by Kelly McCabe, Youth Services Coordinator
It was a busy summer in Gallup! The Octavia Fellin Public Library in Gallup planned a robust eight-week Summer Reading Program for this summer’s Color Our World theme – with over 140 individual programs throughout June and July! We were able to visit on a busy June weekend that included: a movie matinee and craft time, family video gaming, a writers workshop and film premiere, and a outreach escape room. Whew!
The Octavia Fellin Public Library has two buildings in downtown Gallup – the main branch, and the Children’s Library which is about a block away. The Children’s Library recently underwent a renovation, replacing their standard shelving with forward-facing bins for the early literacy picture book section. Phil Neilson, Youth Services Librarian, said patrons love the new look of the space, which also includes murals designed and painted by teen patrons that participate in their Teen Advisory Board. Several of the murals borrow graphic elements from last year’s Adventure Begins at Your Library summer reading theme that resonated with patrons and staff. We were treated to a full tour of the Children’s Library, including a well-appointed Makerspace, community room, and video gaming niche.
I had planned our trip to Gallup, joined by my colleague Ada Negraru, to be able to participate in the Summer Reading Art Heist! Escape Room at the Rio West Mall. Neilson began this innovative outreach program during the 2023 Summer Reading Program, and its success has led to the mall requesting Halloween and Christmas escape rooms as well. The library sets up two separate escape room in the center of the Rio West Mall, allowing both library patrons who come specifically for the event, and shoppers who happen upon it, to join in the festivities. Library staff are also able to talk to community members about other library services and programs. Following this year’s Color Our World art theme, the escape room revolved around deducing what museum an art thief would hit next – solving riddles, puzzles, and following clues – all within the allotted one hour time slot. Ada and I joined another family in this quest, and after several wrong turns we solved the mystery with about one minute to spare!
Although it was the escape room that guided our visit to Gallup that weekend, we were thrilled to find out that the library had other exciting outreach events planned that weekend. New Mexico’s own Jimmy Santiago Baca offered a writing workshop for the community at the El Morro Theatre which also hosted the world premiere of Redemption Time, a documentary about Baca. The film showing also marked the public kick-off of a capital campaign to build a new library building in Gallup, announced by Library Director Tammi Moe. We were thrilled to participate in this collection of outreach programming, and get a tour of the historic Rex Museum, as a way of better understanding the role of the Octavia Fellin Public Library on the city of Gallup. We thank all the library staff for their hospitality!