GRANTS, N.M. — The Mother Whiteside Memorial Library on High Street in Grants served Cibola County residents for decades. The staff, who are City of Grants employees, repeatedly dealt with unruly patrons, recurring incidents of vandalism, theft, and graffiti. The city responded by installing security cameras and the police department implemented increased patrols to deter criminal behavior.
Other challenges included the building’s structural issues such as the leaky roof, inadequate interne access, lack of space, and the need for a larger parking lot.
The city worked to correct these problems but remodeling the Alco building into a modern library was the long-range goal. A few years ago, the city moved the Grants Public Library to the First Street site, aka as the “old Alco building,” which includes an expansive parking lot.
Some of the problems that beset the High Street site moved to the new location. Vandals have broken windows and damaged the Pro-panel fencing that surrounds the outdoor garbage bins.
“We are moving forward with the purchase of security cameras. We have gotten quotes on the system and monitors,” reported Director Nadine Jiron at the Feb. 22 library board meeting.
“I want to be as prepared as possible when the time comes [to fully re-open to the public].”
The director said the entire staff recently participated in a training on de-escalation strategies. The session helped library employees understand how to handle upset, hostile individuals and demonstrated techniques for avoiding future issues. The instruction provided staff with options on safely de-escalating situations while avoiding confrontations.
Law enforcement education session
The library hosted a New Mexico Law Enforcement training workshop the first week of February. Eight officers from different branches of law enforcement participated. They live and work in different regions of the state.
“It was a controlled environment and we felt secure in the fact that all the officers are tested regularly [for COVID],” said Director Jiron.
“We felt safe in allowing them to use our facility for the training.”
The building remains closed to public access and only curbside services are available to community members, according to the director.
Grant recipient
The library was awarded a $500 “Tools in Action” micro-grant. The program includes a fiveweek training course on implementing resources available to small rural libraries.
Pandemic effects on services
Circulation numbers for January 2020 were 2,369 items for the 22 days the facility was open compared to January 2021, 17 days, at 229 items. December 2019 reported 1,602 items for the 24 days of operation; this contrasted with December 2020 for 208 items and 18 days of operation.
The library collected $132.50 in December 2020 and $288.55 in January of this year from patrons who used the copier services. Miscellaneous fees, which include sending fax and notary public services, generated $262.62 in December and $402 in January. Total taxes collected for the twomonth period: $53.80.
The director anticipates higher revenue from copier use and miscellaneous fees prior to the April tax filing deadline.
Next meeting
Monday, April 19, 1101 N. First St., Grants, 3 p.m.
(The five-member board meets six times per year. The members are appointed for three-year terms and represent Village of Milan, Cibola County, and Grants)
Visit cityofgrants.net/library or call 505-972-0310 for more information.