Literary events across the Colorado Springs area feature a campus appearance and a schedule of library workshops, children’s storytimes, and book clubs, according to reporting from The Gazette.
The slate of events brings author visits and community engagement directly to local venues. Headlining the calendar is an evening of storytelling featuring Tommy Orange. The event is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday at the Kathryn Mohrman Theatre inside Armstrong Hall at Colorado College, located at 14 E. Cache la Poudre St. Further details and scheduling information are maintained through the Colorado College English department’s visiting writer series.
Beyond the college campus, the Pikes Peak Library District and regional business organizations have structured a diverse week of public literary gatherings.
For early childhood literacy, the schedule features multiple Toddler Time sessions. Fountain Library, situated at 230 S. Main St. in Fountain, hosts song, rhyme, and story sessions for toddlers ages 1 to 2 with an adult present from 9:30 to 10 a.m. and 10:30 to 11 a.m. Cheyenne Mountain Library at 1785 S. 8th St. runs parallel toddler sessions on Thursdays from 10:30 to 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to noon. Reading at the Rock Library, located at 950 Vindicator Drive, offers Toddler Time for ages 1 to 3 on Tuesdays from 10 to 10:45 a.m.
Older children have dedicated programming options throughout the week. General storytime for children ages 3 to 7 with an adult takes place at Cheyenne Mountain Library on Thursdays from 10:30 to 11 a.m. Additional sessions are set for Friday from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. at both the Old Colorado City Library at 2418 W. Pikes Peak Ave. and the Ute Pass Library at 8010 Severy Ave. in Cascade. Reading at the Rock Library also hosts Saturday storytimes for this age group from 10 to 10:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month.
Specialized children’s reading initiatives provide interactive literacy practice. The Paws to Read program allows children to practice reading aloud to a therapy dog. This program runs Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Old Colorado City Library, and weekly on Thursdays from 4 to 5 p.m. at Reading at the Rock Library, utilizing a handler and therapy dog from Go Team Therapy Dogs.
Adult readers and professionals have access to multiple localized book clubs. The Southern Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce Book Club meets Thursday from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the SCWCC Office at 1175 Kelly Johnson Blvd. The group will discuss “Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection” by Charles Duhigg. Admission ranges from $10 to $15, and participants must bring their own books. Advance registration is handled via the chamber’s official portal.
Reading at the Rock Library hosts several recurring adult groups. A general adult book club covering fiction and nonfiction meets on the first Thursday of every month from 1 to 2 p.m. An adult nonfiction book club focusing on sci-fi, nonfiction and more meets on the second Thursday of the month from 4 to 5 p.m.
To support ongoing educational needs outside of scheduled events, local organizations provide extended community resources. The Children’s Literacy Center continues its tutor recruitment efforts, reachable at 719-471-8672 or via childrensliteracycenter.org. Library patrons aged 12 and older who have held a Pikes Peak Library District card for at least 90 days can utilize the Chromebooks to Go initiative, checking out devices for up to 21 days.
El Paso County educators, including homeschool educators, can access additional library services via an Educator Card. The library district also maintains the Homeschool Hub for library resources, programs and learning tools, specialized homework resources, and free patron access to digital media, audiobooks, and streaming videos through Hoopla Digital.
Physical distribution of these library services spans the entire Pikes Peak Library District network, which includes the 21c facility at 1175 Chapel Hills Drive; Calhan, 600 Bank St., Calhan; Cheyenne Mountain, 1785 S. 8th St.; East, 5550 N. Union Blvd.; Fountain, 230 S. Main St.; High Prairie, 7035 Old Meridian Road, Falcon; Manitou Springs, 701 Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs; Monument, 1706 Lake Woodmoor Drive; Old Colorado City, 2418 W. Pikes Peak Ave.; Palmer Lake, 66 Lower Glenway; Penrose, 20 N. Cascade Ave.; Ruth Holley, 685 N. Murray Blvd.; Sand Creek, 1821 S. Academy Blvd.; and Ute Pass, 8010 Severy Ave., Cascade.
