Roswell Public Library
🏢 City of Roswell · Roswell, New Mexico
Roswell Public Library
Opened on July 17, 1978, Roswell Public Library carries Chaves County history — from the frontier Women's Club that sparked the original 1906 Carnegie building to an ongoing yearbook digitization project — alongside 180,000 items and statewide digital resources that southeastern New Mexico relies on today.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–7pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–7pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–7pm |
| Thursday | 10am–7pm |
| Friday | 10am–6pm |
| Saturday | 10am–6pm |
| Sunday | 2pm–6pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 301 N. Pennsylvania Avenue, Roswell, NM 88201
Phone: (575) 622-7101
Website: roswell-nm.gov
Plus Code: 855Q9FWF+8Q (Roswell, NM)
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Roswell Public Library
The Roswell Public Library opened July 17, 1978, at 301 N. Pennsylvania Ave., replacing a Carnegie-funded predecessor that had served the city since 1906. The 22,000-square-foot building holds more than 180,000 items — books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, audiobooks, microfilm, microfiche, and digital titles — and offers free internet and Wi-Fi, a community meeting room, children's and teen areas, and dedicated Southwest and Spanish-language collections. Its genealogy collection supports Chaves County ancestry research, and the library is actively digitizing local high school yearbooks with General Obligation Bond funding. Roswell's original 1906 Carnegie library — one of only three built in the New Mexico Territory before statehood — was funded by a $10,000 Andrew Carnegie grant secured by the Roswell Women's Club and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. The current library participates in statewide digital programs through the New Mexico State Library, giving every cardholder free access to e-books, databases, and live tutoring.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Opened July 17, 1978 — successor to Roswell's 1906 Carnegie Library (one of only three Carnegie buildings in the New Mexico Territory before statehood)
- 22,000-square-foot building with 180,000+ items including microfilm, microfiche, CDs, DVDs, e-books, and downloadable audiobooks
- Southwest and Spanish-language collections unique to the region, plus a genealogy collection for Chaves County ancestry research
- Actively digitizing Roswell-area high school yearbooks with Library General Obligation Bond funds for public access
- Free statewide digital access via El Portal (Gale databases, NewsBank), New Mexico Reads (Hoopla e-books), and Brainfuse live tutoring
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Roswell cardholders access New Mexico's statewide digital resources free from anywhere:
📚 Services
- Physical collections: print books, DVDs, Blu-rays, audiobooks (CD/MP3), magazines, microfilm & microfiche
- Free public computers and Wi-Fi
- Genealogy collection for Chaves County and southeastern New Mexico ancestry research
- Southwest and Spanish-language book collections
- Microfilm and microfiche readers (local newspapers, historical records)
- Community meeting room (available to educational, cultural, and civic groups by advance reservation)
- Books on Wheels — homebound delivery service (Friends of the Library partnership)
- Children's learning area with story times
- Teen/Young Adult section
- Portable computer lab (10 laptops available — Digital Equity grant)
- High school yearbook digitization project (ongoing, bond-funded)
🎸 Programs
- Drop By Hobbies for Adults — Mondays 1:00–3:00 PM (learn a skill, meet neighbors)
- Drop-In STEM Lab for Kids — Saturdays 11 AM–1 PM and Sundays 2–4 PM
- Story Times for children (regular schedule)
- Summer Reading Program (annual, all ages)
- Adult learning classes
- Author events (past guests include Larry McMurtry, John Erickson, Michael McGarrity)
📍 Nearby Libraries in Southeast New Mexico
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Roswell · Browse all New Mexico libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Does the Roswell Public Library have genealogy resources for researching Chaves County families?
Yes. The library maintains a dedicated genealogy collection covering Chaves County and southeastern New Mexico, including microfilm and microfiche of historical newspapers and records. Cardholders can also access Ancestry Library Edition through the library's El Portal databases. For deeper local research, the Wilson-Cobb History and Genealogy Research Library in Roswell holds additional specialized materials and hosts Chaves County Genealogical Society meetings.
Is the library doing anything to preserve Roswell's local history, including the city's school records?
Yes — the library is actively digitizing historical Roswell-area high school yearbooks using General Obligation Bond funding, making decades of local school history searchable and accessible. The project is ongoing as of 2025–2026. The library also works with the Southwest Historical Society on additional digitization efforts.
What is the Carnegie building that preceded the current Roswell library?
Roswell's original public library was a Carnegie-funded building that opened April 2, 1906, at the corner of West Third and North Richardson Streets — one of only three Carnegie libraries built in the New Mexico Territory before statehood in 1912. It was funded by a $10,000 Andrew Carnegie grant and driven by the Roswell Women's Club, which had maintained a reading room since 1897. The Carnegie building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 and later renovated for office use; the current 22,000-square-foot library opened July 17, 1978.
Are there statewide digital resources I can access free with my Roswell library card?
Yes. Through the New Mexico State Library's El Portal program, all Roswell Public Library cardholders get free 24/7 access to Gale research databases, NewsBank (New Mexico newspaper archives), New Mexico Reads (Hoopla e-books and audiobooks, up to 5 titles/month), and Brainfuse live online tutoring in English and Spanish from 2–11 PM daily. Visit elportalnm.org and sign in with your library card number.
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