Scottsdale Public Library facts for kids

The Scottsdale Public Library is a cool place where everyone in Scottsdale, Arizona, can find books, movies, music, and so much more! It's run by the City of Scottsdale and helps over 226,900 people who live there, plus visitors from all over the world.

Imagine this: The library has over 800,000 items, like books, magazines, DVDs, CDs, and audiobooks. People borrow about 2.5 million items every year! The library's main goal is to be a friendly place where you can discover new things, explore ideas, meet others, and keep learning throughout your life.

How the Library Began

The Scottsdale Public Library started small in the summer of 1955. Two amazing people, Lou Ann Noel and Beth Fielder, got it going. Back then, it was in a building called the Adobe House, which didn't even have air conditioning! It was only open for two hours, twice a week, and had just 300 books that people had given as gifts.

In 1959, a group of volunteers called the "Friends of the Library" formed to help support and raise money for the library. A year later, in 1960, the City of Scottsdale took over running the library and hired its first professional librarian. As more people used the library, more staff were hired. In 1968, a brand new main library opened, which was much bigger at about 3,437 square meters.

A lot has changed since 1955! Four more library locations have opened, and the buildings and services have been updated. Even though we don't use old-fashioned card catalogs anymore, the library is still super important for learning and growing in Scottsdale.

Meet the Library Branches

The Scottsdale Public Library has five locations. There's the main library and four other branches. Can you guess what they're named after? Horses! This fits with Scottsdale's Western culture. The branches are called Mustang, Palomino, Arabian, and Appaloosa.

The Civic Center Library (the main one) and the Mustang Library are special because they are "Family Place Libraries." This means they are super welcoming and friendly for kids and families. They offer workshops for parents and children, have great collections for families, and staff who are trained to help families.

Civic Center Library

The Civic Center Library is the main library. You can find it in the Civic Center plaza in downtown Scottsdale. This library has a special "Scottsdale Room" filled with books, maps, photos, and art that are all about Scottsdale, Arizona and the areas nearby. It's a great place to learn about local history!

Mustang Library

Opened in 1987, the Mustang Library was the first and largest of the Scottsdale branches. When it first opened, it was actually the biggest branch library in the entire state of Arizona!

Palomino Library

The Palomino Library opened in 1995. It's a unique library because it's located right on the campus of Desert Mountain High School. This means it's used by both the public and the students and staff of the school.

Arabian Library

The Arabian Library first opened in 1996. Like Palomino, it was originally on the campus of Desert Canyon Elementary and Middle Schools. But in 2007, the Arabian Library moved into its own new building across the street. This new building has a really cool design and even won an award for its unique interior!

Appaloosa Library

The Appaloosa Library opened on November 4, 2009. It's built on land where the Rawhide Wild West Town used to be. This library is very special because it's a LEED Gold Certified building, which means it's designed to be super friendly to the environment. It has also won many awards for its architecture!

Images for kids

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  Civic Center Library

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  Mustang Library

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  Palomino Library

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  Arabian Library

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  Appaloosa Library