Community Library Project

History - In 1984, the San Juan Community Library, operated by the Pueblo of San Juan was established, but after providing four years of service to the community, in 1989 the library was temporarily closed due to lack of funding. Then, in 1998, the Department of Education was awarded a grant to maintain the library in conjunction with the Ohkay Owingeh Community School Library.

In the summer of 2000, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation awarded computer equipment to San Juan Pueblo for community use.  A small lab was then set up in the corner of the Ohkay Owingeh Community School/San Juan Pueblo Community Library to allow for community access to the Internet.

A community effort began in 2000 to re-open a fully accessible library and was presented to the Governor of San Juan Pueblo, this effort allowed for temporary storage of the existing library inventory to be placed onto the stage of the San Juan Tribal Auditorium.  During the summer of 2001, through a collaboration with the Circle of Wisdom/Annenberg Project at the Santa Fe Indian School, two SFIS staff members were assigned to the library project to evaluate the existing inventory. In 2002, a proposal was presented to the San Juan Tribal Council to allow the library to be relocated at the San Juan Tribal Auditorium.  The Tribal Council passed Tribal Resolution No. 2003-034 in 2003 to officially identify the old San Juan Tribal Auditorium as the permanent site for the San Juan Pueblo Community Library. 

In June of 2003, San Juan Pueblo received $55,000 from the State of New Mexico Capital Outlay to begin renovation efforts on the new library site.  In September of 2003, the San Juan Pueblo Community Library received $110,488 from the Institute of Museum Library Services in the form of three grants; Basic, Professional and Enhancement.  The latter grants will allow for consulting costs, staff salaries and equipment.

OFFICIAL DEDICATION CEREMONY WILL BE HELD

ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2005

from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

New Staff Additions

Elena Arrellano, Tribal Librarian

Thurza Torres, Assistant Tribal Librarian

Michelle Atencio, Assistant Tribal Librarian

Current library hours are Monday - Friday from  8 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

OPEN SATURDAY from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

For additional library information please contact Elena Arellano, Tribal Librarian

at 505-852-2814 or e-mail: elenasanjuanpueblo@yahoo.com.