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 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.
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.
Resources
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 Penrose 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
Adventure Begins at your Library with the 2024 Winter Adult Reading Program!
Log 30 days of activities from Thu., Feb. 1 - Sun., March 31 to earn prizes! Activities such as attending Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) activities listed below and reading for 30 minutes or more a day.
To register, sign up for Beanstack or stop by the Library to register in-person (curbside services available). When you register in-person or at curbside, you will receive a Winter Adult Reading Program tote bag (while supplies last).
Click here to sign up for Beanstack.
Winter Adult Reading Program Game Card
You can also use the Beanstack app, available for Android and Iphone.
Winter Adult Reading Program Registration Kick-Off!
Join us as we kick off the 2024 Winter Adult Reading Program on Thu., Feb. 1. Register beginning on Feb. 1 and pick up a limited-edition registration tote bag while supplies last. Bags will be available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.
Prizes
Log 30 days of activities from Feb. 1 – March 31 to earn the annual limited edition Winter Adult Reading Program mug, a certificate for a free piece of chocolate from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, and an entry into the grand prize drawing. Activities include reading for 30 minutes or more a day, attending a PPLD program, or any of the activities listed below. You can complete the program through a combination of activities and reading.
Handwashing is recommended for the mug to preserve the logo.
Grand Prize Drawing.
Complete your challenge for an entry into the Grand Prize Drawing to receive one of five Colorado Springs Downtown Partnership Gift Cards! Take an adventure in Colorado Springs and explore over 170 Downtown shops, restaurants, salons, and venues where the Downtown Partnership Gift Card is accepted. Click here to see a list of participating locations.
For every additional five days of reading or activities you log, you will receive one additional entry into the Grand Prize Drawing for a total of up to six additional entries.
PPLD employees are not eligible for the grand prize.
Programs
Adventure Begins at Your Library with one of the following fun and informational programs. Each program is being offered as a part of the Winter Adult Reading Program.
Birds of the Pikes Peak Region
Join wildlife biologist and author Joe LaFleur for an audio-visual presentation about how to identify local raptors, hawks, and owls by sight and sound. After the presentation, Joe will have his books and DVDs available for purchase.
The Great American Solar Eclipse in 2024
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.
- Rockrimmon Library: Wed., Feb. 21 at 1 p.m.
- East Library: Mon., March 4 at 6 p.m.
- Black Forest Community Church on Sat., March 9, 1:30 p.m.
The Astronomer's Guide to the Universe
Join the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society for an introduction to astronomy and what we can see in the night sky.
- Fountain Library: Fri., Feb. 9 at 3 p.m.
- Cheyenne Mountain Library: Tue., Feb. 27 at 10:30 a.m.
- Library 21c: Wed., Feb. 28 at 3 p.m.
Preserving the Night Sky
Join the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society to learn more about why the stars in the night sky seem to be disappearing. The cause of this phenomenon is also affecting both wildlife and human behavior. This talk presents the challenges of light pollution, what they're doing about it, and how the community can help.
The Search for Extraterrestrials: The Real-Life Search for Life Elsewhere in our Solar System
Everywhere on Earth that we look, even in the most extreme environments, we find life. Join the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society for a talk that explores how we’re using our understanding of life on Earth to help us in our search for life on other worlds. We’ll also discuss the Drake Equation and Fermi’s Paradox and how they factor into the possibility of life out there.
How Telescopes Changed our Understanding of the Universe
Join the Colorado Springs Astronomical Society to learn how telescopes have helped us understand more about the mysteries of the universe.
DIY Book Nook
Every book is an adventure; make your bookshelf an invitation to adventure with this DIY Book Nook! Use materials and LED string lights to create a work of art to add to your personal bookshelves.
Handmade Adventure Journals
Make a fabric-covered journal to take on your next adventure. You will learn some basic sewing ideas too!
- Monument Library: Fri., March 8 at 12:30 p.m.
- Library 21c: Thu., March 14 at 2 p.m.
- Manitou Springs Library: Sat., March 16 at 1 p.m.
- Cheyenne Mountain Library: Mon., March 25 at 10:30 a.m.
- Calhan Library: Wed., March 27 at 3:30 p.m.
- Sand Creek Library: Wed., March 27 at 5 p.m.
- Fountain Library: Sat., March 30 at 10 a.m.
Activities
Need some suggestions for activities? We’re here to help!
- Join a PPLD Book Club
- Explore a new genre or author
- Adventure into a new skill or hobby
- Write a book review for our website at ppld.org
- Read a book set in winter or a book filled with adventure
- Check out these recommended adventure reads on OverDrive
- Watch the movie version of a book you read using Hoopla or Kanopy
- Visit a Little Free Library in your neighborhood
- Join the Peak Readers Club
- Checkout Colorado State Park Passes from PPLD
- Explore museums and other attractions in the Pikes Peak region with a Pikes Peak Culture Pass
Reading Resources
Pick up your copy of the winter 2024 issue of the Library’s District Discovery magazine to track your progress, read stories, and more!
Have Questions?
Check out our FAQ for more information on our Adult Winter Reading Program
- View our Winter Adult Reading Program FAQ (Online Version)
- View our Winter Adult Reading Program FAQ (Better for Print)
