On Mon., April 8, a solar eclipse will be partially visible from Colorado Springs. To help you get ready, the Library is teaming up with the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society to provide learning opportunities this February and March. Beginning on Fri., March 1, solar eclipse viewing glasses will be available at the following programs and will also be available for pick up from any Library location (while supplies last, limit 2 pairs per family).

Programs are for all ages. No registration required. 

Events

The Great American Solar Eclipse in April 2024 

• Wed., Feb. 21 from 1 – 2:30 p.m. – Calendar
  Rockrimmon Library
• Mon., March 4 at 6 p.m. – Calendar
  East Library

Mobile Libraries, hosted at Black Forest Community Church 

• Sat., March 9 | 1:30 p.m. – Calendar

  This talk will discuss the historical and modern cultural context of the solar eclipse in society, what solar eclipses are, the basic science of why eclipses occur, and where to see one of these exciting celestial events. We will also demonstrate safe observing practices using common household objects. The Colorado Springs Astronomical Society will have 100 solar eclipse viewers to hand out at the conclusion of this presentation.

  **Weather permitting, we will also have solar telescopes set up to provide safe, amazing views of the Sun on March 9. 

Viewing Party with PPLD

• Mon., Apr. 8, from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. – Calendar     
  Calhan, East, and Rockrimmon libraries 

  Join the Pikes Peak Library District as we view the Great American Eclipse from the beauty of the Calhan, East, and Rockrimmon Library outdoor spaces! We will have games and activities throughout the morning and a limited number of eclipse viewing glasses to give away. Light refreshments will be served just behind East Library.  

  Bring your viewing glasses and join us as we experience the solar eclipse together! 

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Resources

• Eclipse America 2024
  Explore the information and resources provided by the American Astronomical Society.
   
• How to View a Solar Eclipse Safely
  Learn how to safely view solar eclipses with information provided by the American Astronomical Society. 
   
• Download the How to Safely View the October 14, 2023 Annular Eclipse guide here
   
• Eclipse Simulator
  Search for a city to see detailed eclipse path information and see what time it will pass over Colorado Springs and how it will look when it passes over. 
   
• Colorado Springs Astronomical Society
  Find out more about our local Colorado Springs Astronomical Society, including exciting astronomical events happening in Colorado Springs. 
   
• The 2023 and 2024 Solar Eclipses: Map and Data, from NASA 

Colorado Springs Astronomical Society

March is Women’s History Month, honoring the contributions of women in the U.S. now and throughout history, and recognizing the achievements of women in a variety of fields. Celebrate and learn more about this history with the resources, book lists, and websites on this page. 

Booklists

• Books for Family Sharing 
• Biographies and Memoirs 
• Classics 
• Humor 
• Hoopla eBooks 
• Books on OverDrive
• Check out the curated book lists on Libby/OverDrive 

Resources

• Find biographies and reference information about notable women in history using one of PPLD’s databases. 
• Explore eBooks by women authors using Freading. 
• Enjoy videos and documentaries directed by women or about women’s history and current events on Kanopy. 
• Browse a selection of movies and TV on Hoopla. 

Websites 

• Women’s History Month (for all ages)
  The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history. 
• National Women’s History Museum (for all ages) 
• National Archives (for all ages) 
• U.S. Census Bureau (for all ages)
  Find interesting facts and statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau. 
• National Geographic Kids (an engaging resource for kids) 

All El Paso County residents are invited to attend one of four upcoming public input sessions to express your thoughts about how Pikes Peak Library District can better serve its community. As we plan for the future of the Library District, your feedback will help us identify ways we are succeeding and in what ways we can continue to grow. If you have used any of our libraries, resources, or services, or have ideas how the Library could help you and your family, join us to share your experiences and suggestions with us. Your input will help shape the future of the Library District.

Mark your calendar to attend the input session that fits your schedule best:

Wed., Feb. 14 from 2 - 3 p.m.

Western Museum of Mining & Industry

225 North Gate Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80921

Wed., Feb. 21 from 10 - 11 a.m.

Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado

2605 Preamble Pt, Colorado Springs, CO 80915

Registration recommended.

Tue., Feb. 27 from 6 - 7 p.m.

Ruth Holley Library

685 North Murray Blvd.

Registration recommended.

Thu., Feb. 29 from 6 - 7 p.m.

Virtual

Register for the access link

Registration required.

Unable to attend? We still want to hear from you! Share your feedback by completing our online survey. If you took the survey in fall 2023, your feedback has already been received and you don’t need to take it again.

The Winter Adult Reading Program kicked off earlier this month, and the Library has many easy-to-use recommendation tools to help you accomplish your 30 days of reading and activities. Stop by your favorite Library location to browse our shelves and talk to our staff, or visit the Find a Good Book page on our website. Another great resource you can tap into is BookBrowse, brought to you by the Friends of PPLD.

BookBrowse offers a variety of ways to explore and discover new books based on your reading preferences and includes engaging content to take you beyond the book.  If you’re ready to find your next great read, the Read-Alikes page is a great place to start. Browse the weekly featured Read-Alikes on that page or search the database for your favorite books and authors. The database has recommendations for more than 4,500 contemporary books and 3,500 authors. If the book or author you search is in the database, you will find custom recommendations to other books with similar writing styles or themes. Many books include in-depth reviews as well.

Did we mention that each book includes a link to our catalog, making it easy to find and check out if we have it in our collection?

You don’t need to have a book in mind to find recommendations through this handy Library resource. Click on the Discover page to explore books by genre, theme, setting, or time period. Under the New page, browse lists of new and upcoming books, or cruise through first impression recommendations from other readers. You might also enjoy poking around in the Book Clubs page where you will find book club recommendations, reading guides, and even book club discussions you can join.

BookBrowse has a lot to offer even if you are not looking for book recommendations. Many books in the database have Beyond the Book materials such as articles to take you deeper into the book’s world or topics. Enjoy book discussions of featured books with other users on the Discussions page, or test your literary knowledge under Quizzes. There’s much to discover. Happy browsing!  

As you arrive at the Western Museum of Mining & Industry (WMMI), you can see right away that they have a strong commitment to preserving and interpreting the rich mining history of Colorado and the American West. Nestled on the far northern edge of Colorado Springs, WMMI features working machinery, a mining tunnel replica, and panning for gold on its 27-acre campus. The Library’s Pikes Peak Culture Pass Program helps you step back in time and experience how things were done more than a century ago with no-cost access passes to the museum that you can check out with your library card. 

History comes to life at the museum. Seeing fluorescent minerals or a working 19th century steam engine in person does a lot to really connect people with the history of our area. Learn how mining contributed to the local economy, explore the historic Reynolds Farmstead, and delve into the historic role this farm played in northern El Paso County. 

Every third Saturday of the month, WMMI hosts Family Fun Days that support science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM). Come out and say hello to Pikes Peak Library District during Family Fun Day on Sat., April 20 as we join them to celebrate the arts and sciences. Our Mobile Library Service will be there to explore STEAM with a fun craft you can make and take home.

Our Mobile Library Service has enjoyed partnering with the museum with regular stops at the Reynolds Ranch House. During these stops, we bring Storytime and Library services to the surrounding community. Families look forward to our mobile library visits to participate in Storytime or make a craft to commemorate their visit to the museum.

In February 2024, we are partnering with the museum to host one of our public input sessions as well. Our community is invited to join us at the Western Museum of Mining & Industry on Wed., Feb. 14 from 2 – 3 p.m. to share their Library experiences and discuss how our facilities can continue to meet the growing needs of our community. Join us and help shape the future of our libraries together.

Pikes Peak Library District is proud to partner with the Western Museum of Mining & Industry to continue to offer no-cost passes for patrons to experience the history of the American West through our Culture Pass program. The Western Museum of Mining & Industry is one of 12 Culture Pass partners that you can explore. Use your library card to check out a pass today!

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

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

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

Here are the top checkouts of 2023:

Top 10 Juvenile Checkouts

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

Top 10 Teen Checkouts

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

Top 10 Adult Checkouts

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

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

Virtual Author Visit

Join us for a Virtual Author Visit with award-winning author Jason Mott about his recent novel Hell of a Book on Tue., Feb. 20, 2024 at 2 p.m. This magnificent work of fiction is deeply honest, at times electrically funny, and is a book that goes to the heart of racism, police violence, and the hidden costs exacted upon Black Americans and America as a whole. Register to get the link.

• Online: Tue., Feb. 20, 2024 at 2 p.m.

Virtual Genealogy Class: Researching African American Ancestors

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

• Online: Tue., Feb. 13, 2024 at 7 - 8:30 p.m.

Resources

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

Education Resources

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

Regional History & Genealogy Resources

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

Websites

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

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

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

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

For more information about each event, check our events calendar

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

Across cultures and generations, the fine arts uniquely capture our imagination in unforgettable ways. The Library’s Pikes Peak Culture Pass program connects Library users with the arts with no-cost passes to the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College (FAC). For over 100 years, the FAC has been a popular cultural attraction in the Pikes Peak region, offering world-class art, Broadway-worthy theater, and arts education for all ages and abilities. The FAC, as it’s fondly called, has partnered with PPLD to share arts and culture through Pikes Peak Culture Passes since the program first began in March 2020. 

Culture Pass holders can explore an array of permanent and travelling exhibits at the museum but there is so much more under the roof of this 132,286 square-foot facility. The Fine Arts Center is one of the only multi-discipline arts institutes in the nation, offering a museum, theatre, and art school all in one location. The FAC regularly hosts programs throughout the year such as artist talks, First Friday music and events, and annual cultural celebrations such as its Día de Muertos celebration. This spring, the Library is collaborating with the FAC on a local exhibition as well.

“We are excited to partner once again with PPLD this spring for our upcoming Clarence Shivers: Experimenting with Form museum exhibition,” said Kim Sweeney, membership manager at FAC. The exhibition will showcase work by local artist Clerence Shivers. This is a well-suited collaboration, as PPLD has a deep connection to the Shivers Family, hosting many concerts by jazz legend and philanthropist Peggy Shivers over the years. This exhibit opens on Fri., Feb. 2 and will feature over 30 works, paintings, prints, and sculptures that offer an expansive view of Clarence Shivers’ prolific career.

The FAC offers Museum Free days twice a month on the second Saturday and third Friday of each month. If you want no-cost entry on another day that they are open, check out a Culture Pass and enjoy your time exploring this cultural attraction. 

Pikes Peak Library District library cardholders have made great use of the Culture Pass program, checking out 3,192 no-cost passes in 2023 alone! The Fine Arts Center is one of 12 Culture Pass partners that you can explore. Use your library card to check out a pass today! 

What does a region’s history look like through the lens of people who are often left out of a community’s archived history? Come find out with We Have a Story: Homelessness in Colorado Springs. This powerful documentary project showcases in a gallery the unique perspectives of three young adults experiencing homelessness and a caseworker who serves them through photography that captures this complex and diverse community. Join us at East Library for the reception of the gallery on Sat., Jan. 20 from 10 – 11:30 a.m. Light refreshments will be provided.

Over the course of one month in the Summer of 2023, participants took photos from their perspectives. They learned digital photography skills from a professional photographer and came together to critique and evaluate their photographs. They also met with a historian to conduct oral interviews capturing their experiences.

Each participant selected their four best photographs for the gallery, which will be on display at different PPLD locations each month. A written artist story accompanies each photo to delve more deeply into each individual’s perspectives.

The We Have a Story traveling exhibit will continue traveling in 2024, starting at East Library in January, Rockrimmon Library in February, and finishing at the Manitou Arts Center (MAC) in March.