Alamogordo Public Library

Infobox_Library
library_name = Alamogordo Public Library
library_
location = 920 Oregon Avenue, Alamogordo, New Mexico 88310
coordinates =
established = 1900
collection_size = 112,000 (2007)
annual_circulation = 250,875 (2007)
pop_served = 54,772cite web
url= http://www.nmstatelibrary.org/docs/funding/state_aid/LSA_2005_2008.pdf
title= New Mexico Public Libraries Legal Service Area Populations FY2005-FY2008
accessdate= 2008-05-17
format= PDF
publisher= New Mexico State Library]
members = 26,022 (2007)
budget = $900,000
director = (vacant since 2008-01-01)
num_employees = 14 FTEcite book
title= City of Alamogordo Budget FY2008
publisher= City of Alamogordo
location= Alamogordo, NM] Rp|127
website = http://ci.alamogordo.nm.us/coa/communityservices/library.htm

Alamogordo Public Library is the public library serving Alamogordo, New Mexico and Otero County, New Mexico. The library has extensive collections of Spanish-language and German-language books and of materials related to the Western writer Eugene Manlove Rhodes.

History

Alamogordo Public Library first opened on March 1, 1900.cite book
last= Harwell
first= June
title= Alamogordo Public Library: A Community Treasure, 1900-2000
origyear= 2000
series= Pioneer
volume= 3 no. 1
publisher= Tularosa Basin Historical Society
location= Alamogordo, NM
oclc= 45084643] Rp|1Alamogordo was unusual for a Southwestern town at the time in that it was a planned community, the planning being carried out by Charles Bishop Eddy's and John Arthur Eddy's Alamogordo Improvement Company. Rp|2. The Eddys saw a library as being necessary for their community and they gave financial support to the Alamogordo Woman's Club to start the library.cite book
last= Townsend
first= David
coauthors= Clif McDonald
title= Centennial: Where the Old West Meets the New Frontier
origyear= 1999
origmonth= July
publisher= Alamogordo/Otero County Centennial Celebration
location= Alamogordo, NM
isbn= 9781887045056
oclc= 41400788] Rp|90Ownership passed to an offshoot, the Alamogordo Library Association, and then to the Civic League. Rp|90The Civic League retained ownership of the library until 1958 when it was sold for one dollar to the City of Alamogordo. Rp|7.

The library had resided in a series of rented rooms until 1962 when a library building was constructed at 920 Oregon Avenue. The building was convert|10280|sqft|m2 and cost $175,000. John Reed of Albuquerque was the architect. Rp|8 The library building was doubled in size in 1987 to convert|20764|sqft|m2 at a cost of $871,042. The architect was again John Reed. Rp|16-17

In 2001 a block of land next to the current library was donated to the city to be the site of a new library building, planned at convert|40000|sqft|m2.Citation
title = City Commission Regular Meeting Minutes, May 8, 2001
pages = 5-12
publisher = City of Alamogordo
url = http://ci.alamogordo.nm.us/Assets/IntraInterNET/cityclerk/minutes/minutes2001/8may2001.pdf
accessdate = 2008-05-19] A bond election in 2005 to fund construction of the new building failed.Citation
last = Brown
first = Monica M.
publication-date = 2005-03-16
title = Those against easily defeat bond
periodical = Alamogordo Daily News
pages = 1A
oclc = 10674593]

ervices

Alamogordo Public Library is a city-owned library, but library cards are free to all residents of Otero County. cite web
url= http://ci.alamogordo.nm.us/coa/communityservices/library/coaplgeneralinfo.htm
title= Library General Information
accessdate= 2008-05-19
publisher= Alamogordo Public Library] (County government pays a yearly subsidy to the city for this service; in FY 2008 the subsidy was $35,320.Citation
last = Eckman-Onyskow
first = Bev
publication-date = 2007-10-05
title = Freedom to read addressed at Sunday film festival
periodical = Alamogordo Daily News
pages = 7A
oclc = 10674593] )The library has 112,000 items in its collection, including books, videos, compact discs, and magazines. There are extensive collections of Spanish-language and German-language books. (The German Air Force has a tactical training center at Holloman Air Force Base near Alamogordo, and many German families live in the city.) Inter-library loan services are provided. The library installed a system for automating collection and catalog records in 1995, Rp|20 and the catalog became available over the Internet in 2004. [cite web
url= http://66.18.170.52/
title= Alamogordo Public Library Catalog (OPAC)
accessdate= 2008-05-19
publisher= Alamogordo Public Library]

The library has 12 adult computers and 6 children's computers that are free to library customers and visitors. These provide Internet access and Microsoft Office programs; the children's computers have some educational programs. The library also offers free wireless Internet (WiFi) access.cite web
url= http://ci.alamogordo.nm.us/coa/communityservices/library/coaplavailable.htm
title= Library Services
accessdate= 2008-05-19
publisher= Alamogordo Public Library]

The children's Summer Reading Program is held every year. There are entertainment programs throughout the summer, and prizes given to the best readers. In 2007 there were 1,496 children in the program. Citation
publication-date = 2007-08-08
title = Summer Reading Program wraps up
periodical = Alamogordo Daily News
pages = 6A
oclc = 10674593]

A homebound delivery program at the library offers free selection and delivery of books to customers who find it difficult to come into the library. The program operates in cooperation with the Alamogordo Senior Center's Retired Senior and Volunteer Program. Citation
last = Smith
first = Shelley E.
publication-date = 2004-12-22
title = Homebound program available to those who cannot travel to the library
periodical = Alamogordo Daily News
pages = 3A
oclc = 10674593]

Notable features and collections

The Story Book Wall is a collection of 247 tiles illustrating children's books and installed on the wall near the Children's Library. Drawings were created by local schoolchildren in 1963 and copied onto tiles. The project was carried out by the local chapter of American Association of University Women. Rp|9

The Eugene Manlove Rhodes Room, constructed as part of the 1987 expansion, holds the library's collection of Southwest books and materials. Within the room are a bank teller wall rescued from a bank in Vaughn, New Mexico and desks and other pieces of furniture from the early 1900s. Rp|16 In 1958 the Civic League purchased W. H. Hutchinson's collection of Eugene Manlove Rhodes materials and donated them to the library. Rp|8 The collection consists of books, correspondence, clippings, some magazines, and a few original manuscripts. These items and some other Rhodes-related items collected by past library director June Harwell have been photocopied, cataloged, and scanned into computer files and are available to researchers.

Notes

External links

* [http://folbookworm.com Friends of the Alamogordo Public Library] Advocacy group for the library.
* [http://aplfound.org Alamogordo Public Library Foundation ] Fundraising group for the library.