Steve Chucri, Maricopa County Supervisor, District 2
As they have throughout history, libraries continue to respond to customers’ needs. In 2019, more than 65 local libraries in Maricopa County offer so much more than a great place to read. The goal is to inspire curiosity, to encourage discovery and exploration of new worlds and to help all Maricopa County residents re-engage with their community.
Today’s library customers want the convenience of having more items available electronically. To meet that need, they offer eBooks and eAudiobooks, digital movies, TV shows, magazines, streaming music and more. The bonus? These materials all come without any late fines or fees. Libraries also offer easy to use e-resources for job seekers, students, researchers – all at no cost with your library card.
Today’s library customers also want more community-centered programs. This past year, our 17 Maricopa County libraries held nearly 6,700 free events. More than 167,000 attendees came to paint, sing, talk, dance and play musical instruments. Sometimes, that may make our libraries a little noisier than reference rooms of old.
Our libraries have gotten national recognition for our programs, including:
*Teens Give Back, where the library’s Teen Council chooses a local group to help out;
*Cutting the Cable Cord, for people thinking about switching to streaming services;
*Dogs with Jobs, which highlights local rescue, fire, and police dogs and helps with adoption;
*Seed Library, so customers can check out and grow seeds to learn about sustainable food sourcing;
*Title Wave, which helps 8-12-year-olds to step outside of their reading comfort zone and is loaded with hands-on activities.
You can learn more about these and hundreds of other programs at mcldaz.org/events.
Libraries are still a great place to check out that book you have wanted to read, but they are so much more. We encourage all residents to stop by their local library to learn what’s going on in your community.
