I traveled to Washington DC in early March, 2024 to attend the American Library Association’s “Voices for Libraries” day of advocacy, where library leaders from all over the country gathered to meet with their Congressional representatives (or their aides) to convince them of the need for library funding for fiscal year 2025. This was the second year the American Library Association’s Washington office invited me to attend, and like last year’s adventure, it was a great experience. My colleague Erin MacFarlane and I attended training on the first day, and on the second day, we met with representatives from the offices of Senator Kelly, Senator Sinema, Congressman Grijalva, Congressman Gallego and Congressman Ciscomani. We were very warmly welcomed. The aides listened intently, asked great questions and took lots of notes so they could report back to their bosses about our meetings. All agreed that libraries are important and that the funding we asked for should be supported.
This was the second time I had the opportunity to participate in advocating for American libraries. Last year’s event was called the ALA Congressional Fly-In. Erin and I both represented Arizona last year as well, and we were able to meet briefly with Congressman Grijalva. This year we had no such luck. We met with five different congressional aides, but they were very nice to us. Erin MacFarlane and I outside the US Capitol. She works for the Maricopa County Library system in the Phoenix area, and is a wonderful person.VIsiting the different congressional office buildings was very exciting. We even had lunch in one of them and saw Senator Kelly at one point walking into his office. It surprised me to learn that he’s not very tall at all! Senator Kelly and Senator SinemaCongressman Ciscomani, Congressman Gallego, and Congressman GrijalvaOur task was to convince our hosts that federal library funding was badly needed in Arizona. We received training in storytelling the day before our visits and were provided with a bunch of talking points that we could use as we described the various services federal funding helped to provide. Erin and I enjoyed ourselves as we talked our way through each session. I tried to get each assistant to write 232 billion instead of 232 million in their notes. It was fun. I’d do it again in a heartbeat. That same night, President Biden delivered the State of the Union address. It was thrilling to know that I was in a hotel room just about a mile or two away from where the President gave his speech.
I took an extra couple of days to go sightseeing and to buy souvenirs, but my plans were dampened a bit by a day full of cold, rainy weather on one of those days. Oh well. I did manage to visit a museum and to wander around some. Here are some photos I took of the places I stayed at and the buildings I saw. I had a great time.
ALA footed the bill for my stay at the Riggs Hotel, shown here. I later moved to the Hilton Motto Hotel in Chinatown. I went to a few souvenir shops and found a bunch of stuff to bring back, including a Biden for President t-shirt and a decal. Unfortunately, there was a lot more Trump memorabilia available than Biden memorabilia. I think that’s because the Trump garbage doesn’t sell.
The only museum I was able to visit on this particular trip was the National Building Museum. I’m glad I went, even though they didn’t have very many exhibits. The National Building Museum was built in the 1880s and was the former home of the US Pension Bureau. It served a variety of purposes until 1985, when it started a new life as a museum. The terra cotta frieze by sculptor Caspar Buberi in the bottom photo on the left depicts Union veterans from the Civil War, who received benefits from the US government processed by workers housed in this building
The ceramic San Xavier figurine on the right is identical to the one I have at home. It’s really a little coin bank with a slot in the back. I’ve had mine since the 80’s and was quite surprised to see one exactly like it on display in this exhibit of building miniatures from every state.
Here are some of the buildings I saw during the day. The cherry blossoms were just starting to bloom.
Included here are the Supreme Court, Cherry Blossom trees, The US Capitol and the Martin Luther King Library building.I ventured out for a walk one evening along Constitution Avenue. It was a beautiful night. The buildings in the bottom row are the National Archives and the old Post Office, which is now a hotel. The statue is of Benjamin Franklin. The photo on the top left is of the entrance to Chinatown. I stayed at the Hilton Motto Hotel my last couple of days in Washington. The room I stayed in was very small, but the only thing it lacked was a coffee maker. Oh well. The nightly rate wasn’t bad and it was just for a couple of days.
There were other things I got to see and do, like have delicious Chinese food in Chinatown. I also bought myself a new waterproof jacket at Macy’s and took the Metro up to the Dupont Circle area to Second Story Books, where I splurged and bought a few books. I walked around the downtown area a lot too.
I really missed my friends Ron and Jane this time around, however. They moved to New York’s Hudson River Valley last year, so I’ll just have to go there to visit at some point. I also missed seeing my friend Elizabeth Robinson. We’ve been friends since the late 80s and met while working at the University of Michigan. I love her and Ron and Jane dearly. They are wonderful, amazing, beautiful people, and I am very lucky to know them.
Ron and Jane. I’ve known them since I was in high school.
My friend Elizabeth. She’s head of rare book cataloging at the Library Congress and has worked there for many, many years.
Oh well. Maybe next time. Overall, I had a great visit. DC is always a blast!
I have been a member of the Arizona Library Association for over 30 years, and in that time, have held numerous offices in the association. Most recently, in 2020, I was elected to the Executive Board as the southern region representative, (and was just re-elected this October to another 2 year term).
These past few years have been very challenging for AZLA. The pandemic has been largely responsible for us not having an in-person conference in over two years. That, combined with a few other major challenges, held us back significantly, causing us to lose membership and go into debt. Things began to change however, in early 2022, when a new slate of officers was elected to manage the association. The new president, Lisa Lewis, brought all the current officers and members of the State Library together at a planning retreat held in May in Chandler. We renewed our commitment to keep the association alive and growing. We also let go of our office manager and took control of the association’s website and other management functions. Our top priority was to plan our upcoming conference and to get our finances in order. The board and the conference planning committee were very eager to see to it that this conference was successful.
In the end, the 2022 conference, was in my opinion, one of the best we’ve ever put together. While we didn’t get huge attendance numbers, we had some excellent programs and all of our keynote speakers were top-notch. I cannot take any credit at all for the conference’s success. That needs to go to our conference planning committee and our president, president-elect, and treasurer, who met frequently to sort out all the issues, select the programs and keynote speakers, and pay all the bills that come with putting on a big three day event like this. It turned out to be one of the best conferences I’ve ever attended.
The conference was held in Prescott, Az, on October 27 and 28, 2022. I left Tucson at 9am on the 27th, and made a pit stop in Phoenix where I bought a few things at Bookmans on Northern Ave, including a couple of Benny Goodman albums and a book on jazz before heading up to Prescott.
More Benny Goodman albums for my growing collection.
I found this too. It’s a heavy mutha.
I arrived at the hotel in Prescott some time in the afternoon. I’d never been to Prescott before, and was pleasantly surprised at what I found. The elevation of the town is over 5,000 feet, and there are hills and mountains all around. It was gorgeous. The weather was cool and the skies were nice and clear the whole time. I spent most of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at the conference, but did manage to go shopping at a few thrift stores and visit the downtown area on Friday morning. I regret not being able to spend more time exploring, and would like to go back one day to do that. Jerome and Camp Verde are in the vicinity and it would have been great to visit these places and to visit friends who live in the area.
I bought this postcard in the downtown area. It’s one of many that I found while there.
The drive to Prescott from Tucson took more than 4 hours. I stopped in Phoenix and visited Bookmans on the way up and also encountered some slow traffic along the way.
“It’s a New Day” was our conference theme. Lisa Lewis, our new president came up with it. It was perfect.
AZLA President Lisa Lewis and President-elect, Casey Van Haren at our registration table. Lisa is a very no-nonsense, but inspiring leader, and Casey is a hoot. What a great team!
Our conference was held at the Prescott Resort and Casino. My room was spacious, but the bed wasn’t very firm, and the carpeting was lumpy. Oh well. At least there was a great view.
The first photo was taken from my room window, and the one on the right was taken during our opening reception.
I ran into my friend and colleague, Jean McClelland. She photobombed my shot of the sunset.
Jamie LaRue is a longtime librarian who has spoken several times at our conferences. He was just great. He spoke about the idea of “intentional transformation” and how libraries can change lives. It was a very profound talk and I enjoyed it immensely.
My good friend Jose’ Aguinaga is now a library science professor at San Jose’ State University. He made it to the conference on the first day, and we had coffee and lunch together. I always enjoy meeting up with him. He’s a great friend and colleague.
This was a very informative program.
Some of the women featured in this book were present and spoke during the luncheon on Thursday. They were amazing. I introduced the speaker for this program. The young woman who did the presentation shared a lot of interesting information and ideas.
I also introduced my colleague Robin Huff-Eibl, who spoke about the University of Arizona Library’s technology lending program and its impact on our student population, particularly students of color. It was a very informative presentation.
I don’t know why I’m including this place, but I had dinner here. It was not great and way too expensive, but convenient, as it was just down the street from my hotel.
I sat at the same table with these volunteers from the Scottsdale Public Library. The lady pictured on the far left won this year’s volunteer of the year award. Adiba Nelson closed the conference with a wonderful talk about her life and its challenges. She made us all laugh so many times it was just wild. Loved her. On Friday morning, I hit the thrift and antique stores, as well as the Sharlot Hall Museum. The Governor’s mansion houses the little gift shop there, and these photos were taken inside it.
I found these while in the antique stores. The Dee Dee Sharp picture sleeve didn’t come with the actual record, but I already had it at home.
Treasures from the St. Vincent DePaul thrift store.
I found all of these cds for 50 cents to a dollar at the St. Vincent De Paul and Disabled American Veterans thrift stores. CDs are not as popular as they once were, and one can easily find lots of great recordings at these places, but it sometimes takes patience and time to wade through a lot of “junk” before you find the good ones. I found a lot of great ones! It was my lucky day.
More postcards that I found along the way. I was able to make a quick stop into one of the stores along Whiskey Row. The photo on the left is of the kiosk on the grounds of the old State Capitol, I think.
My last activity while in Prescott was having dinner with Lisa Lewis and other folks involved with the conference. We had a lovely time. I got up bright and early the following day and headed back home to Tucson to prepare for my Boston vacation with Ruben.
In this post, I will share some of the memories I have of visiting Las Cruces and La Mesilla, New Mexico in 2005, when I attended the Border Book Festival in Mesilla for the first and only time. Before I begin, here are some brief overviews of each community:
Click anywhere on the text above to see a larger shot of the above entry.
A map of Las Cruces and La Mesila. There are approximately 100,000 people who live here. It kind of reminds me of Tucson back in the 60s.
An aerial view of La Mesilla’s historic district.
From a mid 20th century brochure about the Mesilla Valley region of southern New Mexico. Click on the text above to see a larger version of it.
A more recent description of the small community.
I had never knew much about Mesilla before, and attending a literary festival like this was quite out of the ordinary for me at the time, as my focus at work was primarily on music and the performing arts. Even so, I’ve always enjoyed Chicano literature and have been reading material in this genre since high school. I’m so glad I did attend, as I met Denise Chavez, whose novel, “Loving Pedro Infante” remains one of my very favorites, and I also got to visit La Mesilla and Las Cruces, two very interesting, historic communities just a mere four hours away from Tucson.
This is the hotel where I stayed.
An ad from the Albuquerque Journal and my registration receipt for the festival.
The festival program was filled with information about all the activities that were slated to take place. Organizing a festival like this must’ve taken many, many months and a great deal of patience!
From the program above.
Border Book Festival History
March 24 2005
History and Scope of the Border Book Festival by Denise Chavez. (From a now-defunct website on the Border Book Festival that I found on the Wayback Machine).
The Border Book Foundation (BBF) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization founded in 1995 by a group of writers, artists and community people committed to celebrating literature and the art of story in the southern United States–Northern México border region.
Based in Las Cruces and Mesilla, New Mexico, the Border Book Foundation believes that literature and the arts can bridge the many boundaries–racial, ethnic, generational, cultural, socio-economic, and gender-based–that divide our community. Ours is a grass roots organization that impacts its community by offering programs that are blueprints of positive communication, interaction and connection between people in our borderland region.
The Border Book Festival is a catalyst between many different groups and organizations including city, state and governmental agencies, schools, businesses and community centers. We are a bridge builder and model for positive exchange between diverse people in the borderland region.
Our annual book festival takes in April each year and features many activities for audiences of all ages including: Libros Y Más/Books And More, a Trade Show featuring national, regional and local presses and writers, a series of readings, workshops and panels, a school outreach program, as well as family storytelling events throughout the festival weekend.
The Premio Fronterizo honors a major American writer for their life long contribution to literature that transcends borders, real and imagined, and whose body of work has done much to add to the southwestern literary canon. Past winners of the Premio Fronterizo have included: Rudolfo Anaya, Sabine Ulibarrí, Tony Hillerman, Byrd Baylor, Leslie Marmon Silko, Barbara Kingsolver, Gary Soto, Sandra Cisneros, Luis Rodríguez, N. Scott Momaday, Luis Urrea and Ofelia Zepeda.
In addition, we present the Sunshine Community Service Award to a local business, organization or person who works to promote literature and the art of story at a grass roots level as well as the Cauthon Volunteer Service award to hardworking festival volunteers.
The cornerstone program of the Border Book Festival is the Emerging Voices Program, a series of hands-on writing workshops held throughout the year at various venues throughout the area.
The Border Book Foundation is committed to bringing audiences to writers and writers and book artists to audiences. Our programming is innovative, challenging, and transformative.
The BBF has had considerable impact in the Southern New Mexico border corridor as well as throughout the region. We have been touted in the New York Times as a “place where books matter,” and featured in Publisher’s Weekly as one of the top regional book festivals in the U.S.
The 11th annual Festival, Re-Inventing the Americas, will take place April 15-17, 2005 in Mesilla, New Mexico.
Our Commitment to the Community November 8 2005 (from a website on the Border Book Festival that no longer exists, found using the Wayback Machine)
The Border Book Foundation, with its annual Border Book Festival and expanding Cultural Center, will continue to bring the best of literature, literacy and storytelling to our multi-cultural, multi-generational audiences.
The Cultural Center of Mesilla/El Centro Cultural de Mesilla “C.C.M.” has filled a powerful need in our regional community. Not only do we offer a place for people to buy new, used and out-of-print multi-cultural books, bilingual books for children and adults and books in Spanish and English, we offer a haven and home to those who want to connect with border culture in a deep and meaningful way.
Located one block from the Mesilla Plaza, the Cultural Center was once home to a Mexican garrison building and later, the well-known and loved D.C. Frietze grocery store, run by Mesilla’s former mayor and our present landlord, Roberto Frietze.
The historic building is one of Mesilla’s oldest adobes and is permeated with sense of history and story that is the heart of our southwestern landscape. We offer a hot cup of coffee or tea and the opportunity to view the Lannan series of writer’s videos as well as previous festival documentaries including work by Lourdes Portillo on the disappeared women in Juárez or films by border filmmakers Paul Espinosa, Ray Santiestaban and Lisa Garibay.
Our book signings have reached hundreds of people who have never come out before to support literature. We have reached rural communities in Mesilla, Vado, Chamberino, La Union, Anthony, Derry and elsewhere. The Rudolfo Anaya book signing on December 10, 2004 brought over 400+ people to our Center who waited for hours to have Mr. Anaya sign their books. We had scheduled a reading but it was not possible because the line went down the street and past the acequia!
Book signings and readings for Benjamin Alire Sáenz and Denise and Susan Gonzales Abraham had over 100+ people each and many books were sold and new contacts made. The Gonzales Abraham book, Cecilia’s Year, written about the small farming community of Derry, New Mexico inculcated a new-found pride in “lo nuestro,” stories from our own backyard in southern New Mexico.
The Cultural Center’s workshop series has introduced the Art of Nopales (cactus) to many who only thought nopales was only the name of a Las Cruces restaurant. (“Nopalitos? You mean it means something?” someone said with wonder.) It is this lack of understanding about the basics of cultural life that have prompted us to address and educate and empower our audiences through our work at the Cultural Center of Mesilla and our on-going workshops and literary and arts events programming.
Our workshops have been myriad, challenging, informative and fun. They have included: Paper making with Martha Durán, The Care and Evaluation of Out-of-Print Books, with out-of-print book dealer, John Randall, Sacred Beads and Knots: The Significance of World Prayer Traditions Across the World, A Poetry Intensive with Miriam Sagan, ¡Familia! A family story writing workshop series with Denise Chávez, A writing workshop with Camino de Vida, an AIDS outreach organization, A Kid’s Art Day for 7-12 year-old with breakout sessions that included creative writing, dance, photography, drama and painting.
Upcoming workshops include: A Women’s Healing, Renewal and Transformation Retreat for women in the Gila Mountains, Vatos, a writing workshop for men, Senior to Senior, a poetry workshop for senior writers and writers in high school, mentoring and learning from each other, as well as a Feng Shui workshop.
At the root of all our work is the core belief that literature and the arts can empower and change lives.
The Cultural Center has hosted visits and receptions for many organizations and non-profits including the National PEN Women, the Executive committee of the American Library Association, The Association of University Women, The National Hispanic Cultural Center, Fr. Roy Bourgeois, human rights activist, among others.
You can expect the Border Book Foundation to initiate events for all ages that will reflect the best of our cultural history, legacy and strength of spirit. We see ourselves as a resource center and clearing house for the arts, as well as a place where community can find a way to understand itself through culture.
Future events will include workshops, panels, readings and book signings in English and Spanish, oral history gatherings, storytelling for children and families and any number of creative offerings that fit in with our mission to offer programs that are blueprints for positive communication, interaction, connection and healing between people in the borderland corridor.
We believe that literature and the arts can transcend the many perceived borders-racial, ethnic, generational, cultural, socio-economic, and gender-based-that divide our community.
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The following video was produced in 2014, several years after I attended the Border Book Festival. The Festival closed down for good just a year later, in 2015. I feel very lucky to have been to at least one of these momentous events.
Below are some of the monuments, shops and restaurants I visited in La Mesilla and Las Cruces in 2005. I was bummed that there were few, if any antique stores open at the time in Mesilla, but I did enjoy the two bookstores that were there, and the restaurants were really good too. I found another bookstore in downtown Las Cruces that was well-stocked with books and cds. If I recall correctly, I even found a Joy Harjo recording there. I also found a couple of antique stores out on Picacho Rd. and bought some records. I didn’t partake much of the night life, except once when I went to a nightclub in one of the local hotels. It was okay. Overall, I enjoyed the trip, even though it lasted just a few days. I knew I would go back again, but it would be over a decade before I made it back
The Basilica of San Albino and the kiosk in the main plaza are the most recognizable landmarks in Mesilla, smack dab in the center of town.
The altar of the Basilica.
I vaguely remember going inside this store, which was once the courthouse where Billy the Kid was sentenced to be hanged. I bought apple butter and chili powder. What a strange combination! From “Fodor’s New Mexico”, 5th edition, pp.194-195. Click on the text to see a larger version of the story. This restaurant has since moved from La Mesilla to Las Cruces.
I bought a bag of these for my dad. He got a big kick out of it.
During this trip, I also explored Las Cruces, and found a couple of antique stores and a bookstore. I kept the following receipts and found business cards in an antiques directory for each store that I visited. These places are likely no longer in business.
Another little historical marker noting the significance of La Mesilla’s role in the history of the Southwest.
A few books about Mesilla, New Mexico
Mesilla Comes Alive: A History of Mesilla and its Valley, by C.W. Ritter and Craig Holden. Las Cruces: Ritter Publications, 2014.
The Mesilla Valley, An Oasis in the Desert, by Jon Hunner and Peter Dean. Santa Fe: Sunstone Press, 2008.
Pioneers of the Mesilla Valley, 1823-1912. By P. Paxton.
A Place As Wild As The West Ever Was: Mesilla, New Mexico, 1848-1872, by Mary D. Taylor Las Cruces: New Mexico State University Museum, 2004.
La Posta: From the Founding of Mesilla to Corn Exchange Hotel to Billy the Kid Museum to Famous Landmark, by David Thomas. Las Cruces: Doc45 Publishing, 2013.
Turmoil on The Rio Grande: History of the Mesilla Valley, 1846-1865, by William S. Kiser. College Station: Texas A&M University Press, 2011.
A few books about Las Cruces, New Mexico
Celebrating 150 Years of Las Cruces History. Las Cruces: Las Cruces Sun-News, 1999.
Las Cruces, by John Hunner. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2003.
Las Cruces: A Photographic Journey (New Mexico Centennial), 1912-2012, by New Mexico State University. Las Cruces: FIG Publications, 2011.
Las Cruces: An Illustrated History, by Linda G. Harris. Las Cruces: Arroyo Press, 1993.
Las Cruces New Mexico 1849-1999: A Multicultural Crossroads, by Gordon Owen. Las Cruces: Red Sky Pub, 1999.
Legendary Locals of Las Cruces, New Mexico, by Charlotte Tallman. Charlotte, SC: Legendary Locals, 2014.
My last visit to San Francisco took place five years ago when I attended the American Library Association’s annual conference. I stayed at the Hyatt Regency near the Embarcadero Center. While it was a nice location and a very nice hotel, I did have to walk pretty far to get to my meetings. Nevertheless, I had a great time. I spent some time with my friends Mary, Alex and Karen. I also got to see the gay pride parade and Steve Grand, a gay singer whose music I really like. I also visited the Mission District and took pictures of many of the murals. On my last day, I ventured over to the Haight Ashbury neighborhood, where I went record shopping. I went to several conference meetings and saw Nancy Pelosi speak too. I’ll add more later, but for now, here are some of the photos I took during the trip and a few I added from other sources.
