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ORGAN - Rosa Ramiro regularly teaches a dance fitness class in Organ's community center. And her 7-year-old son sometimes tags along.
She's found a way for him to pass the time.
"He's having trouble reading, so I just have him read in the library," she said.
The library to which Ramiro referred is modest: a corner room in the center, lined with seven book cases. It's got three computers, a TV outfitted with a DVD and VCR and a globe. The shelves feature adult and kids' titles such as "Guns, Germs and Steel," "500 Low-Calorie Recipes" and "The Very Hungry Caterpillar." There are some Spanish books.
Though small, it's an asset to the tiny community, which previously didn't have a library, some residents said. Organ is one of seven community centers throughout the county in which mini-libraries have been established. It's one of two projects meant to replace a bookmobile that for years toted its portable library from place to place in the rural areas.
County and city officials ended the bookmobile program in June 2008, saying the vehicle was aging and inefficient to run.
Claudia Mares, community outreach specialist for Do-a Ana County, estimated the library was set up in Organ about a year and a half ago. Residents check out books and return them on the honor system. It's been well-received, she said.
"We try to have a variety of books for all ages, but I should say the kids are the ones who take more advantage of it," she said.
The city of Las Cruces library
Also, Schurdevin said the library is distributing about 500 to 600 books per quarter to county residents, the second program meant to replace the bookmobile. The county pays the city $30,000 per year. She said the city pitches in the same amount to run the service in the city limits, and a similar number of materials are being distributed.
Though the libraries have been established, one weakness is they need more Spanish books, said Silvia Sierra, director of the county's Health and Human Services Department.
Ramiro said the proximity of the library is a plus "because you don't have to drive all the way into town." But she agreed there's a need for more Spanish books, especially because Organ has a significant Hispanic population. Also, she said the selection could stand to be refreshed more frequently.
Francisco J. Garcia, an Organ resident who speaks mostly Spanish, said having access to the reading material is good because it stimulates the brain, and, there's not much to do in Organ. He said he occasionally checks out a book, but mostly his four children, ages 8 to 13, use the library.
"They love much to read," he said.
Mares said the next important step is connecting the center's three computers to the Internet, so residents can search for jobs online and students can do homework and research. She's not sure how long that might take because there are some hurdles, including infrastructure, that must be cleared.
"It's just a matter of time - hopefully soon," she said.
Diana M. Alba can be reached at (575) 541-5443.
Help out
•To donate gently used books to the county community centers, drop them off at the Thomas Branigan Memorial Library, 200 E. Picacho Ave., Las Cruces.
On the Web
•Thomas Branigan Memorial Library: library.las-cruces.org/
