10/10/2026
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month With the Library
by Manuela Sepahi
(published in the Montrose Daily Press, 10/7/26)
During this month, as we celebrate the identity shared across 27 countries, the Montrose Regional Library invites you to view a mosaic exhibition. These mosaics were created and temporarily donated last summer by library patrons—including children and families—to commemorate their diverse heritages. The mosaic project was part of the program Mosaic: Wings and Roots, which celebrated the 150th anniversary of Colorado’s statehood. While the vast majority of the mosaics symbolically represent countries in Latin and Central America, some also feature European nations, showcasing the variety of cultural heritages that have helped shape Colorado. For this reason, our library will be more colorful than usual; we will display an interactive map where you can mark the origins of your heritage, as well as a selection of books by Latinx, Hispanic, and Chicano authors in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. This is an opportunity to discover the talent of new authors, or to reread the classics of Spanish literature.
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month invites us to take pride in our roots and acknowledge their diversity. The Latinx and Hispanic population in the Western Slope region continues to grow year after year, building upon a long-standing historical presence. According to the 2020 census, 22.9% of Montrose County’s population identified as Hispanic or Latinx. Consequently, libraries across the region—including the Montrose Regional Library District—have been gradually adding bilingual and Hispanic staff members to provide more personal service and continue breaking down language barriers. We also remain committed to developing programs for both children and adults that are engaging and beneficial to the community. We invite everyone but specially our Spanish-speaking users to participate in our library programs and feel comfortable sharing your opinions and comments with us. We want to establish open, secure communication with our patrons so that, together, we can build the library we want and need. Please remember that you can email me at [email protected] or call my direct line at 970-964-2553.
During September, we held U.S. Citizenship Preparation Sessions, which we plan to continue offering annually. After listening to your feedback regarding the English Classes, we decided to change the schedule. Moving forward, classes will be held every other Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the library meeting room. You can check our social media pages or our website for specific dates. Finally, our monthly book club, Libros y Chisme, is continuing. It is a space to read and discuss books in both English and Spanish. This month, we will be reading “The Shadow of the Wind” by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, a Spanish author and for November, we will read “Sabrina & Corina” by Kali Fajardo-Anstine. We meet on the second Saturday of every month at the Ay! Chabela restaurant, and the first 10 people to sign up receive a free copy of the book.
With nothing further to add, I hope you celebrate this month by supporting and learning more about the Hispanic culture around you.
Manuela Sepahi is an Adult Services Librarian at the Montrose Regional Library.
