The City of Grants held a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new library building on Thursday, December 14, 2017, celebrating many years of planning and development to move the Mother Whiteside Memorial Library from its former location on High Street, to a new facility on North First Street.
The Thursday night event brought in community and state leaders, with opening speeches from Library Director Ron Gonzales, Mayor Hicks, and State Senator Clemente Sanchez. Opening remarks emphasized the library as a place for learning, noting that the new location, adjacent to Grants High School, would strengthen the library’s ability to support students. Also noted was the impact the library would have on economic development, which was mentioned several times in opening remarks. The celebration hosted approximately 450 people, who toured the library following the ribbon cutting. The library has many new innovative features, including a makerspace, a cafe, an indoor/outdoor lobby (food allowed!), and a bright, open feel.
I was fortunate to attend and hear the impressive number of people that came together to make this new library into a reality, including civic and state leaders, the library board, and the library director and staff. A grant from the BNSF Railway supported planning and development, and the Cibola Communities Economic Development Foundation also supported the library. Congratulations to the City of Grants!
