Services available to both students and public
GRANTS, N.M. — Many public officials and community members who have been brainstorming ways of generating growth in Grants while building off the potential that is already here have been emphasizing the importance of the local New Mexico State University-Grants branch, referring to it as one of the hidden gems of the community. One piece of that hidden gem is the NMSU Grants Library, which offers services for both students and the public.
According to https://catalogs.nmsu.edu/grants/about-nmsu-grants/, which talks about the history of NMSU Grants, “During 1977–78 a Main Building was constructed which housed the academic classrooms, student lounge, library, law library, as well as faculty and administration offices… In May of 1987, the Main Building was dedicated as "Walter K. Martinez Memorial Hall," in memory of Walter K. Martinez, former State Representative from 1966–1984 and Speaker of the House from 1971– 1978. During his tenure in the legislature, NMSU-Grants received significant appropriations for capital improvements to plan, remodel and construct the present physical plant.”
The library, as it stands today, is an impressive space, filled with natural light, the sound of silence, and modern decor and resources. According to https://catalogs.nmsu.edu/grants/grants-library/, the NMSU Grants Library, located on the north end of Martinez Hall, houses “more than 25,000 physical titles, including Government Documents, Periodicals, and Reference books. The library digitally houses more than 55 Databases, and Library Research Guides.”
The NMSU Grants Library is open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. All that students, faculty, or staff need to check out materials is their Aggie ID card, or a government issued ID photo. As for the public, known within the library as “community borrowers,” they must have a Community Borrowers Card that they must receive from the circulation desk in the library. In order to obtain this card, community patrons must:
• Complete and sign the Community Patrons Application.
• Be 18 years or older, (16 – 18 must be accompanied by an adult and have parent/guardian/AE Staff present)
• Present a valid New Mexico I. D or other official I.D. showing residency in Cibola County.
• Provide documentation to confirm Cibola County residency such as a check with local address imprinted, driver’s license, or utility bill.
There are further details provided on Borrowing and Renewal protocol for library patrons provided at the following address: https://catalogs.nmsu.edu/grants/grants-library/. The NMSU Grants Library recently hired a new Library Specialist whose name is Nathan Franklin, who will be working alongside long-time Library Assistant Peter Klumpenhower. Franklin has been the Library Specialist for NMSU Grants Library for a little over two months now. NMSU Grants Library is the fifth library that Franklin has worked at since he began working at libraries in 2006, the specialist said. Franklin worked at both a college library and public libraries in Colorado, where he grew up, before traveling to New York City to pursue a Master’s degree in Library Science from the Pratt Institute. Franklin described his journey of becoming a Library Specialist by explaining, “I’ve always just been a really curious person so that’s kind of why I started doing this work to begin with. I would normally spend all of my free time in the library, so I eventually realized that I could work there as well. Pretty much, I like working with students and then also just with members of the public, helping them find whatever they’re looking for. I find that I have really interesting conversations, and it’s really enjoyable to help people track down what it is that they’re looking for. So yeah, my favorite part of it is just kind of, I call it giving reference assistance, so just finding whatever pieces of information someone might need at that moment in time.”
As for how he ended up in Grants, New Mexico, Franklin said that while he grew up in Colorado, he often visited New Mexico because he has family members living in Albuquerque and Santa Fe. “New Mexico was always in the back of my mind as just a really fascinating area for me,” shared Franklin. “I really didn’t know much about it besides just visiting my relatives, so I just moved here without really knowing a lot about it but just wanting to live in a new environment and just learn things that I really haven’t seen before. So it was kind of just a learning experience for me.” Franklin said he was excited to be in New Mexico and to be a part of everything that the NMSU Grants Library has to offer. All of the services offered by the library include a dozen or so desktop computers, Wi-Fi access, printers, desks, options for patrons to create an account, check out materials, explore about 70 databases, private rooms for studying and meetings, and a new graphic novel section, a new Southwest collection, and, in the near future, an educational children’s book section. The library also offers an ongoing Trivia event that starts at 12:30 p.m. on every other Wednesday, as well as an upcoming Poetry/Open Mic Night event that will be on the first Friday of each month at 5:00 p.m. These events are open to everyone, and the library encourages all to join and participate. Franklin and Klumpenhower also shared further about how the library is a resource for both students and the community. “Anything that a student can do here in the library, a public patron could also do,” stated Franklin. “As far as using the library itself, checking things out, using any of the electronic resources, those are all things that any person from the public can use.” The library can also help the general public with tax information, tax forms, research, or even basic computer issues.
As for how the community can best help and support the NMSU Grants Library, Franklin and Klumpenhower both agreed that “the best way to support [the library] really is just to come in and use the library, use the resources, and then come to one of these events that we’re having and be a part of that,” said Franklin, who also added that individuals who were really interested and able to support could make monetary donations if they wished.
Finally, Franklin added that the NMSU Grants Library does indeed accept book donations, which is what inspired the library’s upcoming educational children’s section. “It kind of just depends on a case by case basis of whether or not it’s something that we could use and so forth, but we do [accept donations],” affirmed Franklin. Community members can do so by calling the library and providing the details of what they are interested in donating, and then the library officials will decide from there. NMSU Grants Library is located on 1500 N. Third Street, Grants, NM 87020. Their contact information is: (505) 287-6638 (phone) and https://grants-nmsu.libguides.com/library (email).