The Albuquerque Public Library opened on May 1, 1901, replacing the Ladies' Library Association which had operated sporadically since 1883. The new library was located in Perkins Hall, a three-story brick building at the intersection of Central and Edith which had previously housed the first Albuquerque Academy and the University of New Mexico. The building was purchased and donated to the city by local businessman Joshua Raynolds for the purpose of establishing a public library. The library opened with 2,382 books, many of which were donated by local businesspeople. By 1920 the library had outgrown its old facility, and planning began for a new building on the same site. Perkins hall was torn down, and the new library opened on March 26, 1925. Designed by Arthur Rossiter, the building was a fine example of Pueblo Revival architecture with its buttresses, towers, irregular parapet, and exposed wooden beams. Interior decorations were by Santa Fe artist Gustave Baumann. The Main Library was enlarged in 1947 and 1951. In 1948 the city purchased the former home of war correspondentErnie Pyle and turned it into Albuquerque's first branch library. The Old Main Library became the Special Collections branch in 1978 after a new facility was built downtown.
Libraries
Old Main Library
The Pueblo Revival style Old Main Library served as the city's main public library from 1925 to 1975 and now houses the Special Collections branch. It was designed by Arthur Rossiter, with interior decorations by Santa Fe artist Gustave Baumann, and opened to the public on March 23, 1925. It is listed on the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties and is also an Albuquerque Historic Landmark.
Main Library
The current Main Library, opened in 1975, is located at the intersection of Fifth and Copper in downtown Albuquerque. It was designed by local architect George Pearl, whose striking modern interpretation of traditional southwest architecture received a design award from the American Institute of Architects. Pearl considered it one of his "three or four most important" designs. The library received a $1.8 million renovation in 2006 which included the addition of a new glass atrium and lobby, a coffee shop, and an expansion of the used book shop on the lower level. The space that was developed for a coffee shop in 2006, the ABQ Coffee Connection, officially opened on May 3, 2010. In 2013, the restaurant Al's Other Half replaced the former coffee shop. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.
Branches
In addition to the Main Library, the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Library system operates seventeen branch libraries throughout the Albuquerque metropolitan area:
