What's New!

The Waldo Canyon Fire has had an effect on our library service and a lingering effect on every other aspect of community life.
Many of our patrons, staff, volunteers, and community stakeholders have been personally affected by the fire. And, our staff have been flexible and creative, as we have responded to new and evolving needs for library services over this past week.

PPLD provided laptops for use in the area’s temporary Red Cross Shelters. There, our staff also assisted evacuees in seeking information online. On our website, ppld.org, we are continuing to provide links to the most current resources and information available, for those affected by the fire and for those seeking to provide assistance. Through the generous donation of books by the Friends of the Pikes Peak Library District, we have also supplied books for adults and children in the shelters, throughout this emergency.

Two of our community libraries (Rockrimmon and Ute Pass) are still closed due to mandatory evacuations. We request your patience, once those evacuations are lifted, for us to get back into the buildings and mitigate smoke or other damage before safely re-opening to the public. Though other branches were in pre-evacuation areas, we were pleased that we were able to maintain service there and in the rest of the District. Our facilities provided a physical respite from the temperatures and smoke outside; our internet and print resources provided informational tools and leisure reading inside; and our staff provided welcoming conversation and a comforting environment in a time of tense emotional stress.

You are not just our clients. You are our friends and neighbors, and we are here for you. I am privileged to work in an organization, and with all of our library District employees, who care so much about their community. We are proud to be a part of the Pikes Peak region and, along with each of you, look to the future with great expectation. Though there has been much damage and tragedy, though the fire still rages in places, and though there will be much more residual impact to deal with over the next several weeks and months… yet there is hope. The resiliency of the community and the compassion of residents have been plentiful and rewarding.

Because our libraries are places where words carry great meaning and convey inspiration, I feel compelled to share with you soft and simple words of hope from poet Langston Hughes...

"In Time Of Silver Rain"
In time of silver rain
The earth puts forth new life again,
Green grasses grow
And flowers lift their heads,
And over all the plain
The wonder spreads

Of Life,
Of Life,
Of Life!

(First verse from Langston Hughes’ "In Time of Silver Rain")