Westside Library - El Paso Public Library

In 2008, the City of El Paso planned to remove the Westside Library. However, hundreds of people came out to support our library and it was saved. Read more here: El Paso Times July 23, 2008

Former Westside Library branch manager, Margaret Burlingame, was honored at the Bookmark. The Bookmark is the bookstore owned and operated by the Friends of the Westside Library. Read more here: El Paso Times February 20, 1991

JC Penny and the Westside library sponsored a workshop for teen girls at the library, advertised on this day in 1996. The girls, starting at age 13, would get free skin and hair care tips. Read more here: El Paso Times 18 July 1996

Five books were donated to the Westside Library in July of 1979 in order to honor the memories of the Cole family, who died in a fire in April. Barbara Cole, who died in the fire, had been part of the board of directors of the Friends of the West Side Branch Library. Read more here: El Paso Times 11 June 1979

Scarlet by A.C. Gughen   March is Women's History Month and while the retelling of the Robin Hood legend in the story Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen isn't strictly history, it's loosely based on history. One of the major reasons I chose to write about this story is that the main character in this Robin Hood legend is a strong woman who makes her own choices in life--not letting anyone, including Robin Hood, tell her what to do. In this retelling of the legend, Will Scarlet, Robin Hood's friend, isn't a boy, but instead is a woman known to most around Sherwood as Scar or Will. Everyone  believes she is a male thief and that's what Scarlet wants them to believe. Only a few folks know most of the truth, including Robin, Little John, Much and Friar Tuck. Scarlet is a strong, moody character. She has plenty of secrets and a dark past. She's also torn about her disguise as a man: for example, the religious Scarlet won't go to church dressed as a man because...

Billy Townes played jazz piano during a Black History Month celebration on this date in 1994. See more here: El Paso Times 23 February 1994

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis We're nearing the end of the February Black History month celebration, so I'd like to highlight one of my favorite books that features an incredible glimpse into life for African Americans during the great depression. The story is by Christopher Pual Curtis: Bud, Not Buddy . This story is written for a younger audience, but is a great read for just about anyone. It's a two-time award winner, receiving the 2000 Newbery Medal and the 2000 Coretta Scott King Award. Ten year old Bud is the main character in the story. The most important person in his life, his mother has died, and he has been living in the Home (an orphanage) since he was 6 years old. After some bad experiences in the orphanage and in his last foster home, Bud decides he'll strike out on his own to find his father. Bud believes he knows who and where his father is and tries to find him in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but his only clues to finding his dad are mem...

President's Day is a holiday that is celebrated in many different ways... just not the ways that you may expect. It's not that everyone has a cool different craft or neat idea for advertising used cars, instead, it's that the holiday isn't what we think it is. In fact, it's not even really called "President's Day." It's still "Washington's Birthday." Originally, President's Day was celebrated as a federal holiday to remember and honor our first president, George Washington, on his birthday. However, after Abraham Lincoln's presidency, many northern states started to celebrate the newer president's birthday at around the same time. When the official celebration of Washington's birthday was changed to the 3rd Monday in February, it started to confuse people: who's birthday was being celebrated? Adding to the confusion is the fact that Nixon proclaimed the 3rd Monday in 1971 to be President's Day to honor al...

How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu Valentine's Day is coming up and while we most often associate the holiday with Romantic love, we know that there are actually many other kinds of love. In  How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe , Charles Yu explores the love in families, especially love between a father and son. Charles (of Mirror Universe 31), has been barely living since his father time-traveled out of his life. Charles feels that he has disappointed his father, and while they had always had trouble communicating, Charles badly wants to reconnect. The problem is that Charles isn't going anywhere. He's a time-machine technician and he's given up on his own life. He has no motivation. It isn't until Charles' future self appears and a panicked present-Charles shoots himself in the stomach that his life finally starts to move forward--even if it's into a time loop. The journey Charles takes pulls him backward...

Groundhog Day is a very unique holiday! But what is a Groundhog anyway, and do they live in El Paso? Groundhogs are large, cat-sized rodents.  They are also known as marmots, Woodchucks and whistle pigs. They are a type of ground squirrel. And sadly, they don't live in El Paso! But some of their relatives, hoary marmots and yellow-bellied marmots, live in the mountains in the Northwest United States. Now.... Groundhog Day! The most famous groundhog of all is Punxsutawney Phil. He's a groundhog from Punxsatawney, Pennsylvania where people have been celebrating Groundhog Day since 1886! According to the Groundhog Day website, Phil is always 100% correct about his predictions. If he sees his shadow, then there will be 6 more weeks of winter. If he doesn't see his shadow on Groundhog Day, then there's an early spring. Learn more about the Holiday and about Groundhogs! websites: Groundhog Day official Page Facts about Groundhogs from National Geographic  books:...

An Open House reception was planned so that the community could preview the new Westside Library. At the time, the Westside Library was the first library branch opened in 27 years and was the first to be paid for by "direct community contributions for partial structure payment." People could meet the new staff members, Bill Lockhart and Lisa Bunker. Read more here: El Paso Times December 7, 1988

An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten For something completely different this Christmas, try out this little book. The stories are about Maud, an 88 year old lady who lives alone in her very nice, rent-controlled apartment. Maud figures things out and solves her problems on her own. The only problem is that she often solves them using murder. I found the book to be darkly humorous and an excellent commentary on how older people, especially women, become invisible in this world. There are several short stories in this book and one that is Christmas-themed. So instead of curling up with a cozy this winter, try getting to know Maud... if you dare! Find An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good  at the library!

 In 1997, the Westside Library hosted a haunted house for kids! Read more here: El Paso Times 30 October 1997

The Friends of the Westside Library held a rare book sale at the library in September of 1990. Books included autographed copies from famous authors. Marjorie Cunningham, a member of the Friends group, is pictured. Read more here: El Paso Times  19 September 1990

On this day in 1987, the City held groundbreaking ceremonies for the new building for the Westside Library. The land for the new library was donated by Jane Burges Perrenot and the community raised $150,000 to help create the library. The new building, which is still here on 125 Belvidere, started out with a collection of 30,000 books. Read more here: El Paso Times 12 September 1987

As part of the end of Summer Reading Club celebration in August of 1990, a troupe of young actors performed Pinnochio at the Westside Library. This was their third time performing at the library. Read more here: El Paso Times 1 August 1990

Foe by Iain Reid is a science fiction novel set in the near future. The main characters are a wife, Hen, and her husband, Junior. The couple live in a far-off farm and live a quiet, happy life. Then their lives are upended when Junior is selected to travel to space. But the biggest upset is that Junior will be replaced by an exact copy. The story itself has some twists and turns, but the parts I enjoyed the most were the atmospheric descriptions of life in this strange future. The world Hen and Junior inhabit is both familiar and haunting. It's also very strange. Find a copy of Foe at the library!

The Friends of the Westside Libraries' bookstore, the Bookmark, relocated to its current location on Remcon Road. The new store opened its doors on July 11, 2002. The new store was much larger at 2,850 square feet than the old location at the Promenade Shopping Center on Mesa street. Proceeds from the sale of used books goes towards programs and books at the Westside Libraries. Read more here: El Paso Times 12 July 2002

Terry Alvarez, a storyteller, came to the Westside Library on this day in 2007. Alvarez was part of that years' Summer Reading program. See more here: El Paso Times 2 July 2007

In 1852, Frederick Douglass was asked to give a 4th of July speech to an audience of white abolitionists. The title of his speech was "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" Douglass's speech emphasized that the 4th of July was only for those who were free: not for the slaves in the United States. He said, "What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim." Frederick Douglass would want all of us to remember on this day that freedom means freedom for all, not just some. Frederick Douglass grew up as a slave in Maryland. He was separated from his family when he was a baby and he only saw his mother during visits a few times before she died when he was 7. He was worked hard on the plantation of his owner and was forced to eat food out of a trough, like a farm animal. He was eventually sent to the home of Hugh Auld in ...