Manitos

There’s something magical about entering rural libraries. They are warm and inviting community spaces crammed with books. Like their urban counterparts these small but mighty institutions are taking on new roles in the digital world. Computer terminals provide connection to all kinds of online information and are collecting points for community memory. The first computerized system to use the term “Community Memory” was invented in Berkeley in 1973. It was a simple electronic bulletin board that allowed users to send…

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Recent articles in NPQ, Nonprofit Quarterly, have profiled the ways in which urban libraries across the nation support both learning and the economy. In addition, they are expanding their roles not just as places to borrow books but also as community hubs that make a difference—with everything from makerspaces and gardens to seed exchanges and lending programs for musical instruments and tools. Libraries serve as sanctuaries, open to their communities during times of civic unrest, on the front lines of…

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The Manitos Community Memory Project recognizes the important role of libraries in achieving cultural equity for rural communities in New Mexico. Often they are the only places in the community that provide Internet access and space for public gatherings. In addition to their traditional roles, they offer GED programs, after school programs, and programs to promote STEM learning and early childhood development. Libraries in Abiquiu, Dixon, and Questa are among our community-based partners for the Manitos Project. The concept of…

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