Entries in the Frozen Dead Peeps Diorama Contest Above, left; The Frozen Dead Librarian Peeps win the Coffin Race! Above, right; The entry by Addison, 6, and Corinne, 4, that was inspired by Nederland’s covered bridge has tiny books and lights up. Bottom, left; Peeps hang out at the Pioneer Inn. Middle, left; Space traveler on his way to FDGD. Entries were made with Peeps, glue, and imagination. Visit the library to see them in person or see them at nedlib.org. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE NEDERLAND COMMUNITY LIBRARY[/caption]

April is rushing in strong, like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers, as Edna St. Vincent Millay would say, and wow, do we ever need it! Children giggling again in storytimes, a fresh breeze drifting in from the library deck, motorcycles going full throttle up the Peak to Peak highway, all are signs that springtime is back! This is the perfect time to be celebrating National Library Week. This year’s theme is “Connect with your Library.” I think we can confidently say Nederland has that covered!

Despite another hard year, nature is nudging us toward hope. Amidst the heartbreak of Ukraine and other devastations, optimism seems to be finding its way back into our community. Optimism built on realism and hard work.

Raucous, absurd, FDGD coffin racing was the perfect library reset after another season of COVID lockdown. We were giddy with our “Best Theme/Spirit Win” (can’t beat sensible shoes and a library bun!) and are feeling re-energized to do what the library does best: building community spirit!

As with the rest of the world, we are continuing to adapt to change and are in the process of saying goodbye to some beloved staff (isn’t change so much easier when you’re not on the receiving end?) and welcoming new talent who have exciting fresh perspectives and skills. Thanks to our IT patron saint Matt Reynolds, our tech infrastructure is more resilient than ever and we’re maximizing our investment with all new hybrid programming, one-on-one computer tutoring sessions, and, gasp! some gaming tournaments/esports events. Our new hybrid and teleconferencing abilities also mean we can live stream speakers and events from around the world, so let us know what might interest you. We’re currently working on bringing in an expert series on the Russia-Ukraine war. By popular demand, we’ll be continuing our citizen science series, with a space journalist scheduled for early May.

Beginning this month, our 2021 award-winning #SongsfromtheStacks program will be welcoming musicians back into the library for more recording sessions. What began as a COVID lockdown program is now going live, 6 - 7 p.m., monthly, on Thursday evenings. Our first performance will be April 7, with singer/songwriter Rachel Taulbee (she also performs singing telegrams!). This will be followed by a Thursday, May 12 performance with Indie singer/ songwriter Jeanine Renee. Eric Stone will be hosting the program, with Shayna Beckham overseeing video and audio production. Please come and be a part of our live audience, and when recordings are in session, everyone can practice the lost art of library shushing!

Along with this series, we are piloting another video series that is, in part, a reboot of our oral histories program. Library Board member Scott Papich will be sitting down for short interviews with local community members and experts for insightful, informational conversations that will help us preserve and share all the amazing stories and knowledge here in our mountain community. We are thinking of it as a way to “catalog” our community. Do you know someone who you think would be great to interview? Or it could be you! Contact us at nederlandlibrary@nedlib.org and let us know. Don’t worry, these interviews will cover different material than our favorite local podcast from The Mountain- Ear.

A program begun during lockdown that has seen several iterations is our Literary Nosh Club (formerly known as Cookbook Club). This month, we’ll be breaking bread on April 21, at 6:30 p.m. for a Getting “Started” with Sourdough event. Kendra Trauth will be kicking off the flavorful fun with some tricks and tips for a basic sourdough boule. Yes, there will be lots of tasty treats! Please register online for this event.

On Thursday, April 14, Kendra Trauth will also be hosting a Community Gardens Informational meeting where she’ll be joined by Erin O’Brien of the Mountain Communities Growing Co-Operative (formerly the Seed Lending Library). Come learn about one of the best kept gardening secrets in town.

Our children’s and family programming offerings are making an exciting post-COVID comeback and we will be going BIG for summer reading this year. Keep an eye out for materials coming your way at the beginning of May. Mark your calendars for Thursday, May 26, for the Summer Reading Kickoff, block party! Parents and adults, we have a reading program for you too this year, so be sure you come and sign up.

As we ramp up for new spring programs and continue to expand our book collections (print and downloadable), don’t be shy about reaching out and letting us know what you’d like to see more of at your library. It’s time to plant some new seeds in our literary gardens.

Nederland Community Library is located at 200 Highway 72, Nederland, Colorado. For more information call 303-258-1101 or visit their website https://nederland. colibraries.org/.