The Phoenix Public Library is a municipal library system serving

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

, and operated by the city of Phoenix. There are 16 branches currently in operation citywide, anchored by the flagship Burton Barr Central Library on the northern edge of downtown Phoenix. Four of the 16 locations were designed by prominent local architect Will Bruder: the Burton Barr central library (opened May 1995), the Cholla branch location at Metrocenter Mall (opened 1977, enlarged and remodeled in 1990), the Mesquite branch at Paradise Valley Mall (opened November 1982, expanded May 1998), and the Agave branch in far northwest Phoenix (opened June 2009). Many of its branches are named for endemic desert plants.

Background

The library traces its origins to 1897 when a group of citizens decided to raise funds for a library. This group, the Friday Club, consisting of women of upper socioeconomic standing with the same interests of advancement, sought to establish and organize the first public library in Phoenix. By opening day, the library consisted of 1,500 titles. In 1904, industrialist

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie ( , ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the History of the iron and steel industry in the United States, American steel industry in the late ...

donated money for a library building on Washington Street near the state capital; this building is still in operation as a museum, archives and research center operated by the state of Arizona. With the explosive growth of Phoenix after World War II, new branches were added citywide. A Central Library was opened in 1953 (replacing the Carnegie Library as Phoenix's main library location), but replaced by the aforementioned Burton Barr Central Library in 1995 (its building is now part of the

Phoenix Art Museum The Phoenix Art Museum is the largest art museum, museum for visual art in the southwest United States. Located in Phoenix, Arizona, the museum is . It displays international exhibitions alongside its comprehensive collection of more than 18,0 ...

).Burton Barr Central Library
https://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/Locations/BurtonBarr
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Libraries

* The Burton Barr Central Library opened in May 1995 and is on five levels. The library is in Phoenix's

City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...

District 7. * The

Acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as wattles or acacias, is a genus of about of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa, South America, and Austral ...

Library opened in January 1969 and is . It replaced the earlier Desert Mission Library which opened in 1929, and was housed in a building on 330 E. Eva Street. Acacia library is in District 3. * The

Agave ''Agave'' (; ; ) is a genus of monocots native to the arid regions of the Americas. The genus is primarily known for its succulent and xerophytic species that typically form large Rosette (botany), rosettes of strong, fleshy leaves. Many plan ...

Library opened in June 2009 and is . The library is in District 1. * The Century Library opened in December 1973 and is . The library is in District 6. * The

Cesar Chavez Cesario Estrada Chavez (; ; March 31, 1927 – April 23, 1993) was an American labor leader and civil rights activist. Along with Dolores Huerta and lesser known Gilbert Padilla, he co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), ...

Library opened in January 2007 and is . Like the Central Library, Cesar Chavez is located in District 7. * The Cholla Library opened in 1977 and was expanded and remodeled in 1990. The library is on two levels. The library is located near Metrocenter Mall in District 1, like Agave. * The Desert Broom Library opened in February 2005 and has won numerous awards for its design, including the 2006 ALA/ IIDA Award for Innovation in Sustainable Design. The library is and is in District 2. * The Desert Sage Library opened in July 1997 and is . Like Central and Cesar Chavez, Desert Sage is in District 7. * The Harmon Library opened in December 1950 and was replaced with a new structure in August 2009 and is . Harmon is in District 8. * The

Ironwood Ironwood is a common name for many woods that have a reputation for hardness, or specifically a wood density that is denser than water (approximately 1000 kg/m3, or 62 pounds per cubic foot), although usage of the name ironwood in English ma ...

Library opened in October 1991 and is . Ironwood is in District 6, like Century Library. * The

Juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' ( ) of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere as far south ...

Library, , opened in July 1996. Juniper is in District 3. * The

Mesquite Mesquite is a common name for some plants in the genera ''Neltuma'' and '' Strombocarpa'', which contain over 50 species of spiny, deep-rooted leguminous shrubs and small trees. They are native to dry areas in the Americas. Until 2022, these ge ...

Library, , opened in November 1982 and was expanded in May 1998. Mesquite is near the former site of the Paradise Valley Mall in District 3, like Juniper. * The

Ocotillo ''Fouquieria splendens'', commonly known as ocotillo, is a plant indigenous to the Mojave, Sonoran, Chihuahuan and Colorado deserts in the Southwestern United States (southern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas), and nor ...

Library opened in 1967 and was remodeled in 2012. Ocotillo is and is located in District 7, like several others, including Cesar Chavez. * The Palo Verde Library opened in January 2006 in Maryvale Village. Palo Verde is and is located in District 5. * The

Saguaro The saguaro ( , ; ''Carnegiea gigantea'') is a tree-like cactus species in the monotypic genus ''Carnegiea'' that can grow to be over tall. It is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the Mexican state of Sonora, and the Whipple Mountains ...

Library opened in September 1964. Saguaro is and is in District 8, similarly to Harmon. * South Mountain Community Library opened in September 2011 as a partnership between Phoenix and

South Mountain Community College South Mountain Community College is a Public college, public community college in Phoenix, Arizona. It is one of the ten colleges in the Maricopa County Community College District. History South Mountain Community College was established by t ...

(SMCC). SMCL is . * The

Yucca ''Yucca'' ( , YUCK-uh) is both the scientific name and common name for a genus native to North America from Panama to southern Canada. It contains 50 accepted species. In addition to yucca, they are also known as Adam's needle or Spanish-bayon ...

Library opened in March 1969 and was remodeled in 2001. in size, Yucca is located in District 5, like Palo Verde.

Notes

External links

Phoenix Public Library Official Web Site
{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Phoenix, Arizona Public libraries in Arizona Carnegie libraries in Arizona Tourist attractions in Phoenix, Arizona