By Carole Howard
PREVIEW Columnist, and the library staff
Our free in-person annual pumpkin-decorating contest judging and Halloween party take place tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 29, from 2 to 4 p.m.
Pumpkins can be carved, painted or decorated. One entry per person. Completed pumpkins can be turned in today, Thursday, Oct. 28, or tomorrow before 3 p.m. Winners will be announced at 4 p.m. tomorrow. Age categories for awards: preschool, ages 5-7, ages 8-11, ages 12-17 and adult. Hang out at the library and complete some creepy, crawly crafts while you wait to hear who won.
Book Art for a Cause
Next Thursday, Nov. 4, is a free Book Art for a Cause activity for ages 10 to adult from 2 to 3 p.m. You will learn how to make ornaments and other decorations out of old books.
All decorations will be lovingly added to the library foundation’s Christmas tree that will be displayed and auctioned off at the Community Center’s Festival of Trees event, with proceeds going to the library’s foundation.
Free San Juan Basin Public Health event
Also next Thursday, Nov. 4, representatives from San Juan Basin Public Health will be at the library from noon to 1 p.m. to discuss health insurance and care coordination and to answer your questions. This free session will be repeated on Nov. 18, and additional presentations on various public health topics will be held in December.
Library activities
Most of our programs are happening in person. Also, our hours have returned to pre-COVID levels — and even more on weekdays:
• Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday, the library is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Tuesdays and Thursdays, the library is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Saturdays, the library is open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For those uncomfortable coming into the building, curbside service continues. Phone (970) 264-2209 when you are in the parking lot so staff can bring the items out for you. If you put a hold on something, please wait for your usual alert (email, phone call or text) before coming to pick it up.
In-person gaming
Enjoy free all-ages video gaming on the Xbox 360 Kinect on Fridays from 2:30 to 3:45 p.m.
Writing challenge
A new all-ages writing challenge was posted Oct. 18 on the library’s Facebook page. We hope you will challenge your creativity by participating in this free all-ages activity.
Storywalk for kids
Our new storywalk Oct. 25-Nov. 6 features a silly “Creepy Carrots” book about some strange situations. The text is available in English and Spanish. Watch for signs outside the library that follow the sidewalk up toward the elementary school. After you finish the walk, pick up materials for a craft or activity at the library.
Family storytime
Wednesdays from 10 to 11 a.m., join us for free in-person children’s stories, games and plenty of reasons to get up and move. Wednesday, Nov. 3, is a free play session. We’ve got plenty of toys, puppets and puzzles for an open playtime.
Saturday’s Discovery Times continue on Facebook at 2:30 p.m. with games, art ideas, science experiments, history and more.
Dungeons and Dragons
Join us Tuesdays from 4 to 6 p.m. for our ongoing Dungeons and Dragons game free for teens and young adults on Google Meet. Contact [email protected] to learn how to join. If you don’t have Internet access, contact us anyway — we may be able to accommodate you in the library.
Tech Time
Free in-person slots are available from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and 2 to 4 p.m. Thursdays. Brad will help you resolve issues with your computer, smartphone, tablet and other electronic devices.
ESL
Free in-person evening classes take place Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 8 p.m. Beginning and intermediate students are encouraged to attend from 4 to 6 p.m. and advanced students from 6 to 8 p.m. Please help us spread the word about these classes to others in our community who would be interested.
Las clases gratuitas se llevan a cabo en persona los martes y jueves de 4-8 p.m. Los estudiantes principiantes e intermedios deben asistir de 4-6 p.m. y los estudiantes avanzados de 6-8 p.m. Por favor, ayúdanos a correr la voz sobre estas clases a otros en nuestra comunidad que tienen interés.
Adult education hiatus
Our free PALS (Pagosa Adult Learning Services) session generally takes place in person Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m., when Mark helps with high school equivalency, GED, college prep, financial aid, tutoring and more. Note there will be no PALS in October or Nov. 4.
Activities calendars
To be sure you don’t miss any of the free library activities available to you and your family, we encourage you to pick up a copy of the events calendar each month. There are three versions — children, teens and adults.
Mysteries, suspense and thrillers
“Enemy at the Gates” by Kyle Mills is a Mitch Rapp thriller. “The Jailhouse Lawyer” by James Patterson and Nancy Allen features a lawyer who goes to jail herself. “Rock Paper Scissors” by Alice Feeney centers on a weekend in Scotland that will make or break a marriage. “The Unknown” by Heather Graham is a Krewe of Hunters suspense story featuring an elite FBI unit investigating paranormal events. “Last Girl Ghosted” by Lisa Unger starts with an online dating match. “April in Spain” by Booker Prize winner John Banville is a mystery set on the Spanish coast.
Other novels
“The Spectacular” by Zoe Whittall features three generations of very different women struggling to build an authentic life. “The Book of Magic” by Alice Hoffman is the fourth and final book about the Owens family in the Practical Magic series. “The Love Hypothesis” by Ali Hazelwood focuses on a romance between two scientists. “The Butler” by Danielle Steel follows the life of a butler in Paris. “Cloud Cuckoo Land” by Anthony Doerr is about children living centuries apart. “Beautiful World, Where Are You” by Sally Rooney tells of four young people trying to find meaning in their lives. “I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness” by Claire Vaye Wartkins opens with a young mother leaving on what was planned as a short trip. “Dune The Lady of Caladan” by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson is book two of the Caladan sci-fi trilogy.
Short story collections
“My Monticello” by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson is a collection of five short stories and the book’s title novella. The latter, featuring a woman descended from Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings who is driven from her neighborhood by a white militia, is being turned into a Netflix movie. “The Jealousy Man and Other Stories” by Jo Nesbo is a collection of five suspense stories by this popular Norwegian writer whose novels have been translated into more than 50 languages.
Large print
“The Heron’s Cry” by Ann Cleeves is book two of the Two Rivers mystery series set in England. “Hidden” by Fern Michaels is book one of a new Lost and Found mystery series. “The Trail’s End” by E.L. Ripley is a Ralph Compton western in the Sundown Riders series. “Shoot-out at Sugar Creek” by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins is book six in the Caleb York western series.
Nonfiction
“The Western San Juan Mountains” by Rob Blair is a guide to their geology, ecology and human history. “Taste: My Life Through Food” by Stanley Tucci is a memoir of the award-winning actor and cookbook author’s life in and out of the kitchen. “Rationality” by Steven Pinker explores why and how a society that developed COVID vaccines in less than a year could be so immersed in fake news, medical quackery and conspiracy theories.
Downloadable e-books and audiobooks
We have a wide variety of downloadable e-books and audio books for all ages — children, tweens, teens and adults — in cloudLibrary. The items in cloudLibrary are purchased separately from physical items, so the books available are different — and it continues to use the consortium’s contributions as well as those that we bought. Select AspenCat Union Catalog when setting up cloudLibrary for use. Email or phone us at (970) 264-2209 if you need our help setting up this service on your device.
Donations
Many thanks to our anonymous donors for their materials donations.
Please put your materials donations into the drop box at the library — not at City Market, which is reserved for returns.
Library foundation
Please consider a tax-deductible donation to the Ruby M. Sisson Memorial Library Foundation to support and enhance your library by raising funds for information resources, programs, services and facilities. Mail checks to P.O. Box 2045, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147 or call Cindi Galabota at (970) 264-2209.
Quotable quote
“Ruminating on grudges, resentments and negative thoughts won’t just keep you in a pessimistic mood; it has also been linked to decline in cognition and memory in people 55 and older, according to a study in the journal Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Participants who repeatedly dwelled on negative thoughts had more amyloid and tau deposits in their brain, the biological markers of Alzheimer’s disease.” — AARP The Magazine.
Website
For more information on library books, services and programs — and to reserve books, e-books, CDs and DVDs from the comfort of your home — please visit our website at pagosalibrary.org.
