International District Library to host grand opening Saturday

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Construction crews were busy Friday afternoon in the International District because they were putting on the final touches to the newest city library.

Neighbors like Abel Pinon are hoping the new building will become a beacon of change for the community.

“I’m so happy, they did a really great job here and it should be a change for the community a little bit to help a lot of other people out,” Pinon said.

Pinon has been walking across the street to check on the progress of the new library because he cannot wait until those doors open.

“I would like to get a membership and read some books that I have been wanting to catch up on and probably learn a little bit about the computers you know,” he said. “I have been wanting to educate myself a little bit more from what I did learn while I was incarcerated. I love it, I love to learn and I am going to teach myself a lot of things.”

And when the opportunity to learn is close by, more people can take advantage of it.

“A lot of things are in the downtown area and now that they have it up here, it will help them a little bit more, it’s closer to the community of the people that didn’t have a library nearby and they are going to love it,” Pinon said.

Not just residents are excited, but local businesses are feeling the hype too.

“I think it’s going to be great we are going to be having more people coming over and hopefully we can show our business and people can learn about the community, it’s going to make it a lot better.” Jaime Juarez said, a nearby granite worker.

Juarez added it’s a start to help make the neighborhood a better place.

“Hopefully it gets the community more involved now, knowing there is going to be more kids around in the area and the crime goes down, and we can work to make it better.”

The new International District Library will have its grand opening on Saturday at 1 p.m.