News & Events
News & Events
Check out what's new with the El Paso Public Library's Border Heritage Center below!
Check out what's new with the El Paso Public Library's Border Heritage Center below!
8th Annual Border Archives Bazaar!
The Border Heritage Center is once again participating in the annual Border Archives Bazaar! Organized by the Border Regional Archives Group (BRAG), Bazaar participants will showcase a variety of unique and historic archival materials from the border region. Come on by and take a look at rare documents, maps, photographs, publications and much more. The Bazaar will be held Saturday, October 19th, 10am-4pm at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
This year's theme, Celebrating Borderland Communities, highlights the role archives play in preserving the stories and legacies of the many communities found throughout the region. Archival materials from libraries, archives, and museums of southern New Mexico, west Texas, and the borderlands wil be on display. Archivists, librarians, and museum curators will be available to discuss and answer questions about archives, regional history, and preservation of original documents. Participating institutions include:
- NMSU Library Archives and Special Collections
- El Paso Public Library, Border Heritage Center
- Doña Ana County Clerk's Office
- UTEP Library's C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections
- San Elizario Los Portales Museum
- Ysleta del Sur Pueblo
- U.S. Border Patrol Museum
- Sul Ross State University Archives of the Big Bend
- Eastern New Mexico University Special Collections
Two 90-minute panel presentations are programed this year. Researchers and scholars will speak on their experiences of using archives to document and preserve borderland community histories. The panel presentations are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Panel 1: 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
- Sean Schifano, "The Crypto-Jewish Historical Archives: Preserving a Community and Identity"
- Lauretta King, "Preserving NMSU Black Programs: Black History, On Purpose"
- Daniel Webb, "Crossing the Border, Creating a Community: The Settlement of Mesilla under the Leadership of Father Ramón Ortiz, 1848-1853"
Panel 2: 1:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- Joel Gonzalez Parra, "Shaping Border Identities: Nineteenth-Century Repatriate Colonies in the New Mexico-Chihuahua Border"
- Joseph Ramon Michael Longo, "Anita Lee Blair: The Girl from Texas and Her Dog"
- Micheal E. P. Davis, "El Paso's 'Black Wall Street'"
We hope you stop by, say hello, and enjoy this free, fun, and educational event!
For further information, please feel free to contact Border Heritage at 915.212.3218.
8th Annual Border Archives Bazaar!
The Border Heritage Center is once again participating in the annual Border Archives Bazaar! Organized by the Border Regional Archives Group (BRAG), Bazaar participants will showcase a variety of unique and historic archival materials from the border region. Come on by and take a look at rare documents, maps, photographs, publications and much more. The Bazaar will be held Saturday, October 19th, 10am-4pm at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
This year's theme, Celebrating Borderland Communities, highlights the role archives play in preserving the stories and legacies of the many communities found throughout the region. Archival materials from libraries, archives, and museums of southern New Mexico, west Texas, and the borderlands wil be on display. Archivists, librarians, and museum curators will be available to discuss and answer questions about archives, regional history, and preservation of original documents. Participating institutions include:
- NMSU Library Archives and Special Collections
- El Paso Public Library, Border Heritage Center
- Doña Ana County Clerk's Office
- UTEP Library's C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections
- San Elizario Los Portales Museum
- Ysleta del Sur Pueblo
- U.S. Border Patrol Museum
- Sul Ross State University Archives of the Big Bend
- Eastern New Mexico University Special Collections
Two 90-minute panel presentations are programed this year. Researchers and scholars will speak on their experiences of using archives to document and preserve borderland community histories. The panel presentations are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Panel 1: 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
- Sean Schifano, "The Crypto-Jewish Historical Archives: Preserving a Community and Identity"
- Lauretta King, "Preserving NMSU Black Programs: Black History, On Purpose"
- Daniel Webb, "Crossing the Border, Creating a Community: The Settlement of Mesilla under the Leadership of Father Ramón Ortiz, 1848-1853"
Panel 2: 1:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- Joel Gonzalez Parra, "Shaping Border Identities: Nineteenth-Century Repatriate Colonies in the New Mexico-Chihuahua Border"
- Joseph Ramon Michael Longo, "Anita Lee Blair: The Girl from Texas and Her Dog"
- Micheal E. P. Davis, "El Paso's 'Black Wall Street'"
We hope you stop by, say hello, and enjoy this free, fun, and educational event!
For further information, please feel free to contact Border Heritage at 915.212.3218.
Celebrating El Paso Public Library's 130th Birthday!
For 130 years, since 1894, the El Paso Public Library has enriched the knowledge
of patrons, enabling them to connect, engage, and explore its multiple special events,
programs, books, media, and a variety of digital platforms. The library's commitment to
offer free and open access to knowledge and information has endured throughout this
time. In celebration of our 130th anniversary, the Border Heritage Center is excited to
announce the Open House events that are taking place at various library branches
through Wednesday, December 11, 2024 (see schedule below).
Stop by for giveaways and refreshments! See you there!!!
EPPL HISTORY - IN BRIEF
130 years ago, in 1894, a teacher, Mary Irene Stanton, donated over 800 books to start the El Paso Reading Club for high school age boys in the old Sheldon office building. The collection kept growing and attracted more patrons, including males and females of all ages. In 1899, the small library relocated to the City Hall. Thanks to a $35,000 donation from Mr. Andrew Carnegie, a new location was built on Buckler Square (later renamed as Carnegie Square). The new Carnegie Library opened to the public on April 25, 1904.
As the city’s population increased, the demands for library’s services and resources rose. In 1915, four library service stations, predecessors to the branches today, were established for the convenience of patrons. The stations were located at Blaine’s Grocery in the Grandview Addition, Gunning & Casteel Drug Store, on Hueco St., Highland Drug Store, on Kentucky Ave., and Washington Park Fair Store, on Alameda. Between 1926 and 1928, three of those service stations closed.
During the fall of 1918, the influenza virus reached the city. In October, the library, and other public institutions closed their doors to the public and entered into a city-wide quarantine for nearly five weeks. The library reopened on November 9th.
In January of 1920, a bond of $25,000 was secured for the expansion and remodeling of the library. In August of that same year, a large part of the book collection was moved to the County Courthouse, which served as the temporary headquarters of the library. The collection of businessmen’s books was moved to the Chamber of Commerce. On March 28, 1921, the remodeled and expanded two-story Carnegie Library reopened to the public.
On November 17, 1950, the Memorial Park Branch located at 3200 Copper opened to the public. El Paso voters approved a $975,000 library bond issue to build a new public library building, and on September 12, 1954, the new “Modern Southwestern” style library was dedicated. Later that year, on November 19, 1957, the library's first bookmobile began to operate.
Thanks to a $192,000 bond, from 1960 to 1968, the Lower Valley Branch, the Richard Burges Branch, the Clardy Fox Branch, and the Armijo Branch, opened. In 1969, the old Carnegie Library was demolished and later replaced with a parking lot. In the years ahead, multiple branches, including the Ysleta Branch, Veterans Park in the North East, “Biblioteca Del Barrio” bookmobile, Cielo Vista Branch off of Viscount, Irving Schwartz Branch, West Side Branch, the Northwest Campus Community Library at El Paso Community College, and the Dorris Van Doren Branch, were either opened, renamed, and/or dedicated. In 2004, the Cleveland Square and Main Library expansion began. Main Library was closed to the public and reopened in 2006.
Due to the Covid19 pandemic, in 2020, The El Paso Public Library and its branches suspended in-person and curbside services. In 2021, libraries first resumed services by appointment only, then in the summer, the branches moved on to indoor seating, reading, and searching. Main Library closed for renovation in August of 2021. Border Heritage was relocated to the Sergio Troncoso Library for the renovation's duration.
**We invite you to view the library's journey from its beginnings to today.
Click here to view the El Paso Public Library Timeline
Celebrating El Paso Public Library's 130th Birthday!
For 130 years, since 1894, the El Paso Public Library has enriched the knowledge
of patrons, enabling them to connect, engage, and explore its multiple special events,
programs, books, media, and a variety of digital platforms. The library's commitment to
offer free and open access to knowledge and information has endured throughout this
time. In celebration of our 130th anniversary, the Border Heritage Center is excited to
announce the Open House events that are taking place at various library branches
through Wednesday, December 11, 2024 (see schedule below).
Stop by for giveaways and refreshments! See you there!!!
EPPL HISTORY - IN BRIEF
130 years ago, in 1894, a teacher, Mary Irene Stanton, donated over 800 books to start the El Paso Reading Club for high school age boys in the old Sheldon office building. The collection kept growing and attracted more patrons, including males and females of all ages. In 1899, the small library relocated to the City Hall. Thanks to a $35,000 donation from Mr. Andrew Carnegie, a new location was built on Buckler Square (later renamed as Carnegie Square). The new Carnegie Library opened to the public on April 25, 1904.
As the city’s population increased, the demands for library’s services and resources rose. In 1915, four library service stations, predecessors to the branches today, were established for the convenience of patrons. The stations were located at Blaine’s Grocery in the Grandview Addition, Gunning & Casteel Drug Store, on Hueco St., Highland Drug Store, on Kentucky Ave., and Washington Park Fair Store, on Alameda. Between 1926 and 1928, three of those service stations closed.
During the fall of 1918, the influenza virus reached the city. In October, the library, and other public institutions closed their doors to the public and entered into a city-wide quarantine for nearly five weeks. The library reopened on November 9th.
In January of 1920, a bond of $25,000 was secured for the expansion and remodeling of the library. In August of that same year, a large part of the book collection was moved to the County Courthouse, which served as the temporary headquarters of the library. The collection of businessmen’s books was moved to the Chamber of Commerce. On March 28, 1921, the remodeled and expanded two-story Carnegie Library reopened to the public.
On November 17, 1950, the Memorial Park Branch located at 3200 Copper opened to the public. El Paso voters approved a $975,000 library bond issue to build a new public library building, and on September 12, 1954, the new “Modern Southwestern” style library was dedicated. Later that year, on November 19, 1957, the library's first bookmobile began to operate.
Thanks to a $192,000 bond, from 1960 to 1968, the Lower Valley Branch, the Richard Burges Branch, the Clardy Fox Branch, and the Armijo Branch, opened. In 1969, the old Carnegie Library was demolished and later replaced with a parking lot. In the years ahead, multiple branches, including the Ysleta Branch, Veterans Park in the North East, “Biblioteca Del Barrio” bookmobile, Cielo Vista Branch off of Viscount, Irving Schwartz Branch, West Side Branch, the Northwest Campus Community Library at El Paso Community College, and the Dorris Van Doren Branch, were either opened, renamed, and/or dedicated. In 2004, the Cleveland Square and Main Library expansion began. Main Library was closed to the public and reopened in 2006.
Due to the Covid19 pandemic, in 2020, The El Paso Public Library and its branches suspended in-person and curbside services. In 2021, libraries first resumed services by appointment only, then in the summer, the branches moved on to indoor seating, reading, and searching. Main Library closed for renovation in August of 2021. Border Heritage was relocated to the Sergio Troncoso Library for the renovation's duration.
**We invite you to view the library's journey from its beginnings to today.
Click here to view the El Paso Public Library Timeline