6 – 12 celebrates the tremendous impact that libraries, librarians, and library staff have within their communities. Celebrate with Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD)!

The celebrations start before National Library Week even begins. On Tue., April 1, people across the U.S. will come together to support libraries everywhere with the seventh annual Library Giving Day. Libraries support their communities with engaging programs, access to technology and learning resources, reading and viewing materials, early literacy resources, classes, educational tools, and so much more. Give back to your community by making a donation to the PPLD Foundation to support the programs, resources, and services PPLD provides.

Penrose Library will also celebrate the reopening of its Children’s area and Computer Lab on Tue., April 1. Join us at the Children’s area for a ribbon-cutting celebration at 9:30 a.m. followed by that morning’s Toddler Time.

Then, join us in kicking off National Library Week itself with the Library Card Design Contest Unveiling Ceremony. The winning submissions from the contest held in January will be revealed, and attendees will be able to sign up for a new library card or switch their existing card for one of the new designs (please note there will be a one-dollar charge for a replacement card).

Starting on Mon., April 7, the new library cards will be available at all Library locations. With the launch of these new cards, this week is the perfect time to bring a friend who still needs their library card!

On Sat., April 12, Monument Library will celebrate its 50th birthday. Join the fun from 2 - 5 p.m. and enjoy an afternoon filled with engaging activities and fascinating historical displays. Come wearing your favorite era of clothing, whether you choose the groovy 70s, the classic 50s, or any decade in between.

Later this month, stop by Library 21c to enjoy All Pikes Peak Makes on Sat., April 26 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Dive into a world of creativity, technology, and innovation and see the incredible ingenuity of the El Paso County community. Vendor tables will be spread throughout the building showing off science demonstrations, makerspace technology, unique crafts, hands-on activities, and more. Past vendors have brought paper rockets, LEGO builds, origami demonstrations, whittling, circuit board jewelry, 3D printed crafts, and other examples of creativity and innovation.  

The Library supports homeschoolers and homeschool families throughout El Paso County in a variety of ways. We offer homeschool programs for enriched learning, provide access to books and research materials, and create spaces for homeschoolers to have time (or experiences) outside of their in-home classroom. Right now, we’re preparing for one of our biggest events for families new to homeschooling or considering homeschooling: the Homeschool Resource Fair.

Our annual Homeschool Resource Fair connects both current and interested homeschool families with resources and information. This event features a wide variety of local exhibitors offering educational and extracurricular opportunities for homeschooling families. Stop by and chat with representatives from organizations and businesses that offer homeschooling services and support, including arts and science activities, sports groups, enrichment programs, tutoring, support groups, and more.

There will also be fun, hands-on activities for kids to enjoy in the atrium. Everyone is welcome!

• Library 21c: Fri., April 11 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. 

Download the 2025 Homeschool Resource Fair vendor information.

(We are in the process of posting a fully accessible version of this PDF, please visit our Accessibility page if you need assistance accessing this document.)

Tue., April 1 is the seventh annual Library Giving Day! On that date, people across the country — including in El Paso County — come together as part of a movement to strengthen and support our local libraries. Libraries support and enrich people’s lives and have been an integral part of communities throughout the U.S. since shortly after its founding.

Where else but Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) can you find unlimited access to information, lifelong learning, programs, and resources that transcend physical ability, geographic barriers, background, age, and education? In just one trip, you might find books to keep you entertained, make custom gifts in our makerspaces, and enjoy Storytime with your child. We provide essential resources for our community such as tax prep information and services, programs that support Homeschoolers, language learning and job prep classes and resources, eLibrary materials, research and regional history databases, homework help, programs and activities that enrich our community, and more!

Support your Local library by making a donation

With you by our side, the PPLD Foundation can continue to fuel life-changing spaces, programs, and resources. This means fewer barriers to success and increased opportunities of all kinds for members of our community. Your gift today will make a difference in our ability to serve everyone in 2025 and beyond.

Volunteer experience looks good on college applications and can make a job application stand out to potential employers as well. Pikes Peak region teens (ages 13 – 18) looking for volunteer hours won’t want to miss out on one of the most fun volunteer experiences of the year: Summer Adventure! 

Our 2025 PPLD Summer Adventure presented by Friends of Pikes Peak Library District is our annual summer reading program where participants complete reading and activities to earn prizes. The program is packed with a wide variety of special summer events and programs for participants to enjoy as well.

Teen volunteers are an essential part of our summer program. They help people register for the program, pass out prizes, support programs, and complete other volunteer duties as needed. And yes, volunteers can register for the program as well!

Volunteer applications are open now through Thu., May 1. Learn about our teen volunteer requirements and submit your application on our teen volunteer page.