If you and your family love books, Colorado Springs has one of the top ten library systems in the nation.
Founded in 1962, the Pikes Peak Library District (PPLD) was rated 9th in the entire country in 2008 and serves over 535,000 people in El Paso County. With over 400 employees and 1,400 volunteers, the library system consists of 14 facilities in many major areas in the Pikes Peak Region—including the Springs, Manitou Springs, Fountain, and Old Colorado City.
Pikes Peak Library District’s goal is to provide content that informs, empowers, educates, and entertains all ages. They provide adults with a wide array of nonfiction and fiction, along with a huge selection of audiobooks. They also have a fun Book Club program where book clubs can check out 12 copies of a book for their book clubs—and all on one card, so there’s no hassle about everyone having to get their own copy. Check out their comprehensive Book Club list.
In addition to physical books, PPLD has CDs, DVDs, video games, and a large eMaterials selection called the CyberShelf with hundreds and hundreds of eBooks, eAudios, eMagazines, and eGames that are completely free with a library card. The same kinds of resources are available for teens and children.
But physical and digital resources are just the beginning of what PPLD has to offer. Each library holds a variety of programs and events—from English as a Second Language classes to Tai Chi to watercolor painting to knitting. Their goal is to offer free community classes, book clubs, and activities for people of all ages. Kids can go to Storytime, Toddler Time, Baby Time, Family Fun, Paws to Read, and other really fun programs for children. Library 21c has video and audio equipment with studio space for serious creatives and interested patrons to utilize while learning about all the professional aspects of audio and video.
And that really only scratches the surface of everything going on at our public libraries! Pike’s Peak Library District truly is a great library system, and we encourage you to check out everything going on at the different branches. If you need a library card, you just need to bring an ID proving your current address within El Paso County, or a photo ID along with documentation of your local address. You can even apply online.
For more information, visit www.ppld.org.