What's New at PPLD!

On Saturday, November 15, 2008, hundreds of libraries throughout the country will showcase gaming programs and services in support of National Gaming Day @ your library.

Gaming of all types at the library encourages patrons to interact with a diverse group of users, share their expertise with others, and develop new strategies for gaming and learning.

Teens, come to PPLD’s East Teen Center on National Gaming Day to check out our gaming services and learn more about gaming at the Pikes Peak Library District!

• When: Saturday, November 15, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
• Where: East Teen Center, East Library, 5550 N. Union Blvd

See you there!

Pikes Peak Library District is hosting two free screenings of movies from the Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival as part of the festival’s Community Series. Both programs will include audience discussion and Q&A with the filmmakers. Light refreshments will be provided and no RSVP is required. Tickets for the rest of the festival are on sale now at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center and may be purchased in person (30 W. Dale St.), through www.csfineartscenter.org, or by calling 634-5583.

The two films shown in the Community Series are:

The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo
Winner of the Sundance Special Jury Prize in Documentary, this extraordinary film, shot in the war zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo, shatters the silence that surrounds the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. (Directed by Lisa Jackson)

Thursday, November 6 from 7 – 9 p.m. – Penrose Library,
20 N. Cascade Ave.

Faubourg Treme: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans
This film reveals the story of Treme, a district of New Orleans which has been a center of African-American culture for centuries. (Directed by Dawn Logsdon)

Friday, November 7 from noon – 2 p.m. – East Library,
5550 N. Union Blvd.

For information, call 531-6333, x1205 or email kthurman@ppld.org.

In November and December, Celebration Place in the Citadel Mall will have an Antarctic theme. A 10-foot penguin, photographs, and vivid murals bring Antarctica to Colorado. There will also be plenty of activities for children and adults using the visual, performing, and literary arts. These educational exercises will be led by multi-media artist Mary Helsaple and other artists, educators, experts, and performers.

The installation is free and open to the public. Call 597-3344 or 387-9015 for more information, or visit the Imagination Celebration website for a schedule of events and hours of operation.

Rick Wartzman, author of All Pikes Peak Reads 2008 selection Obscene in the Extreme: The Burning and Banning of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, will be making a free public appearance on November 1. After a one-hour reception, he will speak about his recently-published book, which details the outcry from certain interests over The Grapes of Wrath, another APPR 2008 title.

As Wartzman’s subtitle states, Steinbeck’s book was burned and banned in 1939, even though it was an instant bestseller. Obscene in the Extreme focuses on a Kern County, California, librarian who fought the censorship of The Grapes of Wrath, taking on politicians and big agribusiness who argued that authors like Steinbeck were causing instability nationwide.

Wartzman is director of Claremont Graduate University’s Drucker Institute, an Irvine Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation, and a columnist for BusinessWeek Magazine.

• When: Saturday, November 1, reception at 6 p.m, presentation at 7 p.m.
• Where: Carnegie Reading Room, Penrose Library, 20 N. Cascade Ave.

Share your love of reading. Tutor an adult once a week for two hours by working one-to-one to improve their reading, writing, comprehension, and/or English language skills. No teaching experience required. Call 531-6333, x2223 with questions or for application information. Free training is provided at the following times:

• When: Saturdays, November 1, 8, and 15 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Where: Penrose Library, 20 N. Cascade Ave.

The Women’s and Ethnic Studies Program, in collaboration with Pikes Peak Library District, is hosting Mexican human rights activist Veronica Cruz Sanchez. Ms. Sanchez works with Centro Las Libres, an organization that focuses primarily on victims of domestic abuse and youth in disadvantaged rural and urban communities throughout Mexico. In addition to empowering women to become economically self-sufficient, Las Libres’ Youth Health Promoters Network provides comprehensive legal and psychological counseling for victims of sexual violence and rape, and promotes universal human rights and equality. This event is sponsored by the Gay & Lesbian Fund. For more information, call 531-6333, x1212.

• When: Thursday, November 6 at 5 p.m.
• Where: UCCS, 1420 Austin Bluffs Pkwy., Kraemer Family Library

Teens, get ready for the November 21 release of the movie, Twilight, based on Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series. Dress up and come to the library for games, food, treats, and a special performance. Call 634-1698 for more information.

• When: Thursday, October 30, 6 – 9 p.m.
• Where: Old Colorado City Branch Library, 2418 W Pikes Peak Ave.

PPLD is celebrating Teen Read Week (Oct 27 – 31) with high disgustingness! Come to the East Teen Center on Thursday, October 30 at 6 p.m. and participate in Food Fear Factor:

• Appetizer: Alien Tentacles
• Main Course: Dead Fish, Veggie Vomit, Brain Cell Salad
• Dessert: Chocolate Covered Insects

Call 531-6333, x1318 for more information.

Come shop for quality used books, CDs, movies, magazines, material for children and teens, and more at the Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale at the East Library (5550 N. Union Blvd.). All sales support projects of the Friends of PPLD. For more information, call 531-6333, x1462.

• Friends only – Fri., Oct. 31, 4 – 7 p.m. (Friends memberships are sold at the door.)
• Open to the public – Sat., Nov. 1, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Open to the public – Sun., Nov. 2, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. ($5 bag sale)

Participate in the Toy and Book Swap to benefit the Pikes Peak Children’s Museum (PPCM). Donate five toys and/or books on October 29 or 30 and receive a coupon. You can donate as many items as you like. On November 1, come swap your coupon for a toy or book. Please only donate gently-used toys and books that are clean, in working order, and with all parts attached. Electronics, clothes, furniture, and sports equipment (except balls) are not accepted.

Admission is free for children under 18 and PPCM Commandos, and $5 for adults. Each person receives five coupons, and additional coupons may be purchased for $1 apiece. You can become a Commando or print a free coupon at www.pikespeakchildrensmuseum.org.

Proceeds go to the Pikes Peak Children’s Museum Seed Money Campaign. All remaining books and toys will be donated to Pikes Peak Library District, Colorado Springs Child Nursery Centers, and the Community Partnership for Child Development. Call 531-5224 if you have any questions.

• When: Drop off donations on Wednesday, October 29, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., or Thursday, October 30, 2 p.m. – 7 p.m.; the swap occurs Saturday, November 1, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
• Where: 1024 S. Tejon St.