Base library offers services to help Airmen

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Heather Stanton
  • 49th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
The Ahren's Memorial Library here has many programs and services available to Airmen and their families to help with school or for entertainment purposes. 

The library offers study material for Dantes, CLEP and Excelsior testing along with research databases for college courses, said Ms. Marie Ludwig, 49th Services Squadron library director. Also offered, is a wide selection of best-selling novels, audio books, children's books and DVDs. 

"We're very lucky here at Holloman," said Capt. Thomas Cox, 49 SVS. "We continue to have a four-star library where other bases are starting to lose their libraries all together. Additionally, with Alamogordo's library 10 miles away, it's extremely convenient for everyone who works and lives on base." 

The free research databases available at the library are a prime example of the services offered to help Airmen out. 

"When doing research or trying to fix your car, there's a good chance you'll come across several Web sites that require payment," said Captain Cox. "Our library has several databases that will get you the required research documents free of charge. These resources include access to large amounts of online reference material and an auto repair information database which covers the complete automotive repair manuals originally published in the Chilton Total Car Care Series." 

All the available databases can be accessed from non-library computers. The library staff can provide usernames and passwords to allow access. 

But the library isn't only for research and education. It offers fun programs for kids and also the McNaughton Collection. 

The library recently finished up the Summer Reading Program for children, said Ms. Ludwig. This year's theme was Camp out at the Library. More than 135 children participated and read more than 2900 books were read within the time frame. 

The McNaughton Collection is a circulating collection of popular leisure-reading material. "The collection includes more than 600 new fiction titles, 200 new nonfiction titles, 150 children's fiction titles, 50 children's nonfiction titles and 150 audio books on CD," said Captain Cox. 

The library is open six days a week: Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. 

For any questions, stop in or call at 572-3939.