Nadia Sikes, President of the Friends of the Alamogordo Public Library, and Karen Hutchison, Treasurer presented a $10,000 check to Bonnie Meagher, Circulation Supervisor and Kim Underwood, Library Manager Thursday morning to assist in the purchase of new furniture for the public areas of the Alamogordo Public Library.
The remaining new library furniture purchases will be funded with ARPA grant funding from the NM State Library awarded earlier this year.
The Alamogordo Public Library has a rich history and was first opened on March 1, 1900. Alamogordo 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.
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.
The original library for Alamogordo was in the backside of the original and historically refurbished 1st National Bank Building where Roadrunner Emporium and Blush Salon is located. It moved to other locations as it grew.
Alamogordo’s First Public Library in the present day Roadrunner Emporium Blush Hair Salon Building (AlamogordoTownNews.com)Ownership passed to an offshoot, the Alamogordo Library Association, and then to the Civic League. The Civic League retained ownership of the library until 1958 when it was sold for one dollar to the City of Alamogordo.
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 10,280 square feet (955 m2) and cost $175,000. John Reed of Albuquerque was the architect.
The library building was doubled in size in 1987 to 20,764 square feet (1,929.0 m2) at a cost of $871,042. The architect was again John Reed.
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 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2).
Bond elections in 2005 and 2009 to fund construction of the new building failed. The business of the library is still carrying and thanks to the Friends of the Alamogordo Library it’s legacy continues with upgrades and modern adaptations to make it relevant to todays user.
Friends of the
|
FOL was founded in 1959 and is 501 (c) (3) organization dedicated to advocacy for the Alamogordo Public Library by supporting Library programs and cooperating with Library staff to enhance facilities, resources and services for the public.
FOL sponsors several cultural events each year to focus public attention on the library and to stimulate the use of its many resources and services and to emphasize the freedom to read as expressed in the American Library Association Bill of Rights.
Meetings are once per month (third Thursday) at 6:30 pm featuring reports by FOL committee directors, librarians, and the Alamogordo Public Library Board. Business includes voting on motions and discussing future plans for the group. Officers are elected each June for a two-year term.
Individual memberships are $5.00 per year. Lifetime memberships are $100.00.
Mailing address:
920 Oregon Ave.
Alamogordo NM 88310
Telephone: (575) 439-4140
Email: folbookworm@gmail.com
Sunny, with a high of 83 and low of 60 degrees. Sunny in the morning, clear during the afternoon and evening,
62° and Clear