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 Ignacio opens new library
9/21/2007 By: Carole McWilliams
Ignacio area residents gathered last Saturday to celebrate and admire the new community library. Los Colores de Ignacio youth dancers and the Rolling Thunder Boys tribal drum group provided the lead-up to the ceremonial ribbon cutting.
Library board member Kenny Frost gave the blessing. He thanked library district voters for approving funding. He assured them the board made every effort to use their tax money wisely while creating something that will be a great source of community pride.
Members of the Friends of the Library showed the PVC pipe time capsule and lowered it into the hole in the sidewalk where it will be installed.
Town Manager Balty Quintana said the town board bought the old Fischer Cabinet building in the mid 1980s with the clear vision of creating a library. He noted the work of former Town Manager Glen Walker and board members at the time to make it happen.
The cabinet shop was remodeled into the original library, and the library tax district was formed. “Selling the building to the library district for $1 was the best deal this town ever made,” Quintana said.
The old building was demolished, and the library moved temporarily to the historic Wieland Motors building at the north end of town while the new library was built.
The original library was named in memory of long-time Shur Valu owner Butch McClanahan. His widow, Jean, cut the ribbon for the new library community room that will carry Butch McClanahan’s name.
Members of the library board cut the ribbon for the library’s main entrance, and people streamed in. They quickly filled the computer terminals and began examining the book offerings and the displays by local artists and crafts people.
The main room is open to the roof. On the south side is the community room and the colorful children’s room. In the northeast corner is a reading room for adults, complete with Southwest styled fireplace in the corner. Just outside that is a reading patio.
There are small meeting rooms, more computer terminals and books on the second floor mezzanine, including the section of books on the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln donated by Elbert Floyd, former local Bureau of Indian Affairs superintendent and a longtime community benefactor.
As folks took it all in, none seemed to disagree with the idea that the new library will be a source of community pride for many years to come.
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