August 2023 @ OFPL

It's hard to believe we are already finished with our summer reading program. Thank you so much for your participation! We would also very much appreciate your feedback on our summer reading program. Would you please take a few minutes to give us feedback using this form?

Even though summer reading is done, there are still many exciting things going on at your library! See below for some exciting August events and don't forget to check out our August/September 2023 Calendar.

World on the Move Exhibit

OFPL is honored to have been one of 15 libraries selected nationwide to host this touring exhibit developed by the Smithsonian Center for Folk Life and Cultural Heritage.

The exhibit aims to help people appreciate migration histories — their own and those of others — by drawing on a wealth of case studies from across human history and the breadth of cultures. It will also help our community reflect on ways in which Gallup is a crossroads for many peoples and cultures.

If you haven't yet gotten a chance to see the exhibit, there is still time! It will be open at the Rex Museum (301 W Historic Hwy 66) until Saturday, August 12.

Exhibit Hours:

Thursday: 4-8 PM

Friday: 12-6 PM

Saturday & Sunday: 12-4 PM

World on the Move Upcoming Special Events

Community Portraits

Have your portrait taken during the World on the Move exhibit and become part of Gallup History! Visit the Rex Museum during exhibit viewing hours to participate.

Lecture and Reception:

Italy, Gallup, and the American Dream

Join OFPL and local author John Lewis Taylor at the Main Library on August 11th at 5:30 PM for a Lecture & Reception. Learn about the Italian immigration to Gallup and the reasons they came - especially to New Mexico and Gallup. We will discover their achievements and impact on communities in the American Southwest and discuss the American Dream and its positive and negative impact on the immigrants and the indigenous.

Artist Talk & Reception:

The Zuni Migration Story 

Join OFPL and Zuni Artist Lakin Epaloose at El Morro Event Center on August 12th at 5:30 PM for an Artist Talk & Reception. A spiral telling of the Zuni migration story using a map made by the artist.

Map Making Workshop:

Map Your Journey

Join OFPL and Diné Artist Tash Nez during Arts Crawl at El Morro Event Center on August 12th at 7:00 PM for a Map Making Workshop. Local artist Tasha Nez designed a workshop through which people can use mixed media materials to "map their experience of Gallup" selecting from several basic templates, one of which will be akin to a road map.

We READ, We TALK Book Club

Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Register at ofpl.online for a copy of Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez.

Inspired by true events that rocked the nation, a profoundly moving novel about a Black nurse in post-segregation Alabama who blows the whistle on a terrible wrong done to her patients.

Discussions will be held in September at the Main Library in person or on Zoom.

Expanded Library Hours

Beginning on Monday, July 31, we are expanding our library hours!

New Library Hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday: 10 AM - 6 PM

Wednesday: 11 AM - 7 PM

Saturday: 12 - 5 PM

Come and visit us!

Back to-School Self Care

The back-to-school season is an exciting time, but can also be a stressful time for teachers, parents, and students alike as everyone adapts to new routines and schedules.

Don't forget to take care of yourself this month!

Join us at the Rio West Mall on August 19th from 12 - 4 PM for some self-care as we make sugar scrub and essential oil roller bottles that you can use to press “pause” and unwind when you need to!

Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary

Join us for a special visit from the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary at the Children & Youth Library on August 26th at 1:00 PM.

Wild Spirit is a local animal sanctuary dedicated to rescuing and providing sanctuary for captive-bred wolves and wolfdogs. Join us to learn more about these amazing animals through hands-on materials such as tracks, scat, and pelts, as well as some read-aloud stories. There will also be a wolf-themed craft to complete.