What's New!

December is packed with festive celebrations, including Hannukah, winter solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and others. It’s a busy time when you may find yourself decorating, planning or prepping meals and treats, making or shopping for gifts, visiting friends and family, and attending community celebrations. Pikes Peak Library District has all the programs, tools, and resources you need to make the best of the holiday season, including cookbooks and classes, DIY gifts, holiday book lists, and more!

Resources

• New recipes from a vast array of new-to-you cookbooks for all occasions 
• Movies, music, books, and even a collection of Hallmark movies on Hoopla
• Audio and video studio equipment for DIY memories 
• CultureGrams to learn about holiday celebrations from around the world (must have a library card that starts with a 4 to access outside the Library) 
• Reviews, shopping guides, and more for your holiday shopping experience with Consumer Reports (must have a library card that starts with a 4 to access outside the Library)
• A wide assortment of holiday films and documentaries on Kanopy
• Christmas music on Freegal

DIY Gifts

• Don’t miss our Makerspace Holiday Open Houses at East Library, Sand Creek Library, and Library 21c this month to learn how you can use makerspace equipment to create DIY gifts and decorations.
• Find craft inspiration or delve into new hobbies with the Hobbies & Crafts Reference Center. (Must have a library card that starts with a 4 to access outside the Library)
• Join us for makerspace classes and use your new knowledge to make custom gifts for your loved ones.
• Discover DIY gift ideas with our array of creative books.

Websites

• December 2022 Holidays
  Explore national, religious, and just for fun holidays that take place in December. 
• National Geographic: Winter Celebrations
  Fill your December with festive fun facts, folklore, and holiday information. 
   

Friends of PPLD Bookstore

Get gifts for your family while supporting your Library! The Friends of PPLD sponsors and supports numerous programs and events to further the enjoyment of reading and love for books by all individuals. They are best known for their volunteerism, their bookstores in each library (you never know what you will find in the ever-changing inventory of previously-read books and magazines) and, of course, the two Big Book Sales each year. 

Stop by the Friends store at the Library and find books, CDs, movies, magazines, and more from $0.25 to $3. Or shop for specialty items online! Purchases made through the Friends of PPLD support library programming and materials. 

Do you love books, reading, and libraries? Have you considered becoming involved in your community? One easy step covers it all! Get involved with the Friends and support your community, one book at a time. 

Programs

• Forté Handbell Quartet

  Ring in the season with Forté Handbell Quartet! This talented group will perform familiar holiday classics and more. Registration is not required. Seating is available for the first 175 guests. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Pikes Peak Library District. 

  • Library 21c: Sat., Dec. 2 from 3:30 – 5 p.m. 

• Wrap & Yap Party

  Get a head start on your gift wrapping at the Wrap & Yap Party! Get gift wrapping tips from the Library and fellow participants. Enjoy hot cocoa and cider while you work. 

  • Fountain Library: Fri., Dec. 1 from 1 - 2:30 p.m. 
  • Sand Creek Library: Tue., Dec. 12 from 4 - 5 p.m. 
  • Palmer Lake Library: Wed., Dec. 13 from 11 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. 

• Peppermint Mocha-Scented Candle Mugs 

  Need an affordable gift or want to treat yourself? Make a peppermint mocha-scented candle in your own mug or one provided by the Library. Registration required.  

  • Ute Pass Library: Sat., Dec. 2 from 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. 
  • Ruth Holley Library: Tue., Dec. 5 from 2 - 3:30 p.m. 
  • Monument Library: Fri., Dec. 8 from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. 
  • Library 21c: Sat., Dec. 9 from 2 - 3:30 p.m.
  • Fountain Library: Fri., Dec. 15 from 1 - 2:30 p.m.
  • Cheyenne Mountain Library: Mon., Dec. 18 from 10:30 a.m. - noon 

• Sock Gnomes 

  Do you have socks that lack their mate? Bring them to this program to upcycle them into a cute, decorative Sock Gnome! Registration required. 

  • Rockrimmon Library: Wed., Dec. 6 from 11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
  • High Prairie Library: Mon., Dec. 11 from 2:30 - 4 p.m.
  • East Library: Sat., Dec. 16 from 2 - 3:30 p.m. 

• Winter Wonderland Crafts 

  Join us for an afternoon of winter holiday fun!  Make a peppermint mocha-scented candle mug or a sock gnome for yourself or as a gift. Or get a head start on your gift wrapping at the Wrap & Yap Party! Get gift wrapping tips from the library and fellow participants. Enjoy hot cocoa and cider while you work. Registration required.

  • Penrose Library: Wed., Dec. 6 from 3 - 4:30 p.m.

• Pop-up Gift Making (Tweens and teens ages 12 - 18) 

  Come make some fun little gifts for friends and family this holiday season! We will have supplies to make: Perler bead ornaments and keychains.   

  • Manitou Springs Library: Wed., Dec. 6 from 4 - 5 p.m.

• Meet a Master Maker: Festive Wall Hanging (open to ages 9 and up)

  Join us at the Sand Creek makerspace to meet Master Maker, Debbie Urquijo! In this hands-on demonstration, Debbie will show you how to use the laser to create a festive wall hanging. Registration required. This program is for ages 9 and up.  

  • Sand Creek Library: Tue., Dec. 5 from 3 - 6 p.m.

• Makerspace Holiday Open House 

  Bring yourself or the whole family to the makerspace to make some fun holiday crafts perfect for gifting. You will also get to learn more about the resources and equipment available year-round in the makerspace. All ages are welcome. All materials provided. 

  • Library 21c: Sat., Dec. 9 from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
  • Sand Creek Library: Sat., Dec. 9 from 1 - 4 p.m.
  • East Library: Tue., Dec. 12 from 4 - 7 p.m. 

• Seasonal Baking: Fig Newtons (Ages 9 and up) 

  Chilly weather got you down? Warm up in the kitchen and join us to make a delicious and comforting fig newton recipe. In this class, you will learn about seasonal baking and proper cooking techniques while you cook and enjoy a sweet culinary treat. This program is for ages 9 and up.

  All attendees will be required to sign a waiver for working in the kitchen. 

  • Library 21c: Sat., Dec. 9 from 1 - 3 p.m.
  • Library 21c: Mon., Dec. 18 from 5 - 7 p.m. 
  • Library 21c: Sat., Jan. 6 from 1 - 3 p.m.

• Holiday Card Making 

  Make your own holiday cards, under the tutelage of local crafts guru Theresa Pingel, to send to your friends and family. All materials will be provided. Beginner/Intermediate skill level. Registration required.

  • Old Colorado City Library: Thu., Dec. 7 from 2 - 3 p.m.
  • High Prairie Library: Fri., Dec. 15 from 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
  • Manitou Springs Library: Sat., Dec. 16 from 1 - 2 p.m.

• Seasonal Baking: Scones (Ages 9 and up) 

  Chilly weather got you down? Warm up in the kitchen and join us to make a delicious and comforting scone recipe. In this class, you will learn about the history of scones and proper cooking techniques while you cook and enjoy a sweet culinary treat. For ages 9 and up.  

  All attendees will be required to sign a waiver for working in the kitchen. 

  • Library 21c: Fri., Dec. 8 from 4 - 6 p.m. 
  • Library 21c: Sat., Jan. 6 from 10 a.m. - noon

• Ugly Sweater Party (Kids and tweens) 

  Join us at Ute Pass Library for an Ugly Sweater Party! We will be decorating festive cookies and upcycling clothing into ugly sweater creations. The library will provide all decorating supplies and cookies. Please bring your own clothing to decorate, such as T-shirts, hats, sweaters, etc. For kids, tweens, and families. Registration required.  

  • Ute Pass Library: Sat., Dec. 16 from 2 - 4 p.m. 

Poetry creates opportunities for children to explore a variety of topics and emotions through writing, and Pikes Peak Library District’s annual Jean Ciavonne Poetry Contest engages 4th and 5th-grade writers. 2024's theme was Lost & Found: Poems of Importance. Young poets reflected on something they had lost or found in the last few years as they worked with poetic devices like imagery, form, meter, and rich vocabulary to create an original poem for a chance to win a prize. This contest continues Jean Ciavonne’s legacy of connecting children with poetry and writing.  

Congratulations to our 2024 winners!

• Elsie Byrne, 5th Grade, Homeschool - "Overlooked"
• Lilia Gerber, 5th Grade, Gerber Homeschool - “Black and Brown Again”
• Enray Liu, 4th Grade, The Classical Academy Central Elementary - “Melody of Courage”
• Clara Pavri, 5th Grade, Colorado International Language Academy - “Figures on a Crinkled Map”
• Sara Schmidt, 5th Grade, Thomas Maclaren School - “My Lost Heart”
• Sienna Shafer, 5th Grade, Monument Academy - “The Best Dream”

Jean Ciavonne Remembered from PPLD TV on Vimeo.

In November, Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) joins with people and organizations across the nation to draw attention to hunger and homelessness through education, programs, and events.

Pikes Peak Library District Collects to Share is once again putting out the call to collect hand-crafted items for our community shelters. Starting in November, as part of Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week, we will be accepting donations every month for a year. If you have knitted items such as hats, scarves, socks, and blankets that you would like to donate, please bring them to the public desk at any Library location and let staff know that they are for PPLD Collects to Share. Through your hard work and creative generosity, we donated over 120 hand-crafted items to those in need in our community since November 2022. Thank you!

Programs

• Community Conversation: Hunger and Homelessness Awareness
  Thu/. Nov. 16, 6 - 8 p.m. at the East Library Community Meeting Room, click here for more information on panelists

Resources

• Helping Hands Community Resource 
  The Helping Hands El Paso County Community Resources guide is a list of services available in El Paso County.  
• PPLD Community Resource Officers
  Pikes Peak Library District offers community resources across the District. Our Community Resources Specialists are here to help you navigate and connect with services by providing referrals and information to get the help you need for your specific situation.

Website Links

• Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week
  Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is sponsored by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness.