Scottsdale Public Library
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Scottsdale Public Library (SPL) is the public library system for Scottsdale, Arizona, and is owned and operated by the City of Scottsdale. The library system currently serves Scottsdale’s 221,000 residents as well as residents of Maricopa County and numerous visitors to the city from around the world. [1]
The library’s collection contains over 800,000 items (including books, magazines, DVDs, CDs, audio books and more.) The library circulates around 2 million items per year and has a budget of over 8 million dollars per year. [2]
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[edit] Mission Statement
As Scottsdale's population continues to increase, the mission of the Scottsdale Public Library System remains more steadfast than ever:
“The Scottsdale Public Library provides a supportive environment for the community to discover opportunities, explore ides, interact with others, and become life-long learners.” [3]
[edit] History
The Scottsdale Public Library was started in the summer of 1955 by Lou Ann Noel and Beth Fielder. Located in the un air-conditioned, Adobe House, which at the time served as a community center, the library was originally open for only two hours, two mornings a week and its collection consisted of 300 donated books.
In 1959 the Friends of the Library, a non-profit, community organization made up entirely of volunteers was organized to support and fund-raise for the library. In 1960 the town of Scottsdale assumed responsibility for the library and their first professionally trained librarian was hired. Later, more paid staff was hired to keep up with the demands of the community and in 1968 a new 37,000-square-foot main library was opened.
Many things have changed since the library’s conception back in 1955; three branches have been added, buildings and services have been renovated and expanded, staff and volunteers have come and gone and technology has been upgraded with the times. The days of card catalogs may be over, but the library still plays a vital role in the lives and education of Scottsdale residents.
[edit] Branches
The Scottsdale Public Library system comprises four locations; a main library and three branches, Mustang, Palomino, and Arabian, which in keeping with the city's western culture have all been named after local horse breeds.
- Civic Center, the main library, is located in the Civic Center plaza in downtown Scottsdale. Civic Center library is home to the Scottsdale Room which contains numerous books, maps, photographs, and pieces of artwork that focus on Scottsdale, Arizona and the surrounding area. [4]
- Mustang library, opened in 1987, is the first and the largest of the Scottsdale branches. At the time of its opening it was the largest branch library in the state.[5]
- Palomino library, opened in 1995, is a shared-use facility located on the campus of Desert Mountain High School and serves both the public and the school’s students and staff. [6]
- Arabian library originally opened in 1996 as a shared-use facility located on the campus of Desert Canyon Elementary and Middle Schools. In 2007 the Arabian library separated itself from the schools and re-opened in a new building across the street from its original location.[7]
A fourth branch, Appaloosa, is currently in the planning stages and is anticipated to open in 2009 on the grounds previously occupied by the Rawhide Wild West Town. [8]
[edit] References
- ^ Scottsdale Public Library System - Scottsdale, AZ [lib-web-cats]
- ^ Search for Public Libraries - Libraries Detail for Scottsdale Public Library System
- ^ Scottsdale Public Library
- ^ Scottsdale Public Library - Southwest Collections
- ^ Scottsdale Public Library
- ^ Scottsdale Public Library
- ^ Scottsdale Public Library
- ^ Capital Improvement Projects - B0701 - Appaloosa Library Status Report
