by Peter Gonzales

Voters on Nov. 3 easily approved a $20 million funding package for public, school tribal and academic libraries. 

New Mexicans have approved library bonds every election since 2002. 

The measure authorizes the state to sell general obligation bonds, which are repaid with property tax revenue. The State Board of Finance estimates that the bond would count for 82 cents per $100,000 in property value over the course of 10 years without raising property taxes. 

For public libraries, the bond will allow for more than books but also — equipment, furniture and new technology.  

In Las Cruces, this bond means the Thomas Branigan Memorial Library could move forward with adding 20,000 square feet, which would allow the city’s main library more space for children’s programs, a podcasting studio, eight new study rooms and a demonstration kitchen. 

For UNM, this bond means more funds going “collaborative purchases” with other academic libraries around the state, which would allow for higher education students at publicly funded institutions to access important databases and tools — two resources that have come in handy in research in both the university’s Law and Health Sciences programs. 

Gina Zeik, a third year psychology student in line to vote at the Student Union Building Nov. 3, said she supported the bond — primarily for the funding it would provide to these research resources at UNM. 

“Research is really important to a lot of majors and is kind of what the university prides itself in, so more money to that could be really good for UNM.”