Pima County Library

When I moved to Tucson, Arizona from Northeast Harbor, Maine, within the first 48 hours I'd located the nearest library to my new digs. To my utter astonishment, I discovered over a dozen libaries would be available to me. My wonderful library in Northeast Harbor (and all the friends I made there) had welcomed me from my first week of residency to this very day, but I was overwhelmed and in love with these new facilities at my fingertips. And, since that first step into the Bear Canyon Library in 2002 to today, I hit one of the Pima County Libraries at least once a week, usually more. Yesterday I ventured to one that I hadn't visited before, and loved it. So I decided that one of my summer goals would be to check out each and every branch. I bet they're all wonderfully different. Oh, the picture books, the music, the array of books-on-tape, the different places to sit and read a magazine.......

I love the new library logo. In front of my school, just behind one of the most beautiful metal sculptures I've ever seen, is a plant that looks EXACTLY like the logo. I'll have to take a photo.

I love scanning my library card, scanning the books, and checking out myself.

I don't love that I can only have 25 out at a time - as a school teacher that uses lots of literature in her classroom that IS a bit limiting. .Ah, well.

And I don't love the reserve policy - I wish I could have more than 15 on reserve at a time. I'm always waiting for the good new ones to come in, and unless I want to be #88 out of 353 (this happens all the time, there are a lot of people in Tucson) I have to get my reserve request in. But I can receive a book that's sitting on a shelf in a far-off library withing two days. So the reserve list is used to transfer a book to Golf Links so that I can pick it up there. So so so cool, but it's really easy to get up to 15.

Miller-Golf Links Library, closest to my home and where I pick up all my reserves. My third home (Barnes & Noble Cafe is my second). Comfy.

River Branch, closest to school and on the way home, this is also where I went for most of the time I lived in the Foothills. I bump into a lot of students here, so to be anonymous I only use this in an emergency...although there's a really cute librarian that I like to say hi to once in awhile....(oh, how shallow!)

Bear Canyon They remodeled this library a bit ago, and it's a little less personal now. It also has a really unpleasant librarian (the only one I've met here). But it's an easy ride on the way home after school, and has a Dairy Queen right next door (mmmm, I feel like a Hawaiin Blizzard right now.....). Its also always VERY quiet, and I love the magazine reading area.

Himmel Park I spent one whole year, twice a week, tutoring here. It's small and always very busy with lots of little kids reading (and making noise). Too bad it's not bigger.

Nanini Branch A few blocks west of Sonoran Science Academy, where I taught for two years, I was a frequent visitor. Locked my keys in the car while there once (AAA was fast). Busy.

Murphy-Wilmot Branch This is closest to the mall, between Broadway and Speedway...I return a lot of books here. It's really, really busy, but easy to access, and I can find a lot of the children's books I'm hunting for here. For some reason, I run in almost every Sunday for one reason or other, and will today, too..... NOTE: July 2009: They're going to do some major remodeling on the library, and will move it for perhaps a year or so to a large building a bit south of the mall, (still on Wilmot).

Joel D. Valdez Main Library This is right smack in the downtown area. There's an undergroun parking garage. I've only been here once, and that was for a (wonderful) poetry class. It's huge, so I'm going to have to really check it out soon.

Columbus Branch I just discovered this one yesterday. Even though I've driven by it a hundred times (it's right on 22nd St.) I never noticed it. It's not labeled well. It's easy (and quiet) to park in the back, and the main entrance is there, too. There weren't many cars in the lot, but it was full of teenagers and adults reading and at the computers. Lots of tables and comfortable places to sit.

Martha Cooper Branch On my way home from school today (June 8th), I hunted for this one. It's on Catalina and Fairmount, between Pima and Speedway. Not too big, but not squished. New? There was a security guard - a really pleasant guy, but this is the first time I've seen that. Plenty of people inside, especially at computers both in the lab and their own personal laptops. Very small children's and YA section.

El Rio Branch Library is part of the El Rio Community Center. It's really, really small, with a limited number of books, but every computer was full and patrons continued to come in, going to the RESERVE section, or browsing the Spanish-language section. It's on Speedway, just west of the Berger Center, and has a beautiful mosaic outside.

Woods Memorial Branch Library
This is over on First, in the Amphi school district. It's very large. As usual, I spent most of my time in the children's section. On Sunday afternoon it was particularly quiet, but it was hot hot hot outside (111 degrees) so families were probably staying home. The computers were full, though. Lots and lots of kid's books!

Oro Valley Library This is an affiliate of the Pima County Library. I've written a separate blog here if you want to read it.