Santa Fe Public Library
🏢 Santa Fe Public Library · Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe Public Library — Main Library
The Santa Fe Public Library's Main Library fills a 1936 John Gaw Meem-designed adobe landmark at 145 Washington Avenue — once the city's courthouse and city hall — a block off the historic Plaza, open until 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–6pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–8pm |
| Thursday | 10am–8pm |
| Friday | 10am–6pm |
| Saturday | 10am–6pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 145 Washington Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87501
Phone: (505) 955-6781
Website: santafelibrary.org
Plus Code: 857PM3Q7+F8 (Santa Fe, NM)
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📖 About Santa Fe Public Library — Main Library
The Santa Fe Public Library was founded in 1893 by the Women's Board of Trade and became a city department in 1961. Its downtown Main Library occupies the former Berardinelli municipal building at 145 Washington Avenue, a Pueblo Revival landmark designed by architect John Gaw Meem in 1936 that had earlier served as a courthouse, city hall, and police and fire station. When the library outgrew its previous home across the street, the city remodeled the building with help from the Friends of the Library, the Woman's Club, and donors including former Governor Bruce King and artist Georgia O'Keeffe; library staff and roughly 1,000 community members formed a bucket brigade to carry the books across Washington Avenue, and the renovated Main Library opened in January 1987. It anchors a three-location city system that also includes the Oliver La Farge Branch (1978) and the Southside Library (2007), sharing one catalog and borrowing card.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Housed in a 1936 John Gaw Meem-designed Pueblo Revival landmark — a former courthouse and city hall — a block from the Santa Fe Plaza
- Open until 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for evening visits
- Seed library and free museum passes for checkout, alongside a traditional collection
- Laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots available for lending to cardholders
- One of three city library locations sharing a single catalog and card with the La Farge and Southside branches
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Santa Fe cardholders can stream, download and research free with the library's digital collections and New Mexico's statewide resources:
📚 Services
- Seed library for borrowing garden and vegetable seeds
- Free museum passes for checkout
- Laptop and Wi-Fi hotspot lending
- Public computer lab, printing and free Wi-Fi
- Interlibrary loan
- Meeting and study room reservations
- Free online technology classes
🎸 Programs
- Youth storytimes and children's programming
- Teen programs and clubs
- Adult programs and author talks
- Local and Santa Fe history events
- Summer reading
📍 Nearby Libraries in Northern New Mexico
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Santa Fe · Browse all New Mexico libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hours at the Oliver La Farge and Southside branches?
Both branches are closed Sunday and open at 10 a.m. the rest of the week. The Oliver La Farge Branch (1730 Llano Street) stays open until 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and closes at 6 p.m. Monday, Friday and Saturday. The Southside Library (6599 Jaguar Drive) follows the same pattern, open until 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and closing at 6 p.m. the other days.
Which nights is the Main Library open late, and is it open on Sunday?
The Main Library at 145 Washington Avenue stays open until 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. It runs 10 a.m.–6 p.m. on Monday, Friday and Saturday, and is closed on Sunday. The La Farge and Southside branches keep the same schedule.
What is the history of the Main Library building?
The Main Library occupies the former Berardinelli municipal building, designed by architect John Gaw Meem in 1936. Before becoming a library it served as a courthouse, city hall, and police and fire station. The city remodeled it and reopened it as the Main Library in January 1987 — a move famously carried out by a bucket brigade of about 1,000 community members passing books across Washington Avenue.
Does the Santa Fe Public Library have a seed library and museum passes?
Yes. Cardholders can borrow packets of garden and vegetable seeds from the seed library, and check out free museum passes to visit participating museums. The library also lends laptops and Wi-Fi hotspots.
Does my Santa Fe library card work at the other city branches?
Yes. The Main Library, the Oliver La Farge Branch on Llano Street, and the Southside Library on Jaguar Drive all share one catalog and one borrowing card, so you can request, borrow and return materials across all three locations.
🎨 This library lends museum passes. See how library museum passes work and find other libraries that lend passes museum passes by state.
📚 This library has study rooms. See how library study rooms work — booking, time limits and quiet vs group rooms — and find other libraries with study rooms libraries with study rooms by state.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
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✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.