Together, Turning Loss into Action

COS Reads + You

COS Reads is a nonprofit organization initially established to support the Save Rockrimmon Library campaign. We are dedicated to keeping all neighborhood libraries open and thriving. COS Reads advocates for equal library access, vibrant community spaces, and systemic reforms across the Pikes Peak Library District.

Learn About Our Work

Upcoming Meetings

Stay informed and take part in the decisions that shape our libraries.

August 8, 2026

COS Reads Meeting, 10:00 a.m.

Reading at the Rock Library, 950 Vindicator Dr.

In-person meeting

Join us as we continue planning next steps.

August 13, 2026

PPLD JAC Meeting, 11 p.m.

Centennial Hall, 200 S. Cascade

In-person meeting

August 19, 2026

PPLD Board Meeting, 5:00 p.m.

Library 21c, 1175 Chapel Hills Dr.

In-person meeting

Come show support for a northwest branch library.

Recent news

Progress Snapshot as of 7/26/26

Northwest library publicly announced: PPLD has confirmed plans to establish a library in northwest Colorado Springs.

$2 million in seed funding approved: On May 20, the PPLD Board of Trustees designated funding for the northwest library, Pony Tracks Library, and improvements at High Prairie Library. This places the northwest library officially on PPLD’s project list.

Next meeting with PPLD: Our group will meet with PPLD on August 24 to continue discussions about the northwest library.

Board appointment updates: Julie Smythe attended her final PPLD Board meeting in May. Aaron Salt and Erin Bents must reapply to serve new five-year terms beginning in January 2027.

Committee membership update: We thank Nancy Henjum for her work on the Joint Appointment Committee. With Ken Casey joining the committee, we hope to see an orderly process that follows established business practices and operates transparently.

Carpooling available: We will help coordinate carpools for those attending the August 13 meeting.

Next PPLD Board of Trustees meeting:

The agenda will be posted by 5:00 p.m. on August 18. We hope the northwest Colorado Springs library will be included. A strong community turnout will demonstrate that residents expect a publicly funded library in return for the taxes they have continued to pay.

Advocacy remains important: With City Council, County Commission, and mayoral races approaching, this is an important time to raise awareness of northwest Colorado Springs’ need for a full-service public library.

Progress Snapshot as of 7/5/26

PPLD Board appointment process remains delayed. PPLD Board of Trustees member Julie Smythe attended her final Board meeting in May. City Councilmember Ken Casey has joined the Joint Appointment Committee, replacing Tom Bailey.

More than a month has passed, but the committee has not yet met to establish the process or timeline for selecting Julie Smythe’s replacement. We appreciate Councilmember Nancy Henjum’s efforts to help move the process forward during a busy summer.

Northwest Colorado Springs library takes a significant step forward. On May 20, the PPLD Board of Trustees voted to set aside $2 million in seed money for the northwest Colorado Springs library, Pony Tracks, and improvements at High Prairie Library.

This officially places the northwest library project on PPLD’s public “to do” list. We consider this a meaningful step forward and look forward to continued progress.

Advocacy efforts continue

Our community is currently facing several major issues and events that deserve attention and focus. We believe it is appropriate to give elected officials and the broader community space to address those priorities. At the same time, our library goals remain active, and we are committed to continuing this work.

No immediate need to attend public meetings. There is no PPLD Board of Trustees meeting this month.

At this time, there is no urgent reason to attend City Council or County Commissioners meetings for library-related purposes.

Progress Snapshot as of 6/6/26

Reading at the Rock Library celebrated its one-year anniversary! Our May 30th Open House was a wonderful success, filled with food, watercoloring, origami, outdoor fun, balloon animals, face painting, tattoos, and lots of community joy. KKTV ran a news story on it!

PPLD has publicly announced plans for a northwest Colorado Springs library. On May 20th, the PPLD Board of Trustees voted to set aside $2 million in seed money for our library, Pony Tracks, and improvements at High Prairie Library. This is a significant step forward and officially puts us on PPLD’s public “To Do” list.

The Foothills Odyssey of the Mind Team represented COS Reads at World Finals. The team competed last week at Iowa State University, earning an impressive 26th-place overall finish and placing 9th in the Spontaneous competition. Congratulations to the team! Their GoFundMe remains active through June 15th: https://gofund.me/170e1a909

Thank you to everyone who completed PPLD’s survey. Your input helps PPLD understand what our community needs and expects from our public library district.

With gratitude: A huge thank-you to Robin, Joe, Zack, our many volunteers, and Christ the King Lutheran Church for helping make the Open House and Reading at the Rock Library such a success.