New Writer's Group

Are you interested in participating in a Writer's Group? There will be a meeting Friday, November 13, at 10:00 a.m. for those who would like to form a new group. Beginning writers, experienced writers, published or unpublished, all are welcome. There is no criteria for joining this group other than having an interest in any kind of writing. Want to write your memoirs for your family? Are you interested in writing fiction, non-fiction, articles in your area of expertise, blogging? Come and join the like-minded. You can bring samples of your work or not, just as you choose. There will be various discussions with a view to beginning or improving your writing skills and meeting your own personal writing goals. If you enjoy writing and spending time with writers, this is the group for you!

Book Signing "Images of America - Colfax County"

The library is excited to announce a book signing on Saturday, November 14, from 2 - 5:00 p.m. for a new book on Colfax County. Authors Stephen Zimmer and Gene Lamm will be signing copies of their book "Images of America : Colfax County" published by Arcadia Publishers. It is full of excellent photographs, each one with historical information included, and covers periods including first inhabitants, frontier times, ranching, railroading, mining and lumber. This book is excellent for anyone interested in the history of Colfax County, it's occupations and individuals. Sources for the photographs include this library, the Old Mill Museum, the Library of Congress, the Philmont Museum, the Santa Fe Trail Museum, Southern Methodist University and a variety of individuals and families. Photographs and facts have been pulled together from these and other sources to give a wonderful overview of the history of Colfax County and those who lived and worked here.
Local history books on our specific area are so rarely published that this book will add immeasurably to those who always want more about Raton, Springer, Maxwell, mining camps, ranching, settlers, railroads and all the various fascinating aspects of our local history of the west. A compendium of photographs and facts pulled from multiple locations, it makes it easy to actually see and learn about what historical times in Colfax County were like.
This book will make a great gift this holiday season for anyone who has a passion for local history. Relatives who have moved away, descendants of those who lived here during these historical periods, history buffs, genealogists, families of coal miners, ranchers and railroaders - it's a perfect gift tailored to please them.

COMING IN OCTOBER: Writer's Workshop by Steven Havill, author of the Posadas County Series

  When Steven Havill first moved to Raton back in the 90's, he had already published several books in his Posadas County series.  Set in southern New Mexico on the border with Mexico, they followed Sheriff Bill Gastner and Under-Sheriff Estelle Reyes in what were often referred to as 'police procedurals.' 
  But they were much more than that.  As residents of the area started reading his series, they fell in love with Posadas County.  With the sheriff's department, with the citizens and their families, with the school and businesses, with green chile burritos and, of course, with the solving of all sorts of problems and crimes, from an elderly woman who parked her RV on the local judge's lawn in protest (armed with a shotgun), to cattle rustling, accidental death, border crossings, murder and more.
  As readers discovered Posadas County, the list of people reserving his latest book grew longer.  People asked, "When is the next Havill coming out?"  The books just couldn't be written and published fast enough to satisfy readers.  One older man told me, "Tell Mr. Havill to write faster."  When I passed the message on, Mr. Havill dead panned, 'Tell him to read slower."  That, of course, was impossible.  So some of us re-read the old ones while waiting for the latest one.
  In the beginning, Mr. Havill told me that his books were more popular in the east than they were in the southwest.  But as time went on, I began to find his latest book in pre-publication lists printed for libraries.  That meant that the popularity of Posadas County, New Mexico,  had spread across the nation and people everywhere were enjoying Mr. Havill's books, and rightly so.
  On Saturday, October 24, 2015, Mr. Havill is returning to Raton to give another writer's workshop.  His workshops held while he lived in Raton helped more than one person develop, write and publish fiction that is on the library shelves along with his work.  We invite writers to attend another one of these excellent workshops and take advantage of Mr. Havill's experience, success and teaching skills.

Date: Saturday, October 24
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., one hour lunch break at 12:00 p.m.
Subject: - Writing and Publishing Fiction

  Please feel free to bring a sample chapter of your work.  Refreshments will be served.

FAMILY PASS - Your Ticket to 15 Exceptioal Museums and Historic Sites

  The library now has three Family Passes that provide free entry to fifteen museums and historic sites in New Mexico.  These passes are provided by the New Mexico State Library through the Department of Cultural Affairs.  The passes provide free entry for up to six people and check out for one week, with applicable fines or replacement costs for overdue or lost passes.  They are available for checkout at the library through August 31st, 2016. 
  The museums and historic sites are:
1. New Mexico Museum of Space History (Alamogordo)
2. National Hispanic Cultural Center (Albuquerque)
3. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science (Albuquerque)
4. New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum (Las Cruces)
5. Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (Santa Fe)
6. Museum of International Folk Art (Santa Fe)
7. New Mexico History Museum/ Palace of the Governors (Santa Fe)
8. New Mexico Museum of Art (Santa Fe)
9. Coronado Historic Site
10. El Camino Real Historic Trail Site
11. Fort Selden Historic Site
12. Fort Stanton Historic Site
13. Fort Sumner Historic Site/Bosque Redondo Memorial
14. Jemez Historic Site
15. Lincoln Historic Site
  A map on the back of each pass shows the general location in the state of each museum and site.  A Borrower's Agreement must be signed at the time of checkout (signature in blood not required - ink will do.)
  This is the year to travel our wonderful state and get in free to each of these great locations!

Updating the plumbing

The Arthur Johnson Memorial Library will be undergoing plumbing upgrades starting at the end of August through October.  The library will remain open.  If it becomes necessary to shut down, it will be posted on our blog, Facebook page, and also in the library to let you know ahead of time.  Thank you for your patronage.

Cyber Legal Fair

The library will host a free Cyber Legal Fair on Saturday, September 12, 2015, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  This program is being provided throughout New Mexico.  It will be held in the meeting room on the second floor.  A dozen lawyers from Albuquerque will be available online to give face to face legal consultations to individuals with questions concerning civil and criminal issues.  The library will provide the wireless computer access through multiple computers.  Fair representatives will be available to help those on the computers.  The Cyber Legal Fair will be here to help with any legal questions that might be on your mind, including domestic issues, wills, power of attorney, where to find representation, and any other issue you many need answers about.

2015-16 At the Library

Summer Story Hour 2015  "Every Hero has a Story" ended on July 28, 2015.  We here at the library would like to thank everyone who participated in our summer programs.  It was a lot of fun for everyone.

School will be starting soon here in Raton and we will be here for the students, teachers and parents to help find information, you need.   School will start on the August 24 &25.  Teachers may check books out on "program" for use in the class room.  Ask at the front desk.

We will be starting Pre-k story hour on Wednesday, August 19, 2015, from 10 to 11 am, and the Craft hour will began again on Friday, August 21, 2015, at 3 to 4 pm.  These programs are free to the public and open for all ages.  We do recommend that children under 10 be accompanied by an adult or older sibling.

We are currently working on getting a class together for Mr. Steven Havill to be held in October.  As more information comes available we will get it out to you. 

This fiscal year we are also planing to hold some free computer training classes.  Those classes will be:  Computers for the Very Beginner, E-mail, Publisher, and Word.  If you have any suggestions on computer classes you would like to see at the library please feel free to give us a call.

The Raton Science Cafe will be returning to the 2nd Thursday of every month starting on October 8, 2015 at 7 pm.

There will be other programs announced as we get them scheduled. 

Contact Us
E-mail: library@cityofraton.com
Phone:  575-445-9711
Fax: 575-445-8336
Address:  244 Cook Avenue
                 Raton, New Mexico 87740