Special Collections harvesting stories about Old Main Library

Oct. 19—Do you remember the Old Main Library at Edith and Central?

If you do, the staff of the Special Collections Library is anxious to check out your stories and any photos or memorabilia you have related to Old Main.

Special Collections is located in the building at 423 Central NE that was the Old Main Library from 1925 to 1975.

In preparation for the celebration of Old Main's 100th anniversary in 2025, the Special Collections staff is collecting anecdotes, materials and photos that will be part of a joint exhibition with the Albuquerque Museum. A documentary about Old Main is also in the works.

"We are really hoping for photos of the interior of Old Main," said Teri L. Reynoso, a Special Collections' staff member. "We have no pictures of the interior from the '50s, '60s, '70s. We are trying to figure out the layout back then. Where did they keep the magazines?"

In an effort to renew the past, there will be a History Harvest open house 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in Botts Hall at Special Collections.

People who once worked at Old Main or patronized the library as children, students and adults are encouraged to come and tell their stories. Scanners will be available to make copies of photos the public brings in.

Reynoso, who gives tours every other month at Special Collections, said the Albuquerque Public Library first opened in 1901 at the Edith and Central site. That library, however, operated out of an existing building that had once been a school.

By the 1920s, the building was considered obsolete. When it was demolished, some of its bricks were used to construct the Pueblo Revival-style Old Main Library in 1925.

"We like to say our building is 100 years old but the bricks are from 1890," Reynoso said.

Old Main closed in 1975 when the present Main Library opened at 501 Copper NW.

"That means the new Main Library will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025," Reynoso said.

The Old Main building remained closed from 1975 until 1978, when it reopened as the Special Collections branch. Some features of Old Main are still readily apparent at Special Collections, including interior artwork by Gustave Baumann (1881-1971) and paintings by Fremont Ellis (1897-1985) and Carl Redin (1892-1944).

Debbie Maestas, Special Collections branch manager, said Old Main materials already secured include the original plans for the library, the acquisition ledgers and the original circulation ledgers, the latter being a record of who checked out what and when.

Special Collections' focus is the history of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County for the last 125 years, so research on Old Main falls into its wheelhouse.

Reynoso said the branch's staff is not just waiting for the information to come to them.

"We have reached out to all the historical societies," she said. "We have put questionnaires at all the library branches. We are visiting senior centers."

On Thursday morning, Reynoso was at the Barelas Senior Center.

"That's just five minutes from (Old Main)," she said. "I'm getting lots of stories this morning. We want the heart and soul stories."