A Library Tour: Alamosa/Robert L. Murphy Branch

Journey Ahead by Kevin Zuckerman

What more appropriate image for our Summer Reading program this year?  Fly away with "One World, Many Stories/Un Mundo, Muchas Historias" at Alamosa Library!  When you visit the branch, make sure you don't miss this wonderful sculpture out front.

The Alamosa/Robert L. Murphy Library is located at 6900 Gonzales SW,  inside the Alamosa Multi-Service Center.  Look for the large sign that reads "Alamosa Multi Service Center" on the corner-the library is the light gray building. For driving & bus directions, visit the ABC Libraries' website. The library has 13 public computers including 2 express and 2 children's. Alamosa also offers many of the standard amenities of the ABC Libraries' branches: fax service; voter registration forms, None for the Road DVDs, & bus schedules are all available, but the branch does not have a magazine swap or a community room or study rooms for public use.

Since the library is in the center, it is one of the smaller branches.  But the interior is quite charming, with some nice seating & a real can-do attitude at their Information Desk!

Alamosa's children's section is jam-packed with delights for your perusal, with Madeline on hand to welcome you. I especially like (not pictured here) the half-moon-shaped enclosure where I imagine storytimes are held.  Please note that Alamosa is a branch that has a bunch of readalongs (children's book with accompanying tape)!  They also have a section for young adults.

Alamosa is Alamosiana on your Summer Reading Passport-"a beautiful country famous for its many stately and shady cottonwood trees. The friendly people of Alamosiana welcome visitors from all over the Summer Reading Program world to come and enjoy themselves." Their Summer Reading table looks very inviting! Won't you stop by & sign up or drop off your reading log here?

A 3-D snowflake made by staff member Tina!

Alamosa is a very kid-friendly branch! Stop by on July 13th for music by Red Rooster Trio or on July 20th for Storytelling with Margaret Edmunds! You can also attended Ready to Read storytimes on Monday mornings until August 22nd. All Summer Reading programs take place in Meeting Room B of the center. During the school year, Alamosa also has monthly arts & crafts programs & open Wii play.  Visit the library's website for more information on programs & events.


 

The library's placement in the Alamosa Multi-Service Center makes it easy to find other activities for the day of your library visit.  Alamosa Center staff provides emergency food, clothing, utility assistance, as well as community meeting rooms and seasonal services and activities to residents of the Southwest Mesa (South Valley and Westside) areas of Albuquerque, & there are onsite health care & social service agencies. The Child Development Center has childcare services  for children ages 0-5. There is also a Community Center, which includes access to a gym, exercise room, & game room, all free of charge.  (Classes are offered in yoga & boxing for a small fee.) The Summer Lunch Program takes place at Alamosa Center until July 29th, open to children and youth 1 through 18 years old. The Summer Recreation Program is offered for six to eight weeks (June to July) every year to school age children and youth from 6 -15 years old at the Community Center-it's a very popular program, & registration is required.

Make sure you check out Alamosa's fotonovela collection!

A Library Tour: Lomas Tramway Branch

The library's official banner, created by former volunteer Ken Dobies.

Lomas Tramway Library is located at 908 Eastridge NE, on the southwest corner of Lomas Boulevard and Tramway Boulevard, but there is no access from Tramway. The parking lot entrance is on Eastridge Drive, which runs parallel to Tramway. For directions by car or bus, visit the ABC Libraries' website. The library has 16 public computers including 3 express. Lomas Tramway also offers many of the standard amenities of the ABC Libraries' branches: fax service; voter registration forms, None for the Road DVDs, & bus schedules are all available, & the branch has a magazine swap & Fiction to Go. This branch has a community room for public use but does not have study rooms.

Bottom row of photos is by former Lomas Tramway volunteer Ken Dobies.

Lomas Tramway reopened last year after a lot of remodeling & inside you'll find a very welcoming atmosphere! They have kept the big window, facing the Sandias across Tramway, but many other areas have changed a bit-really opening up the space, in my opinion. There is a lot of comfy seating, tables to spread out on, & spectacular lighting.

I like the children's & young adult sections at this branch. Both have cool chairs & the children's section has that great entry arch & displays of artifacts from around the world, supplied by staff!

Alligator Vase photo is by Ken Dobies.





Lomas Tramway branch also has several art pieces on display. Amuse yourself by tracking down all six!  They are: The Mall by Enrique Montenegro (in the lobby); Dendrite Fusion by Xuan Chen (above library card desk); Sandia Sunset by Robert Hooten (by the newspapers); Velocipede by Robert Hooten (by periodicals); Sa Sara by Yulia Pinkusevich; & Alligator Vase by Tom Waldman (by the outdoor entry). Also look for the sculpture La Blessure by Collette Perazio-Itkin (on one of the outdoor patios) & the photographs of James Dietsch from his "Light in Albuquerque" series (above the computers).

"O, say can you see, where the prairie dogs roam,

Is the Czech Out Republic of Lomapalooza!

You can read to a dog, search online for a job.

The books are all free, so what can you lose-a?

There's a wonderful view! Staff who love helping you!

Since this time last year, all our walls look brand new!

O! Say, will you join us for Summer Reading here

We have prizes to give out, not again till next year!"

~Robert William Stewart Rogers, former Lomas Tramway employee

(sing to the tune of "The Star Spangled Banner")

This Summer Reading theme, "One World, Many Stories/Un Mundo, Muchas Historias", has been a lot of fun for me.  I think each library turning itself into a country for the program has been a fabulous idea & I have really enjoyed being able to see what each library has made its theme.  So my hat's definitely off to the Lomas Tramway staff for creating "The Czech Out Republic of Lomapalooza", complete with flag, anthem, & mascots.  You can even read a story about Lomapalooza's mascots, Clementine & Wilson, on the library's website!

Also on the Lomas Tramway website, you can see all the programs that are happening at the branch!   For kids, Natalee Roe's storytime is July 14th & Balinese Dance with Sari Megumi will be on July 21st! There will be T-Shirt Stencilling for teens aged 12-18 on July 14th! A Family Movie on July 23rd! Lomas Tramway has a book discussion group for adults, monthly Read to the Dogs, the Two Poets discussion group, & more!  Their Program & Events page has a full listing.

Have I tempted you into taking a trip to Lomas Tramway?  I hope so.  Besides a trip to the library, there is so much to do in the area: the Sandia Peak Tramway; hiking & biking trails; Chelwood Park; & another small park next to the library with a play area, climbing wall, & volleyball court.  To feed your stomach as well as your mind, check out Weck's or the Owl Cafe (both nearby).

Just to show you how popular libraries are lately, the picture on the left above is Lomas Tramway's parking lot at 9 a.m. & the picture on the right is the same parking lot at 10 a.m., when the library opens.  There are always people waiting to get in first thing!

Albuquerque Libraries: It's a Grand Old History

Circulation Desk at Old Main, 1958

Did you know that May 1, 2011, marked the 110th anniversary of the day municipal public library service began in Albuquerque? Think of it-when you check out a book at your local Albuquerque branch, you are supporting a tradition over a century old! Last week, I sat down with retired librarian & local historian Joe Sabatini for a very informative discussion of the history of libraries in our fair city. It was an eye-opener for me, & I wanted to share my findings with you.

That first municipal library in 1901 wasn't even the first library in Albuquerque. In the 1880s & again in the 1890s, there were subscription libraries run by women's clubs, most notably one that was located in the old Commercial Club at the intersection of 4th & Gold downtown (where the Simms Building is now). This library got some funding from a mill levy, but principally it survived on more homespun support, such as bake sales, dance balls, & soliciting donations.

The original library building at Edith & Central.

Meanwhile, in 1896, "banker Joshua Raynolds purchased a former school building at Edith & Central & bequeathed it to the City of Albuquerque for the purpose of having a municipal free public library."* In 1900, he bequeathed in perpetuity to the city, so long as three conditions were met: a public library should be maintained there; the city should maintain the grounds; & the citizens of Albuquerque should raise $1000 in funds for the fledgling library. The ledger still exists that records all the books that were bought for the new library.

The very first librarian at this location was Nell Wetter. She opened the library with 2405 books. Only one floor of the three story building was dedicated to the library-the City rented out the other space to churches, schools, & community organizations. At that time the Huning Highlands neighborhood, where the library is situated, was a prosperous, upperclass area of Albuquerque. MissWetter ran the library for several years, left the state briefly, & returned the run the library again briefly. In 1913, Miss Wetter relocated to Cleveland-she was concerned for her health, as many of  her customers in those years were tubercular patients. She trained one of her successors, Stella Dixon.



Librarian Stella Dixon in 1920

 
Stella Dixon, who become library director in 1918, was the wife of a railroad conductor. The Dixons lived at Arno & Central & their 4 children went to the First Ward School, which is now Longfellow Elementary. The New Mexico Library Association (NMLA) was founded in Stella Dixon's living room, & she was its first treasurer.

"Old Main", now Special Collections Library

In 1923, the city passed a $45,000 bond to build a new library, tearing down the old school building & replacing it with a new building in the Pueblo Spanish Revival style. They used brick from the old building for masonry in the new one. The new building opened in 1925 with 1300 people attending the ceremony-the new, improved library was no small matter for Albuquerque citizens.

"The Depression hit the Albuquerque Public Library very hard. At first, circulation continued to increase as unemployed people used the library to pass the time or look for job information. But the library had no book budget. They rented their new fiction [to the public]. That revenue & overdue fines provided their entire new book & magazine budget. People who lost their jobs had no money to rent books. With virtually no new books coming in, the collection wore out & circulation dropped from 90,000 annually in 1932 to 56,000 in 1935. More than a thousand books were put in the basement awaiting repair. By 1935, there were only 200 usable children's books, at a time when there were 5,000 children enrolled in public schools,"** says Mr. Sabatini. Community groups demanded a fix, & a new City administration forced Mrs. Dixon to resign, hiring a director with a a Master's Degree in Library Science. There were some budget improvements in the late 1930s, but the library was not expanded until after World War II.

Erna Fergusson & Clyde Tingley at City Hall, May 1945

During these next years, Erna Fergusson (the "First Lady of New Mexican Letters"), granddaughter of wealthy merchant Franz Huning, daughter of Congressman Harvey Fergusson, & Clyde Tingley (city commission chair for 3 decades & also governor of New Mexico) were influential in the growth of the library. After the deaths of journalist Ernie Pyle in 1945, Tingley appointed Erna Fergusson to chair a committee to determine an appropriate memorial to Pyle. That led to the City acquiring Pyle's home, which eventually became the Ernie Pyle Library-opened to the public in 1948 as the first branch library. Elsa Smith Thompson was the library director during this era, overseeing the establishment of a branch library system to serve the City during its extraordinary postwar growth.

Staff member Marge Komadina at Tijeras bookmobile stop circa 1955

Beginning in 1948, the Pilot Club donated a vehicle to establish bookmobile service, taking books to rural areas of Bernalillo County.  In 1954, the city opened its second branch library, Los Griegos, followed by its third, the Prospect Park branch (now called Tony Hillerman Library-see the timeline of this branch's history on its website) in 1957. Three more branches open in the 1960s-the Esperanza branch (replaced by Alamosa Library in 2001), the Erna Fergusson branch, & then the San Pedro branch.

The 1970s were marked by the building of a new Main Library at 5th & Copper. In addition, "Old Main" at Edith & Central, later to become Special Collections, was renovated. A Model Cities Program library was created in the South Broadway neighborhood, with emphasis on media, income tax help, & programs by local performers & artists. In 1979 the staff & community resisted when it was proposed to make it a regular library! The library was rebuilt in 1995 as part of the South Broadway Cultural Center.

Albuquerque was still growing in the 1970s, but with the emphasisis on the building of the new Main Library, no new branches were built. In 1979, director Alan Clark initiated  a Comprehensive Plan with "criteria for placement of branches serving 40,000 people within a two-mile radius".* This led to 3 branches being built in the city during the 1980s-Juan Tabo, Taylor Ranch, & Lomas Tramway. Another of Clark's innovations was the funding of library collections, processing, & automation, in addition to building new branches, through bond elections.

With the growth of metropolitan Albuquerque, Alan Clark worked with Ruth Sims, manager of a small County Library, to bring service to Bernalillo County, outside of the city. A joint powers agreement was signed between the City & Bernalillo County, transferring the management of the County Library to the City of Albuquerque. This was followed by County Bond issues to construct three branches, South Valley, North Valley, & East Mountain, also under City management. The combined library system was renamed the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System. Two more branches,Westgate & Cherry Hills, were added in 1999.

"By 2001, the Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library system was operating a Main Library, a book van service to senior condominiums, 15 neighborhood libraries & a Special Collections (genealogy & local history) library... In July 2007, the system noted the milestone of circulating one hundred million books & other materials since its founding in 1901. The system began offering public internet services beginning in 1995,"* Mr. Sabatini explains. The system was rebranded as ABC Libraries in 2010.

What a long, strange trip it has been for ABC Libraries!  This is only a brief overview of the history of libraries in Albuquerque-I can't do justice to all the information Joe has compiled. I hope you have enjoyed this condensed version & that next time you visit a library in Albuquerque (perhaps to get a stamp on your Summer Reading passport?), you will enjoy knowing that you, too, are taking part in the grand history of libraries in Albuquerque.

Related articles

Joe Sabatini's talk to the New Mexico Genealogical Society (2009)

Joe Sabatini: Lover of history and books (from abqARTS)


*from "Public Library Service in Albuquerque" by Joe Sabatini

** from "In Search of Stella Dixon: Genealogical Ramblings to Fill in the Missing Chapter in the History of the Albuquerque Public Library" by Joe Sabatini

All photos are courtesy of Joe Sabatini.

A Library Tour: North Valley Branch

I highly recommend North Valley Library (North Vallandia on your passport) as one of your destinations during Summer Reading & I believe, as the above poster claims, you may meet the book of your dreams there!  I had a delightful visit.  I like a place that tells you up front where you need to go first-I need all the help I can get!

North Valley Library is located at 7704 2nd Street NW, on the east side of 2nd Street, approximately 9/10 of a mile north of Osuna Blvd and approximately 9/10 of a mile south of Paseo del Norte-for directions by car or bus, visit the ABC Libraries' website. The library has 12 public computers including 1 express and 2 children's. North Valley also offers many of the standard amenities of the ABC Libraries' branches: fax service; voter registration forms, None for the Road DVDs, & bus schedules are all available, but the branch does not have a magazine swap. This library is a dropoff point for Roadrunner Food Bank. North Valley does have a community room & 2 study rooms for public use-their study rooms are available on a first come, first served basis.

I can't say enough about the pleasant grounds of this library.  There is some nice landscaping on the west side of the building, but the real beauty spot for me was the east side of the building, where you can find the shade structure & trees.

Once inside, there is more to admire! North Valley Library's decor is Southwestern, featuring high ceilings with wooden vigas & carved wooden furniture upholstered with a local flavor.  Another nice touch is the carved bookshelves.  Don't miss the library's showpiece: the Reading Ribbon, a 1% for the Arts piece by Evelyn Rosenberg, a sculpture you can look up to!

But the Reading Ribbon isn't the only thing on display.  Swing by the display case, check out the woodcuts (very popular with library customers), & when I was there I also saw work by a local artist, "Spring Birds of New Mexico" by Lisa Dines.  Looking around for displays gives you a chance to scope out a cozy nook to hang out in-the library has those in abundance!

You won't get to see Lisa Dines' artwork if you visit North Valley in July, but be sure & stop by for her book talk on July 7th!  Ms. Dines is also an experienced horse woman and local author & she will be speaking about Why Horses Do That...why our equine friends sleep standing up & more.

If you can't make it to the booktalk, don't worry, North Valley Library has Summer Reading activities for all ages!  The North Valley Knitters is weekly drop-in needle craft group that meets Thursday afternoons with a skilled knitter on hand for instruction and questions. Teens can take advantage of the T-Shirt Stenciling program (bring your own shirt)  in July. Kids will enjoy Summer Storytime, weekly storytimes for age 5 and under that incorporate literacy skills in a fun way. (Summer Storytimes are Tuesdays at 1 p.m. through August 23rd.)  For a complete list of North Valley programs & times, check out the library website!

The blue sign in front of First Choice says Enter Only & the sign in front of the library (not pictured) says Exit Only.

Something you'll want to be aware of for your visit is that the library is next to First Choice Family Healthcare Center and shares the incoming parking lot entrance with the Center.  The front entrance of the library faces the parking lot rather than 2nd Street. If you are coming north on 2nd Street, the entrance is just before the blue & brown NORTH VALLEY LIBRARY sign. If you are heading south on 2nd Street, you will pass the library & turn right after the sign.  I mention this because I entered the wrong way on my visit!

 

While you are in the area, I recommend a stop at the St. James Tearoom, one of my favorite North Valley attractions (the sign in their parking lot says "Park Tidy")!  If tea is not your thing, consider Sadie's or Annapurna's on 4th Street.  Another favorite summer spot of mine is Itsa Italian Ice, at 2nd Street & Phoenix-just make sure you finish eating your ice before you come in to the library! If yours is a more outdoor bent, La Ladera Park, which includes a playground, soccer field, & tennis court, is also nearby. The Village of Los Ranchos has some great antique shops, I hear! The library is also not far from a Rail Runner stop-enjoy those weekend trains while they last!

Can I just mention North Valley Library's outdoor area one more time?  I don't know about lounging there in the heat of the day, but it sure looks lush & welcoming around 9 in the morning.

A Library Tour: Cherry Hills Branch



Welcome to Clifford's library.  At least, you'd think it was Clifford's library!  Many kids are asking to see Clifford or "red dog" pretty much as soon as they enter the building.  Clifford is on loan from a generous library employee, but based on his popularity with the junior library customers, hopefully he will never leave!

However, though Clifford is the library mascot, Cherry Hills did not choose to be Bigreddogland for the Summer Reading program, instead going by the name "Cherrytopia" on your Summer Reading passport.   The branch has traditionally embraced fruit-related elements in their decor, & good friend & sometimes employee Alysa DeMella created the beautiful flag (from the Teen Advisory Board's design) & the "Cherrytopians" graphic. 

Cherry Hills Library  is located at 6901 Barstow NE, located at the corner of Harper Road and Barstow Street, one block east of the intersection of Harper Road and Wyoming Boulevard. It's a brick building with a green roof! The library is adjacent to the Del Norte Shopping Center whose tenants include McDonald's and Walgreens-for directions by car or bus, visit the ABC Libraries' website. The library has 18 public computers including 2 express and 2 children's. Cherry Hills also offers many of the standard amenities of the ABC Libraries' branches: fax service; voter registration forms, None for the Road DVDs, & bus schedules are all available, but the branch does not have a magazine swap. Cherry Hills does have a community room & 2 study rooms for public use.

What delights await you when you choose Cherrytopia for your summer fun destination?  Cherry Hills is one of three branches (the other two are Erna Fergusson & Taylor Ranch) that are open 7 days a week.  After you enter its portals, once you find the book return (to your right, under the big red flag-customers always miss this!), you can sit out the summer heat in comfortable chairs or study in carrels.  Browse an array of displays, including one devoted to Staff Picks & one dedicated to mysteries-this month, it's Female Sleuths!  The display case changes out monthly-during Summer Reading, however, you'll be able to ogle the prizes you could win instead.  Make sure to check out the Turkmen books in the International Collection & feel like a real world traveler! If you are the kind of person who doesn't like to ask questions at the Information Desk, there is a library map to help you navigate the branch.

The great nation of Cherrytopia is taking its Summer Reading responsibilities very seriously.  All visitors are encouraged to stop by the Travel Agency, where one of the charming teen volunteers will sign them up for the program & distribute weekly prizes. (Make sure you check out the national costume of Cherrytopia, on display!) The Bureau of Internal Affairs is here to make sure your library checkout goes smoothly, so if you have any difficulties with the 3 self-checks or need to renew your card, the folks at the Bureau will be happy to help.  Also, the Cherrytopia Tourist Board will be your cruise directors-need help on the computer?  Can't find the book on the shelf? Need assistance placing a hold?  These local experts will keep your library experience flowing smoothly.  Just don't ask them to dance the national dance of Cherrytopia, the Cherry Cha Cha-it's only done on important ceremonial occasions.

The Cherry Hills children's area (or "Reading Realm National Park") is the hub of Summer Reading activities at the branch, where there will be fun programs for kids, tweens, & teens.  There is Introduction to Mandarin Chinese,  Teen Tuesdays (next week is Origami!), monthly first Saturday Chess Club, Star Wars Crafts, Preschool Art: Bubbles, and more!

But don't worry, adults, you haven't been completely left out!  Stop by the event tower (above) & pick up a flier or visit the Cherry Hills webpage for news on An Itch to Stitch, the library stitch group; the branch's 2 book groups; computer classes...the list just keeps going on!  The library's webpage will tell you what's on display at the branch each month  (with printable booklists) & also features Staff Picks & a gallery of photos taken at some recent events.

Make sure you check the "For Teens" page of the website weekly to find out more of Cherrytopia's customs & symbols!  The teens came up with our beloved national anthem, with a little help from How to Build Your Own Country by Valerie Wyatt.

While you're in the area...
Cherry Hills is a pretty new part of town (the library was built in the late '90s), but that doesn't mean there's nothing to do around here!  Check out the Heritage Hills Park- it has playgrounds, sports fields, benches, & "tremendous views of the volcanoes, Mount Taylor and the Sandia Mountains". If you want to get some exercise while in the area, the paved loop around the Albuquerque Academy runs along Academy/Ventura/Harper/Wyoming and is approximately a mile on each side-this friendly trail is very popular with walkers & runners. Are you a fellow yarn addict?  Make a stop at Village Wools a priority. You can also get your food shopping done-the library is between Whole Foods & Trader Joe's-& there's ample shopping (Target, Kohl's) & eating (Five Guys Burgers, anyone?) opportunities on Paseo between Barstow & I25. A little further down the road, stop for great baked treats at Just A Bite.  This area is always growing. One of the library's newest neighbors, North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center, features a computer cafe, community rooms, fitness room, classrooms, and meals.

A Library Tour: Juan Tabo Branch

(Boy Reading, dinosaur, and background art by Adrienne, for her puppet show)

And I think to myself... what a wonderful world!

As Louis Armstrong sings for the puppet show at every Music and Movement session this summer, what a wonderful world it is at Juan Tabo Library, indeed!

Located on busy Juan Tabo Boulevard, the library is still a quiet, serene place--set down from the road, and embraced by two walled gardens, its windows look out on greenery and landscaping, rather than on the ample parking space around the building. (It is, in fact, a park and ride station for public transit!) The unconventionally shaped library was dedicated in December of 1983, and has been a neighborhood fixture ever since.

Nearby, you can enjoy Mexican food at Garcia's Kitchen, or have an Irish Pub experience next door at O'Neill's. A bit further afield, you can celebrate Greek culture at either Zorba's or the Mykonos Cafe. You could shop at Albertson's or Smiths, and even take care of your recycling at the City Recycling center at Montgomery and Tramway! And of course, our neighbors across the street at Lowe's can help you with your home needs while you're in the neighborhood.
The Juan Tabo Library is located at 3407 Juan Tabo Blvd NE, between Comanche and Candelaria, on the west side of the street, just south of the North Glenwood Hills arroyo.

Featuring a full-sized children's area across the building from the adult area, Juan Tabo gives opportunites for patrons of all ages to enjoy the library space in their own ways--whether it's using one of our eleven adult computers (or three children's computers), finding a quiet spot near the adult garden windows to read or work, or joining rambunctious play at the puppet show in the children's area (a kind donation from Jim Fisher, in memory of his wife, Mary Ann), or settling down to color.

The library offers the full range of the collection--books, videos, books on tape and CD, music, digital downloads--and help from librarians to find what you're looking for. Remember, if it's not on the shelf, that doesn't mean you can't get it! Just ask about a hold, if you see it in the system, or Interlibrary Loan if you don't! Our goal is to help you find what you need.

Ever wonder what you're going to read next? Sometimes, you just need an idea to get started.

Each part of the library features displays--themed displays of same-colored books, similar subjects, points of interest to go along with programs, displays of multiple copies of books. This year's summer reading theme has inspired a travel book display, a folklore display, and a display of postcards sent to Juan Tabo from all over the country and all over the world.

Adults at Juan Tabo enjoy a wide variety of activities, from poetry readings to cooking programs to our monthly book group, BookWorms, which meets the second Tuesday of each month at 1:30, to talk about books they have chosen. The books represent a wide range of interest--recent titles have included both the classic play The Glass Menagerie and the YA novel The Giver--but the strongest interests have been in mysteries, New Mexico-related books, and current fiction and non-fiction. For the meeting on July 12, members are reading their choice of biographies about Eleanor Roosevelt--new members are welcome! August's book will be Child of Rainless Year, by Jane Lindskold.

Juan Tabo is also actively reaching out to teens, with our YA area--decorated by the new Teen Council--and many activities for teens. This summer, in conjunction with the summer reading theme of world travel, Juan Tabo has become the ancient Greek city-state of Juantapolis... a suggestion that first came from our teens, and was chosen from among many other options. This has inspired the creation of the Argonauts, our classical mythology club for teens and tweens, as well our Percy Jackson inspired game of Capture the Flag. Teenage leaders are also the driving force behind the teen Dungeons and Dragons group, the Gamers' Guild, which meets every Saturday this summer at 3:00 p.m. New members are welcome for all of these events!

The children's area is always fun, with its bright book characters hanging from the ceiling, the dinosaur rug, the puppet show, the zoo's worth of stuffed animals to play with, and our newest edition, a five foot tall blue plastic dinosaur, donated by Councilwoman Jones... who still has to be named! The rogues' gallery of puppets and stuffed animals are constantly in use, from Dragon the puppet to Teddy Tonks, the pink teddy bear and the gang leader, Captain Cupcake, the blue octopus. These well-loved friends are there to welcome children back whenever they come.

Children's programming happens all the time--whether it's Read to the Dogs on the fourth Saturday of each month, Lego Club on the second Saturday, or Art Through the Ages on the first Saturday, 1:00 is a great time to drop by. During summer reading, our programming takes place on Saturday mornings at 10:30. There are two storytimes available--either Music and Movement with Adrienne on Tuesday and Thursday at eleven, which features toe-tapping songs and musical instruments, or Preschool Passport with Miss Barbara on Fridays at eleven, which features more books, kids' control over Old McDonald's farm (and over languages for Frere Jacques) and a craft or coloring sheet.

Juan Tabo... what a wonderful world to visit!

A Library Tour: Main Branch

Ahoy there, maties!  All you jack tars seekin' to add the treasures of Summer Reading to your duffle bag need look no farther than the shores of the Great Piratopia of Mainiac Island (Main Library)!  His Majesty Kevin, King of the storied, swashbuckling outpost of Mainiac Island & Pirates & Libraries, & his most piratical crew would have it no other way!  You don't have to go all the way to Davy Jones' locker to find Mainiac's treasure chest, & Admiral Natasha, Commodore Veronica, & Captain Rachel will keep you so entertained you'll be ready to dance a hornpipe! So, me lads & lasses, head smartly down to Mainiac Island & don't give me any bilge talk!

Has any branch taken its role as a purveyor of Summer Reading adventure more seriously than Main Library?  The jury's still out on that one...but you should definitely make "Mainiac Island" one of the stops on your summer peregrinations & check it out! Bust out your Summer Reading passport & show those nautical types Downtown that you are a true drivelswigger (one who reads about nautical terms too much)!  Or maybe that's just me.. Argh...

Main Library is located at 501 Copper NW, a light brown brick building on Copper Avenue between 5th and 6th Streets downtown-for directions by car or bus, visit the ABC Libraries' website. Opened in 1975, it was designed by local architect George Pearl, whose striking modern interpretation of traditional southwest architecture received a design award from the American Institute of Architects.The library has 39 public computers including 4 express and 4 children's and 3 for teens (the children's & teen terminals are downstairs in Main's Childrens Room. Main also offers many of the standard amenities of the ABC Libraries' branches: fax service; voter registration forms, None for the Road DVDs, & bus schedules are all available, but the branch does not have a magazine swap. Main Library has an auditorium, a community meeting room & 5 study room for public use.

Main Library is unique in our system for having 3 floors! Upstairs is ABC Libraries' Customer Services & the Genealogy Collection (it has been decided that the collection will not return to the Special Collections branch when it reopens in August or September), as well as adminstrative offices. Main's genealogy area is a great space for the new genealogy researcher.  They have charts to start your family tree, a genealogy computer lab, modern microfilm machines, & access to Ancestry.com & Heritage Quest. The New Mexico Genealogical Society has an office there; there are volunteers in the library every day to help you & you will have access to Journal obituaries & other resources compiled by the society.  Also, looking for an old yearbook?  We've got them!

On the ground floor, you can find the central check-out, Information Desk, most of the public computers, & fiction & non-fiction for adults.  I like the big, helpful subject signs in non-fiction!  There is a lot of seating, including the bistro tables, where you can eat & drink items bought in  the ABQ Coffee Connection, Main's coffee shop!

I took advantage of  the early morning hours to stop in at the ABQ Coffee Connection for a cup of joe & a breakfast burrito (served from 8 - 10 a.m.), which really hit the spot!  Open for both breakfast & lunch, the Coffee Connection has a nice menu (the bistro desserts looked yummy) & when you buy a 12 oz. bag of beans, all profits benefits The Friends for the Public Library!

Heading downstairs, you will find the Friends' Bookshop & the site of the monthly Used Booksales.  You do not want to miss  those!  Most of the items donated to the library end up at these sales, & the money that is raised funds library programs.  The auditorium (where the author events co-sponsored with our community partner, Bookworks, are held) is also on this level.

Also downstairs you'll find the Children's Room & the Teen Zone! As I noted earlier, those Mainiacs have gone all out decorating for Summer Reading, but wait, there's more!  In the Story Pit, there will be Pirate movies on Fridays! There are 3 weekly storytimes plus Read to the Dogs!  & teens will be able to build a robot and/or stencil T-shirts.  After these events, you can kick back in the patio area outside of the Children's Room.

Apart from children's programming, Main Library also offers free one-on-one computer sessions on Thursday afternoons. Stop by the info desk or call 768-5141 during business hours for more information or to sign up.  For a list of all events, visit the library's webpage.

I think there are already a lot of great reasons to visit Main Library this summer, because, in addition to all the things I've already mentioned, there's more!  Main has a lot of art in & around it, much of it a permanent collection, part of the 1% for Art program.  When I visited, there was an antique bottle display; A Celebration of Cats, from various elementary schools; the monographic prints of ARTEXT; Don Quixote: An Appreciative Selection...the list just goes on.  Even the pirate ship in the Children's Room was donated by the Albuquerque Museum & there is a new sculpture in the Tom & Jo Thomason Garden on the patio!

You really have no excuse not to stop by Mainiac Island this summer!  In fact, you can get your parking validated if you park in the parking garage on the southeast corner of 5th & Copper...& the  library has its own bus stop!  But, if you are looking for other things to do in the area...may I suggest a stop by the KiMo Theater?  A visit to to 516 Arts, a nonprofit artspace? A stop by the Downtown Grower's Market?  The Harwood Art Center, the Albuquerque Museum, & all of Old Town are just a hop, skip & a  jump away!  & if you need a nosh, consider Cecilia's Cafe (featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives) or the inspired modern cuisine of the Slate Street Cafe.