History of the Jemez Springs Library

Thank you for your interest in the library's past.  This information wascollected from many individuals... but is still missing some pieces.  If you have information about the library's past please share it with us by email or contact us by mail or phone

The library was started in the mid-1960's by Grace Swetnam in a room on the north end of the old Electric Co-op building.  Mrs. Swetnam was married to a Forest Service manager in the Jemez.  She contacted the State Library for help and received enough books to have two walls lined with shelves of books.  The State Library would periodically bring new books and take back the old ones.  The state also sent a librarian to train the employees in using the Dewey Decimal System.  (Note: This information was obtained from Lupe (Casaus) Ruiz and Rosemary Cart)  The library was open in the afternoons on weekdays.

From a phone conversation with Lupe (Casaus) Ruiz:  Lupe worked in the library as a teenager when it was housed in the Electric Co-op building.  Grace Swetnam was the person who started the library.  Lupe was Grace's employee from 1967-69 via a program that President Lyndon Johnson started called Neighborhood Youth Corp (NYC).  In 1969 Lupe continued to work at the library until August as an employee of the Village.   Lupe worked Monday - Friday from 4:00-5:30pm.  She said of her experience working at the library:  "Working at the library was a learning experience.  I read a lot of good books.  I read "The Physician", which is a history of Saint Luke, "The Rove", and some flower arranging and decorating books.  It was my first job as a young girl with a real salary."

From an email conversation with Joe Sabatini  "I served as a VISTA Volunteer in 1965-67, immediately after I got my library degree. From July, 1966 through June 1967 I worked with the Sandoval County Office of Economic Opportunity as a circuit-riding librarian. I went to the Jemez Springs Library once a week. It was in the boardroom of the REA Coop Building (Plains Electric?). Grace Swetnam was the librarian. She was the wife of a Forest Service manager. I believe they moved to Espanola...  I recall meeting her son (Jim?) and reminiscing about her.  I helped her with cataloging and weeding, I think.  I've always been grateful to have lucked into an assignment where I had to go to Cuba, Jemez, Pena Blanca, Cochiti and Placitas once a week. I also got to work with Martha Liebert in year two of her working to create the Bernalillo Library." 
Joe Sabatini, Branch Manager, Special Collections Library, Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System
 

There is some confusion about when the library was housed in the lower floor of the Presbyterian Church.  We have guesses of: 1972, 1976, and 1981.  The  books were the private collection of the Minister (1978-1982), Jack Dilley.  There was also a Nurse Practitioner who had a clinic at the church a the same time.

In 1974 the library was housed in a room in the Jemez Mountains Electric Coop building.  The library was open two afternoons per week to start with, while Linda Sorros was the Librarian. 

From a conversation with Linda Sorros:  "Clyde Garcia was my best customer.  He used to come to the library about every day."

Later on in 1974, under Neetie Treston's supervision, it was open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-12pm (noon).  In June 1974 a $1,000 State Title I Grant was received for capital outlay for the library (Resolution # 43).  The monies were spent on audio-visual equipment (cassette recorder, filmstrips and cassettes), and books for children and adults. 

The location then changed to a room within the Bath House.  Shelley Quiner and Bill Guse ran the library, moved the books to the bath house, and then later to the new library.

The Community Club had donated the current site to the Village of Jemez Springs.  It was used as a storehouse until 1984 when Mayor Maudell Berglund applied for a LSCA Title II Grant to remodel the building for use as a library.

In 1992, the Village under Mayor Genevieve Sandoval, passed, approved and adopted Resolution #177 which formally established the library and a library board.  The library board was created to oversee the administration of the library and to formulate long range plans.  Susan Minter was the Library Director at this time, and up through 1996.

By 1996, the 900-square-foot building was open three days a week from 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m. and every other Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Computers and then Internet access were added to the library during the 1990’s.

In 1996, the Village under Mayor David Sanchez the Village applied for another LSCA Title II Grant for $25,000 which was matched by money from Sandoval County and from the Friends of the Library.  At the end of this remodel, the library was expanded by 300 feet, handicap access was provided to the library with handicap parking in the front and an accessible bathroom, and the building was brought up to fire code. The Book Barn, which sells used books, was installed around this time.

In 1997 the library became certified as a public library. It had been classified by the State as a "developing library" prior to that, then in 1997 met all the criteria to become a Public Library.  It has been open 5 days a week since that time, again with the help of volunteers.

Programs & services that started since 1997, with Library Director Judith Isaacs, include:

Another remodeling project was completed in 2000 with $50,000 from the New Mexico State Legislature.  This project  included building the rear deck, adding the front portal, stuccoing the building, installing energy efficient windows and remodeling the interior.

In 2005 a new forced air heating/air conditioning system was added to serve the entire building.

In 2006 State funds were received to accomplish a remodel.  It was decided that the Village Municipal Offices would move and occupy the old Courthouse building, so that the library could expand by encompassing the old village office building.  The Conference Room was retained for continued multi-purpose village use.

Book donations from the community have supported the library over the years. While initially, the library was composed almost entirely of donated materials, there are now more book purchases and the library is able to provide the community with best sellers in a fairly timely fashion.  The library's collection continues to grow and change as new donations and book purchases replace older materials, which are then sold in the Book Barn.  Donations that are older books or are duplicates are also sold in the Book Barn to raise funds for the library.

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