Thomas Branigan Memorial Library and the Branigan Cultural Center are two of 61 organizations nationwide selected to receive a 2021-2022 NEA Big Read grant
LAS CRUCES – Thomas Branigan Memorial Library will receive a donation of more than $240,000 from some former, longtime Las Cruces residents.
John W. and Magdalena C. Sjoquist left $241,043.17 to the public library as part of a trust to be distributed when they died. John Sjoquist died in 2019, and his wife had already passed away, according to the city.
The Las Cruces City Council accepted the bequest at its Feb. 1 meeting. According to the city, there are no restrictions on how the funds can be used except to benefit the library.
The funds could be used for network infrastructure and technology upgrades, programming costs not covered by state funding, improvements and repairs, according to Library Administrator Margaret Neill.