The Aztec Public Library now has one more asset in its arsenal: a sound-dampening booth, available to patrons for recording sessions, online court appearances and, in particular, telehealth appointments.

The New Mexico State Library, in partnership with the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, has installed seven such booths in the past year at rural libraries across the state and trained local librarians to help patrons use them effectively. The booths are private, wheelchair-accessible, equipped with computers connected to high-speed internet and available for all patrons to use for free.

The hope is they will remove some of the barriers to health care in rural communities, where doctors’ offices may be miles away and internet is often spotty, said Bo Ford, digital equity program manager at the state library.

“It’s all interconnected — health and broadband, digital skills, literacy. … We just want to make a positive impact in communities and expand the reach of what we can offer in libraries,” he said.