by Kelly McCabe, Youth Services Coordinator
If you travel north on NM Highway 4 from San Ysidro, you’ll soon find the Jemez Spring Public Library nestled in by the Jemez River. The library serves a population of about 200 citizens with a diverse range of resources and programs for all ages – the June programming calendar included 28 scheduled programs!
I visited with library director Janet Phillips on a busy Wednesday in late June, soon after the library moved back into their main building following repair work. The summer reading Adventure Begins at Your Library theme was evident throughout the library with posters, bulletin boards and self-directed programming. Phillips said that the Summer Reading Program had been very popular this summer, with some programs having over 50 people in attendance.
The morning of my visit featured a program from the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish focusing on educating attendees about local wildlife they might encounter. Storm Usrey, Conservation Education Manager, hosted an interactive session teaching the attendees – babies, grandparents, and everyone in between – about what local animals like bear, elk, and turkey need to survive in the wild and how to spot footprints and natural antler sheds. Attendees were able to hold antlers, test out turkey calls, make bear paw prints in play-doh, examine skull replicas, and more.
I was also excited to see the unique items found in the library’s Library of Things. The Jemez Springs collection of circulating “things” includes not only standard items like puzzles, games, instruments and educational toys, but also a birdwatching kit, baby gear for visiting family, jumper cables, tool sets, and a blue-tooth speaker. Patrons can even check out a bike lock to use while visiting the library!
Jemez Springs Public Library continues to play a vital role in their community by adapting to unforeseen circumstances – like moving out of much of their building for almost a year – and evolving to meet new community needs with homeschooling resources, mental health and senior resources and more. It was wonderful to see the busy, well-organized space being so well used by community members.
