What's New at PPLD!

Children from ages 1 – 11 in El Paso County are invited to design a logo for the Pikes Peak Children’s Museum. Use, pencil, crayons, felt tip, paint, or a computer program to design a logo that best represents a children’s museum in the Pikes Peak region. Entries will be accepted April 1 – 17. The top three entries will receive prizes! Guidelines and entry forms are available at any Pikes Peak Library District location, the Bemis School of Art, participating elementary schools, or by clicking here.

Join the Pikes Peak Poet Laureate Project for a special reading and reception with selected local poets who will be featured in Poetry While You Wait. The program distributes booklets and placards to places where people wait for services (dentists’ and doctors’ offices, auto repair shops, beauty salons, etc.) throughout the Pikes Peak region.

• When: Tuesday, April 7 at 6:30 p.m.
• Where: Penrose Library, Carnegie Reading Room

April is National Poetry Month, and Briargate Branch is celebrating with Found Poetry and Altered Book. You can create your own poetry and embellish the book to enhance the poem. The poet selects words and phrases from a book to create a poem. Keep in mind, the poetry doesn’t have to be deep and profound. It can be fun!

After the poet has created the poem, they can use any of a wide variety of arts and crafts supplies to embellish the poem. All materials will be provided, and poets keep their creations. Registration is required for this program for patrons 18 and older. Call 260-6882 or register online.

• When: Thursday, April 9 from 1:30 – 3 p.m.
• Where: Briargate Branch, 9475 Briar Village Pt.

PPLD invites you to the Colorado Springs Philharmonic performance of A Space Odyssey on Saturday, April 4 at 8 p.m. at Pikes Peak Center (190 S. Cascade Ave.) PPLD will announce the winning book for All Pikes Peak Reads 2009 at the beginning of the concert, which will feature music from great space-themed movies as Star Wars, Star Trek, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. You can purchase tickets by calling 520-SHOW or (866) 464-2626.

Also, join us in the lobby from 7 – 8 p.m. for some space exploration fun. For more information, call 531-6333, x1212.

The Colorado Springs Conservatory is holding auditions for their Seventh Annual Summer Intensive Study Program, in collaboration with the Central City Opera. The auditions are open to performing artists ages 14 -19. The Intensive Study Program will run from July 5 – 19. After 10 days of study at Colorado College, students and faculty go to Central City, Colorado, for four days of workshops, master classes, and performances.

The auditions will be held at two times and locations:

• Saturday, April 4, 3 – 6 p.m. at the Colorado Springs Conservatory, 1600 N. Union Blvd.
• Sunday, April 5, 1 – 5 p.m. at the Denver Musician’s Union Building (in the large rehearsal room), 1165 Delaware St., Denver

To audition, you must make an appointment by calling 577-4556. Each student must present two contrasting songs (musical theater, art song, contemporary, aria) and one spoken selection (monologue, poem, reading). All materials must be memorized.

An accompanist is provided, or you may bring your own. Please bring along all music. No taped accompaniments or a capella performances are allowed.

On Monday, March 16, the Council of Neighbors and Organizations and Pikes Peak Library District hosted the 2009 Colorado Springs City Council Forum in the Penrose Library Carnegie Reading Room. In the nearly two-hour forum, candidates Scott Hente (District 1); Darryl Glenn (District 2); Dave Gardner and Jerry Heimlicher (District 3); and Tony Carpenter and Bernie Herpin (District 4) discussed issues that will affect our city’s present and future. The event was broadcast live by PPLD’s Video Production Center on The Library Channel. Streaming video can now be viewed by clicking here.

This year’s city election, which will decide four council seats and four ballot issues, is an all-mail election. Ballots must be in the mail or dropped off at the City Clerk’s Office (30 S. Nevada Ave., Suite 101) by 7 p.m., April 7.

No business, non-profit, governmental organization, or individual can be without a website these days. Colorado Springs has a vibrant community of web developers using the free, open-source web development tool, Drupal (pronounced DROO-pul).

In fact, Pikes Peak Library District is redesigning their website in Drupal!

For the first time, the Southern Colorado Drupal User Group has convened a wide variety of local business and governmental users of Drupal websites to demonstrate their sites and to explain how their sites contribute to their core businesses.

Anyone who has or needs a web site, whether they are technical or not, can learn how these websites were developed and are used on a daily basis.

• When: Thursday, April 2, 2009, socializing at 6:30 p.m., formal program at 7 p.m.
• Where: East Library Community Meeting Room, 5550 N. Union Blvd.
• Contact: Monarch Digital – (719) 533-0553 or monarch@monarchdigital.com

Show your art at a Pikes Peak Library District art gallery!

Bring five show-ready pieces of two or three-dimensional art: paintings, watercolor, weaving, drawings, photography, prints, quilts, masks, icons, collage, graphics, or mixed media. Entries must be able to hang on a gallery wall.

• When: Wednesday, March 25, 2009
• Where: Penrose Library, Carnegie Reading Room – 20 N. Cascade Ave.
• Drop off: 10 a.m. – noon
• Pick up (same day): 4:30 – 6 p.m.

Hello Earth! A Puppet Show with Patti Smithsonian
Little Red Riding Hood learns from the Wolf about recycling paper instead of chopping down forests. The Three Little Pigs learn about wasting disposable goods and their impact on the environment. The Ant and the Grasshopper remind us to enjoy life. This engaging ‘fairytale with a twist’ puppet show introduces ideas around the important topic of environmental stewardship.

• Mon., March 23 at 10:30 a.m. – Monument Branch
• Tue., March 24 at 10:30 a.m. – Fountain Branch
• Wed., March 25 at 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. – East Library
• Wed., March 25 at 2 p.m. – Ruth Holley Branch
• Thu., March 26 at 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. – Penrose Library
• Fri., March 23 at 10:30 a.m. – Rockrimmon Branch
• Sat. March 28 at 10:30 a.m.– Ute Pass Branch

Puppet Variations with Bob Aiken
Try a lighthearted piece of Puppet Theater that the whole family can enjoy together. Four puppet styles and four performing techniques form a visual smorgasbord. Its simple approach and positive attitude has touched and brought smiles to folks across the country, at venues ranging from birthday parties to art festivals.

• Tue., March 24 at 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. – East Library
• Tue., March 24 at 6:30 p.m. – Old Colorado City Branch
• Wed., March 25 at 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. – Sand Creek Branch
• Wed., March 25 at 2 p.m. – Fountain Branch
• Thu., March 26 at 10:30 a.m. – Cheyenne Mountain Branch
• Thu., March 26 at 2 p.m. – Monument Branch

Rhythm Fun and More With Helen Trencher, “The Percussion Lady”
Spark your imagination and ignite your creativity! Participants will experience a magical time filled with song, story, and rhythm. This interactive program is great for the entire family – ages 2 through 92! Come ready to let your imagination run wild through the joy of rhythmic expression.

• Tue., March 24 at 10:30 a.m. – Monument Branch
• Tue., March 24 at 2 p.m. – Rockrimmon Branch
• Wed., March 25 at 9:30 and 10:30 a.m – Penrose Library
• Wed., March 25 at 2 p.m. – Cheyenne Mountain Branch
• Thu., March 26 at 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. – East Library
• Thu., March 26 at 2 p.m. – Briargate Branch

Alphabet Songs! A children’s concert with Steve Weeks
Join in this fun, interactive show filled with music, stories and humor for the whole family! Learning your letters has never been so much fun! Steve is a USA Songwriting Competition winner, and included Parents’ Choice and Nappa Honors Winner.

• Tue., March 24 at 10:30 a.m. – Ruth Holley Branch
• Tue., March 24 at 1 p.m. – Cheyenne Mountain Branch
• Tue., March 24 at 4 p.m. – Sand Creek Branch
• Wed., March 25 at 2 p.m. – Briargate Branch
• Wed., March 25 at 7 p.m. – East Library

A Patchwork Quilt of Rhythm, Rhyme, Story and Song
Bonnie Phipps tickles your imagination with a diverse repertoire of participatory songs and stories using her unusual instruments to heighten the action in her tales. Bonnie is a Parent’s Choice Awards winner, a published author, recording artist, a national Autoharp Champion, a contemporary folk singer, a spoons, paper bag, limber-jack, and jaw harp player, a storyteller, a former kindergarten teacher, and an undeniable hit with children.

• Tue., March 24 at 10 and 11 a.m. – Briargate Branch
• Wed., March 25 at 10:20 a.m. – Palmer Lake Branch
• Wed., March 25 at 2 p.m. – Rockrimmon Branch
• Thu., March 26 at 10:30 a.m. – Old Colorado City Branch
• Thu., March 26 at 2 p.m. – Sand Creek Branch

Origami with a Twist!
Join storyteller Denise Gard, as she tells stories using the ancient art of
Origami. Learn the techniques and create a Samurai Helmet. Recommended for ages 8 and older. Registration required.

Funky Fairytales 19 presents Snoring Beauties and Other Strange Stuff
Now in their 19th year of performing, Pikes Peak Library District’s favorite acting troupe presents Bruce Hale’s Snoring Beauty and other frankly funny tales to tickle your fancy! Recommended for ages 4 and older.

• Tue., March 24 at 10:30 a.m. – Rockrimmon Branch
• Tue., March 24 at 2 p.m. – Penrose Library
• Fri., March 27 at 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. – East Library
• Fri., March 27 at 2 p.m. – Ruth Holley Branch
• Fri., March 27 at 4 p.m. – Sand Creek Branch

Dream City
Just imagine a city far, far into the future. Design your vision of what that city would look like in this creative hands-on workshop. Register at your library. Recommended for ages 8 and older.

• Mon., March 23 at 2 p.m. – Cheyenne Branch
• Mon., March 23 at 2 :30 p.m. – Sand Creek Branch
• Thu., March 26 at 10:30 a.m. – Ruth Holley Branch
• Thu., March 26 at 2 p.m. – East Library
• Thu., March 26 at 2 p.m. – Fountain Branch
• Fri., March 27 at 2 p.m. – Briargate Branch

Visit the newly remodeled Sand Creek Branch! Enjoy live music, refreshments, the Zoo Mobile, and giveaways at this free event.

• When: Saturday, March 21; 9:30 a.m. ribbon cutting; branch opens at 10 a.m.
• Where: Sand Creek Branch, 1821 S. Academy Blvd.