Friday, June 28, 2013

Southside Gnome Chronicles: The Journey Begins; or 5 Great Resources to Help You and Your Gnome Friends Explore Santa Fe


Sticky , the resident gnome at Southside Library, and his good friend Blue have decided brave the heat and venture out of the library this weekend (after seeing Harrell House of Natural Oddities, of course!) to explore our fair city and all of the exciting attractions it has to offer.  They were asking us for some help figuring out where to start, so we thought we would share some great books and other resources available at the library to help them, and you, explore Santa Fe. Check back frequently to see what kind of adventures our roamin’ gnomes are having! Here are our gnome-approved recommendations to help you get started on your own Santa Fe adventure:

1.    Santa Fe Bikeways and Trails Map – All three branches of the library have this nifty free map of the extensive network of trails and bike path in and around Santa Fe available to help guide you on your outdoor adventures.  Check your branch’s brochure display or reference desk to get one.

2.    New Mexico and Santa Fe Guidebooks- All three locations of the library have guidebooks galore to help you explore New Mexico; from trail and outdoors guides to travel and everything in between!  Ask your reference librarian, or check the library catalog.

3.   Santa Fe History books- Gnomes can live to be nearly as old as the city of Santa Fe is (the average lifespan of your garden variety gnome is in fact 375 years, in case you didn’t know), so naturally they love history!  It’s a good thing all three branches are chock full of local history books.  If you want to learn more about the illustrious history of New Mexico and all the fabulous places you visit on your adventure check the library catalog or ask a librarian for help (hint: the magic number is 978.9).

4.    Local Newspapers – All three libraries keep the latest issue of the Pasatiempo for you to peruse and find out what’s happening around town.  Check at your reference desk! And you can always  pick up a free copy of the Reporter or Tumbleweeds at the library for even more ideas for  things to do.  Don’t forget to check the library’s calendar of events too!

5. (SHHH!! This one is a Secret Bonus only for readers of the library blog): The Thrill of the Chase- If the natural beauty and interesting cultural events happening all the time in Santa Fe aren’t enough to get you out exploring, perhaps the prospect of hidden treasure is?! As some savvy library users have already discovered, the library does own two copies of Forrest Fenn’s The Thrill of the Chase, a memoir that is supposed to contain clues that lead to a hidden treasure.  You can place a hold on the circulating copy through the library catalog (it will probably be a long wait though), or go downtown to Main and view their reference copy in the library to see what the treasure-hunting hype is all about. Gnomes do love treasure! Happy Trails!


Post and Photos by MM

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