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We drove the 46 miles from Las Cruces to El Paso, Texas, to join members of the for lunch at . (Enchiladas, red.) Librarians from El Paso Public Library, the University of Texas-El Paso, and surrounding school districts talked with us about issues specific to border communities. Many recalled growing up in an El Paso where passage to and from adjacent Juarez was easy. “We’d go for dinner or to see a dentist,” retired school librarian Jackie Dean said. Students would commute from Juarez to UTEP, and BRLA included many members from the Mexican city.

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Things have changed. We heard stories of UTEP students giving themselves four hours to cross a bridge that used to take minutes. Schoolchildren facing long waits in school buses. Intensifying violence at border crossings. Diminished ability to collaborate with Mexican colleagues. As the border hardens, library services have expanded to meet changing needs. El Paso Public Library has developed an program that grants patrons a form of identification that can make border crossing easier. Multiple branch libraries offer passport services staffed by people who understand cultural differences in naming practices that can make getting an ID in the U.S. more difficult. School librarians work to ensure students from Juarez have the same experience as their El Paso peers. Many students from across the border work in the UTEP libraries, earning degrees while gaining library experience. It was clear in every conversation that the commitment to equitable access to information for everyone is alive and well in El Paso.

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After lunch, we toured the library with Aimee Camp, assistant director of El Paso Public Library. Built to echo the landscape, the branch boasts high ceilings and any number of nooks and crannies for quiet reading and study, robust children’s programming (a heavily attended magic show during our visit), and a small separate building intended for families with young children and for young patrons who prefer a quieter, more contained space. The library was also cool, crucial on the 103 degree day of our visit. Even as the region faces climate change and political turmoil, libraries remain committed to our core mission of service. Dorris Van Doren was a bright reminder.

Mileage: 46

Soundtrack: I-10

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