1900 East Third Ave. Contact: 375-3380.
Wednesdays, 11-11:30 a.m.: Preschool Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes and other fun activities. Perfect for children ages 3-5.
Wednesdays 3:30-5 p.m.: Youth Chess Club. Drop-in chess games in a friendly environment. For ages 7-17. All skill levels are welcome. Bring your own set or use one of ours.
Thursdays 11-11:30 a.m.: Toddler Storytime. Stories, songs, rhymes and other fun activities. Perfect for children ages 2-3.
Fridays 11-11:30 a.m.: Baby Storytime. A lap-sit storytime for infants – 18 months. Interactive fun with music, stories, fingerplays, counting rhymes and playtime. Babies should bring their parents or caregivers.
Jan. 1: Library closed for holiday.
Jan. 5, 3:30-4:30 p.m.: LEGO Club. Build, create and play with the library’s LEGO collection.
Jan. 10, 6-7:30 p.m.: Word Honey Poetry Workshop. Join us at The Hive’s indoor skatepark (1150 Main Ave. Suite A) for a poetry workshop.
Jan. 10, 6:15-7:45 p.m.: Writers & Scribblers. A group for writers of all kinds to learn, practice and share the art and craft of writing.
Jan. 11, 4-5 p.m.: Teen Game Zone. Gaming in the library. We will have the library’s Nintendo Switch with a variety of games, board games and snacks. For teens in grades six-12.
Jan. 12, 3:30-4:30 p.m.: STEAM Lab – Winter Night Sky. Build, explore, create and problem-solve. Join us for fun STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) based activities.
Jan. 15: Library closed for holiday.
Jan. 18, 6-8 p.m.: Know Before You Go: Avalanche Awareness with Friends of the San Juans. When was the last time you refreshed your avalanche skills? Join the FOSJ to learn everything you need to know before you head out into the mountains this winter.
Jan. 19, 3:30-4:30 p.m.: LEGO Club. Build, create and play with the library’s LEGO collection.
Jan. 23, 10:30 a.m.-noon: Early Literacy Playdate. Join us for a playdate at the library.
Jan. 23, 2-3 p.m.: How to Improve Your Handwriting – In 5 Easy Steps. Led by local author and artist Heather Martinez. Ages 16 and older. All experience levels welcome. All supplies provided.
Jan. 24, 6-7:30 p.m.: Word Honey Poetry Workshop. Join us at The Hive's indoor skatepark (1150 Main Ave. Suite A) for a poetry workshop.
Jan. 25, 4-5 p.m.: Teen Game Zone. Gaming in the library. We will have the library’s Nintendo Switch with a variety of games, board games and snacks. For teens in grades six-12.
Jan. 26, 3:30-4:30 p.m.: Snowdown for Kids: Peace, Love and Crafts. Groovy crafts for kids. An afternoon of crafts where children can get creative and get into the Snowdown spirit.
Jan. 27, 2-4 p.m.: Snowdown Speed Friending – for Adults. C, mon people now, smile on your neighbor, everybody get together, try to friend one another right now.
Jan. 30, 11:45 a.m.-2 p.m.: Great Decisions. Presented by the League of Women Voters of La Plata County, Great Decisions is an annual nonpartisan briefing book that covers eight foreign policy topics.
Jan. 30, 4-6 p.m.: Snowdown Flower Garlands. Get festive with a beautiful, homemade flower and snowflake garland. Craft for adults and teens.
395 Bayfield Center Drive, Bayfield. Contact: 884-2222, www.prlibrary.org.
NOTE: Youth programs do not run during school breaks.
Thursdays 11-11:30 a.m.: Hopper’s Storytime. Join us weekly to read books, meet new friends and make a craft together.
Mondays, 4-5 p.m.: STEAM Power Hour (Grades 3-5).
Wednesdays, 4-5 p.m.: Junior STEAM Power Hour (Grades K-2).
Join us weekly to explore new interests, delve into the wonders of learning science and create artistic masterpieces.
Tuesdays, 10:15-11 a.m.: Yoga for Kids. Children will work on breathing, stretching, balance (both body and mind) and learn mindfulness techniques that they can take off the mat. This child-centered and literacy-based class will include stories, songs, games and a mindful bite. For home-schooled and elementary cbhildren ages 5-11. Donation-based. Classes are taught by Evelyn Van Antwerp.
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4-5 p.m.: Teen Free Play. Tabletop games, PlayStation, Oculus, food and fun.
Monthly on the first Friday, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. (starting in February): Teen Tabletop Club. Magic, D&D, Cthulhu and more.
Mountaintop Movement Fitness Classes
These classes are hosted by local fitness instructors Brian and Tammy Williams. Follow them on the Mountaintop Movement Facebook page for more information.
Full Body Fit Class: Monday-Thursday, 8:15-8:50 a.m.: Work out using your own body weight or light hand weights to work all the body parts. The free classes are always similar in style but always different moves to keep it fun and fresh. You’ll need a yoga mat & light hand weights. If you don’t have them, there are extras that can be used. All ages and fitness levels are welcome.
Yoga For All
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9-10 a.m.: This class lets us move dynamically from one posture to another. We create awareness and harmony between the mind and body that allows us to remove stress and anxiety. We use our breath to move deeper into our body while warming, lengthening and strengthening our muscles. All you need is a yoga mat and a water bottle. Some yoga tools such as blocks, a blanket and a strap are encouraged. These classes are on a donation basis. Taught by Evelyn Van Antwerp.
Friends of the Library Shed Book Sale
Tuesdays, 1-3 p.m.: Stop by the shed in the library parking lot for our weekly popup book sale.
Community Knitting and Crochet Group
Sundays, 1-3 p.m.: All are welcome. Whether you have been knitting and/or crocheting for years or you would like to learn, we are happy to have you and will do our best to help you get started.
Open Art Studio
Thursdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: All mediums. All ages. Come and work on your own projects in a group setting.
Jan. 5, 1:30 p.m.: First Friday Matinee. Join us for an afternoon film on the big screen at the library every first Friday of the month. Note: this program shows PG-13 and R rated films. In January, we are showing “Oppenheimer” (Rated R).
Jan. 8, 6-8 p.m.: Typeset Writer’s Group. No rules, just writing. Each month, a member of the group will bring an article for discussion. Participants also have the option to bring two pages of their own writing to read aloud, but it’s not required. If you’d like to read your own writing, please bring it in manuscript format.
Jan. 9, 10-11 a.m.: Card Making at the Pine River Senior Center. Join us at the Pine River Senior Center every second Tuesday of the month and create two beautiful handmade cards. Free.
Jan. 9, 5:30-7 p.m.: The Secret to a Happy, Healthy Relationship. Do you want to experience love and companionship, but you’ve given up on dating and resigned yourself to a life of solitude? There is another way. Join a group of like-minded men over 50 to explore what a healthy, happy relationship looks like and how to achieve it. Gain insights into the minds of women while uncovering your own patterns and roadblocks in a judgment-free environment. This group will be led by local life coach Cheryl Coffey. With more than 20 years of experience and countless hours of training in various forms of conflict resolution, Coffey will teach you the skills necessary to better understand yourself and the women you meet. Don’t spend another day feeling frustrated by the dating world – sign up and start your journey toward finding the love and companionship you desire.
Jan. 10, noon: Library Board Meeting. Regular monthly meeting of the library’s Board of Trustees.
Jan. 10, 2-3:30 p.m.: BookMarks Book Club. BookMarks is open to all adults in the Pine River Valley. The library provides the books, the discussion leader and a place to meet each month. Stop by the front desk to check out your copy of this month’s title: “The Last Thing He Told Me,” by Laura Dave.
Jan. 10, 4-6 p.m.: Drop in Program: DIY Salt Scrub. Start the new year off with properly exfoliated skin. Stop by and make your own personalized salt scrub mix.
Jan. 11, 10 a.m.: Delayed Library Opening: Monthly staff meeting.
Jan. 12, 4-5:30 p.m.: Mahjong Meetup. Mahjong is a tile-based table-top game developed in 19th century China. Similar to the Western card game rummy, mahjong is a game of skill, strategy and luck. It is entertaining to play and, like dominoes, is relatively easy to learn. All are welcome, join us twice monthly to play.
Jan. 15: Library closed.
Jan. 16, 1-2:30 p.m.: Death Café. Pine River Library is one of many groups in 79 countries across the world that host Death Cafés. A Death Café is a time and place where people come to share food, drink tea or coffee, and discuss death openly and honestly. The aim is to increase awareness about death in order to help people make the most of their (finite) lives.
Jan. 16, 6-8 p.m.: Life Coaching Series: The Universal Cycle of Change. If change is the only thing we’re ever guaranteed, why is it so shocking when it happens? When you can understand what is really going on when change occurs, you are able to accept the challenges with clarity, groundedness and learn to use the transition to create something truly magical. Brooke Smith, local author and master certified life coach, will host “Life’s Change Cycle.” This class will be the first in a five-part life-coaching series Smith will host at the library in the coming months. In this workshop, you will learn about the three types of catalytic changes we face, how to honor the transition so you don’t land right back in square one.
Jan. 17, noon-1 p.m.: Cookbook Club. Each month at noon on the third Wednesday, we’ll gather together and share a potluck of recipes from a chosen cookbook, chef or cuisine. Stop by the library and pick up a copy of that month’s cookbook and then call or email Darcy to RSVP and let the library know what recipe you’ll be making for the potluck (884.2222, ext. 522, darcy@prlibrary.org). In January, we’ll be cooking from “Rachael’s Good Eats: Easy, Laid-back, Nutrient-rich Recipes,” by Rachael DeVaux.
Jan. 19, 1:30 p.m.: Family Friday Matinee. Join us for a family film on the big screen at the library every third Friday of the month. In January, we are showing the 2023 version of “The Little Mermaid.”
Jan. 23, 5:30-7 p.m.: The Secret to a Happy, Healthy Relationship. Do you want to experience love and companionship, but you’ve given up on dating and resigned yourself to a life of solitude? There is another way. Join a group of like-minded men over 50 to explore what a healthy, happy relationship looks like and how to achieve it. Gain insights into the minds of women while uncovering your own patterns and roadblocks in a judgment-free environment. This group will be led by local life coach Cheryl Coffey. With more than 20 years of experience and countless hours of training in various forms of conflict resolution, Coffey will teach you the skills necessary to better understand yourself and the women you meet. Don’t spend another day feeling frustrated by the dating world – sign up and start your journey toward finding the love and companionship you desire.
Jan. 25, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Spanish Conversation Hour. Practice your Spanish in an informal setting. All ages and language levels welcome.
Jan. 26, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Pine River Senior Center Outreach. Books and DVDs available for check out, delivered to the Senior Center with an extended loan period (four weeks, rather than the standard one to three weeks) each month.
Jan. 26, 4-5:30 p.m.: Mahjong Meetup. Mahjong is a tile-based table-top game developed in 19th century China. Similar to the Western card game rummy, mahjong is a game of skill, strategy and luck. It is entertaining to play and, like dominoes, is relatively easy to learn. All are welcome, join us twice monthly to play.
Fort Lewis Mesa Library, 11274 Highway 140, Hesperus. Contact: 375-3816, chris@swlplibrarydistrict.org. The library is located inside Fort Lewis Mesa Elementary School and has books for all ages. Open to the public 2:30-7 p.m. Monday to Friday; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday; contactless pickup and drop-off available 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday to Friday; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.
Sunnyside Library, 75 County Road 218, Durango. Contact: 375-3816, cheryl@swlplibrarydistrict.org. The library is located inside Sunnyside Elementary School and has books for all ages. Open to the public 3-7 p.m. Monday to Friday; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday; contactless pickup and drop off available 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday to Friday; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday.
Toddler Story Time at Sunnyside: Every Thursday at 2 p.m. Stories, movement, songs and fingerplays for toddlers ages 2-4 and their caregivers. For more information, contact patty@swlplibrarydistrict.org.
Wee Read at Fort Lewis Mesa: Toddler story time every Wednesday at 2 p.m. Stories, movement, songs and fingerplays for toddlers ages 2-4 and their caregivers. For more information, contact cindy@swlplibrarydistrict.org.
Adult Knitting Club at Sunnyside: Fridays at 3 p.m. Bring your knitting or other portable craft project and join us for this fun and social group (all ages welcome).
Kids Krafternoon Adventures
Both Sunnyside and Fort Lewis Mesa Libraries will offer Kids Krafternoon Adventures on Tuesdays beginning in January. The crafty adventures will take place at Fort Lewis Mesa Library on the first and third Tuesdays, while Sunnyside’s adventures will happen on the second and fourth Tuesdays through the end of April.
Sessions will include: Happy Handicrafts, Puppet Camp, Pokemon Club and Fab Food Fun. Kids may sign up for one or all of the sessions. There is no cost. Complete and return the registration form on our website.
Powerhouse Pass Program. Sunnyside Library and Fort Lewis Mesa Library have Powerhouse Passes available for check out at each library. The pass will allow you and your immediate family free entry to the Powerhouse Science Center. Passes can be checked out on an adult library card for one week.
Check Out State Parks Program. Fort Lewis and Sunnyside Libraries have “Check Out State Parks” backpacks available for check out. Each pack includes a pass for free entry to Colorado state parks, binoculars, wildlife viewing guides and park information. The pack can be checked out on an adult library card for one week.
Monday, Jan. 1: Libraries closed for New Year’s holiday.
Tuesday, Jan. 2: Libraries open to the public 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Schools closed for teacher work day.
Monday, Jan. 15: Libraries closed for Martin Luther King holiday.
Monday, Jan. 15, 9:30 a.m.: Southwest La Plata Library District monthly board meeting, held in the Ecosphere Environmental Services conference room, 776 East Second Ave., Durango. Additional information can be found at either library location or swlplibrarydistrict.org.
Tuesday, Jan. 16, 3 p.m.: Kids Krafternoon Adventure at Fort Lewis Mesa Library. Join us for Happy Handicrafts. Make your own wind chimes. Open to all area 8- to 12 year-olds. Contact cindy@swlplibrarydistrict.org for more information.
Wednesday, Jan. 17, 3 p.m.: Fort Lewis Mesa Book Club meeting in the Fort Lewis Mesa Library. Contact chris@swlplibrarydistrict.org for more information. All are welcome.
Monday, Jan. 22, 5:30 p.m.: Sunnyside Book Club meeting in the Sunnyside Library. Contact cheryl@swlplibrarydistrict.org for more information. All are welcome.
Tuesday, Jan. 23, 3 p.m.: Kids Krafternoon Adventure at Sunnyside Library. Join us for Happy Handicrafts. Make your own wind chimes. Open to all area 8- to 12 year-olds. Contact cindy@swlplibrarydistrict.org for more information.
Friday, Jan. 26, 5 p.m.: Old Home Night. Help! Did you or your family go to school at Fort Lewis Mesa Elementary? Did you teach? Was your mom the cafeteria lady? We have school yearbooks from 1971, and in many of them, the children and adults in the photos are unidentified. Join us on Friday, Jan. 26 from 5-7 p.m. or Saturday, Jan. 27 from 10 a.m.-noon to help solve the mysteries. Light refreshments will be served. Contact chris@swlplibrarydistrict.org for more information.
