SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - The Institute of American Indian Arts has a new Library Technology Center, with 27,000 volumes, eight high-tech classrooms with digital sound and projection systems, wireless-Internet computer stations and a 280-seat lecture auditorium.

The school dedicated the $10 million Library Technology Center Saturday on its 140-acre campus 10 miles south of Santa Fe.

The new 55,750-square-foot concrete-and-glass building was created with "environmentally friendly" features, including a light shelf that runs along the windows and reflects light into the room, low-toxic paint and natural light with tube-skylights - square lights with lenses that multiply sunlight and automatically adjust electric lights to brighten or fade.

The building also is designed to catch rainwater and reuse gray water, previously used for such things as laundry.

"Our people are masters of solar energy," said Paul Fragua, facilities project coordinator for the school. "Sustainability is far more than conserving water and using daylight. We need to be a part of the natural world."

"I've heard that quite a few kids have experienced a lot of improvement in grades since the library center opened," said Ishamel Antar, 20, a creative writing student.

Antar said the library's high-tech features, such as digital projectors that allow the play-writing class to project scripts onto movie screens and laptop computers that students can check out, have increased students' sense of creativity and capability. The library takes up 12,540 square feet of the center.

The school formerly had a 6,000-square-foot library and only limited technology.

IAIA was established in 1962 by executive order of President Kennedy, said Glenda Kodaseet, the school's director of development. The idea was to have a unique Bureau of Indian Affairs school "with a focus on art and culture, to repair the damage that the boarding school system had done to tribes," Kodaseet said.

It was originally housed at Santa Fe Indian School, then moved to the College of Santa Fe in 1976 before opening its own campus in 2000.

The school, now an independent four-year college, has offered associate degrees since 1975 and bachelor's degrees since 2001, focusing on traditional Indian art, fine art, history and culture.

Although IAIA focuses on Indian students, "anyone can enroll in our program," Kodaseet said. The school has 181 students representing about 85 tribes. About 35 graduated May 14.

On the Net:

Institute of American Indian Arts: www.iaia.edu

AP-WS-05-18-04 1438EDT