The Estancia Public Library has closed indefinitely after a vehicle struck its electrical boxes, forcing the power company to shut off electricity to the facility, according to a social media announcement from library officials.
The library turned over security camera footage of the incident to the Estancia Police Department, according to the announcement. No information was immediately available about potential suspects or whether charges have been filed.
Library patrons can continue to return materials using the book drop, which staff will check daily during the closure, officials said. The library did not provide an estimate for when repairs might be completed or power restored.
The closure affects a facility with deep roots in the central New Mexico community. The Estancia Library began serving residents in 1906 when the A.H. Garnett family donated a large book collection housed in the basement of the Methodist Church.
The Estancia Women’s Club later assumed operations, purchasing a building at 507 Highland Ave. to house the collection. After selling that property, the club planned to construct a new building on the town’s main street, but those funds were lost in a bank failure during the early 20th century.
In the 1930s, the Estancia Business and Professional Women’s Club revived the library effort, contributing accumulated funds toward a community building. The library occupied a room in the new community building completed in 1934.
The town constructed a municipal building with library facilities in 1977. The current building opened in 2005 after Estancia received a $1 million trust from Corinne Williams French and her brother, Willis Williams, in honor of their parents, Henry Clay and Jennie Gertrude Williams, who homesteaded south of Estancia from 1904 to 1940. The facility is known as the Williams Memorial Library.
