Joy Poole, Deputy State Librarian, Announces Her Retirement!

With great JOY, Joy Poole announces her retirement effective February, 2022!

Looking back over her career with the Department of Cultural Affairs, a number of accomplishments come to mind…

While Director of the Camino Real Center:

• 2003 – Hosted President’s Committee on Arts & Humanities who met in Santa Fe with El Camino Real theme – 1st time this distinguished committee met OUTSIDE of DC.
• 2003 – New York Times article on El Camino Real in Escapes Section.
• 2004 – Awarded NEH Planning Grant for exhibitions at El Camino Real Center.
• 2005 – Awarded $100K Marketing Grant called Discover Your Roots for El Camino Real.

Snapshot of Accomplishments as Deputy State Librarian:

• 2005 – Alternative Pay Bands for librarian classifications and ongoing salary increases to recruit candidates for the revolving door of NM State Librarians.
• 2006 – Construction of Zeckendorf Plazuela – Upper Level Main Entrance
• 2007 – NY Times article – Taking Books Far and Wide On the Road Less Travelled.
• 2009 – Automation of Rural Services Catalog using KOHA open source
• 2009 – Serving Rural Readers feature in Albuquerque Journal
• 2012- Publications : Over the Santa Fe Trail book and articles on SF Trail travelers.
• 2014 – Awarded Distinguished Service Award for Literacy.
• 2015-2016 – Formed NM Libraries Transform which resulted in the $1 M Library Broadband Infrastructure Fund and a FTE for library broadband.
• 2018 – DFA Travel Exemption for bookmobile employees – Groceries.
• 2019 – A Mobile Library Delivers to the World – Cover of New Mexico Magazine.
• 2021 – 80% of NM libraries have high speed broadband & reduced Internet services for patrons to access robust databases from El Portal delivered to all NM Libraries.
• 2021 – Publication: Away to Santa Fe – Collection of Santa Fe Trail Poems
• 9 bookmobiles – with a 10^th on its way pending Supply Chain – Demand issues
• Ongoing Security upgrades – alarms, doors, parking lot lights, ext & interior cameras.

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Thank you, Joy, for your service over the years to the State Library and its staff, to public libraries across the State, to the Department of Cultural Affairs and to the citizens of New Mexico.

Joy’s last ‘official’ day w/the State Library is Feb. 18, 2022.