Barkman Library Renovation:
This year, we celebrated the opening of the newly renovated and expanded Barkman Library. This project was not just about increasing physical space; it was about enhancing our ability to serve the community more effectively. The updated facilities now offer versatile spaces for events, workshops and community gatherings.
Lucero Library Renovation:
This year, we began construction on the Patrick A. Lucero Library, which will become a modern hub for education and community engagement. To continue providing vital services to Pueblo’s Eastside, PCCLD opened a temporary library at El Centro del Quinto Sol, ensuring residents have access to books and programming during construction.
Building Community Together Capital Campaign:
In 2024 we launched the Building Community Together Capital Campaign, aiming to raise $2 million to fund the renovations of both the Barkman and Patrick A. Lucero libraries. These funds are crucial for transforming these facilities into modern, accessible, and welcoming spaces. The success of this campaign relies on the collective effort and generosity of our community, and we are confident that with your continued support, we will reach our goal.
All Pueblo Reads:
All Pueblo Reads is a literary project that encourages everyone in Pueblo County to read and discuss the same book at the same time. This year’s literacy project featured authors Alka Joshi author of “The Henna Artist,” and children’s writer Meera Sriram author of “A Garden in My Hands.” All Pueblo Reads aims to promote dialogue across cultural, generational and socioeconomic lines, and this year's book selection brought together people from across our community. The program had seven community partners, held nearly 100 programs for youth through adult, and provided 700 All Pueblo Reads books to community members.
Summer Reading:
This year's Summer Reading theme was "Adventure Begins at Your Library." A summer reading program is crucial to helping youth stay engaged in reading over the summer. Completing a fun game board and earning a prize each time they turned in a game board made summer reading a fun way for kids to stay engaged with the library all summer. With the help of many local businesses we were able to have a weekly featured coupon and a weekly grand prize. This kept the kids wanting to come back each week and excited about upcoming prizes. In 2024 we had 9,012 participants in the program. A record number of participants!