| Time | Event |
November 1897
| Fourteen women organize the Friday Club to start a public library. |
| June 21, 1898 | Friday Club opens first Phoenix Public Library in the Fleming Building at Washington and First Avenue. |
| Sept. 16, 1899 | Phoenix Library moves from the Fleming Building to City Hall. |
| March 29, 1901 | First library board of trustees appointed by Phoenix City Council. |
| March 3, 1902 | City Council levies annual tax to support the library. + |
| January 1904 | Andrew Carnegie gives $25,000 to Phoenix for a library building. |
| Feb. 14, 1908 | Carnegie Library at 1101 W. Washington St. dedicated. |
| May 17, 1917 | First Library is established at Second and Washington streets. |
| Jan. 16, 1940 | Mae Bartlett Heard donates eight acres at Central Avenue and McDowell Road for a civic center to contain a central library, art museum, theater and auditorium. |
| Sept. 11, 1950 | Harmon Library at 411 W. Yavapai St. dedicated. |
| Aug. 2, 1952 | Carnegie Library closed after 44 years of service. |
| March 1, 1953 | Central Library at Central Avenue and McDowell Road dedicated. |
| 1954 | Phoenix resident Alfred Knight loans his extensive collection of 3,000 rare books to the library with the understanding that it will become Phoenix Public Library property upon his death. |
| Oct. 4, 1964 | Saguaro Library at 2804 N. 46th St. dedicated. |
| April 26, 1966 | Palo Verde Library at 4402 N. 51st Ave. dedicated. |
| Aug. 23, 1967 | Ocotillo Library at 102 W. Southern Ave. dedicated. |
| Jan. 5, 1969 | Acacia Library at 750 E. Townley dedicated. |
| June 5, 1969 | Yucca Library at 5648 N. 15th Ave. dedicated. |
| Dec. 16, 1973 | Century Library at 1740 E. Highland Ave. dedicated. |
| 1977 | Cholla Library at 10050 Metro Parkway East dedicated. |
| Oct. 21, 1982 | Mesquite Library at 4525 Paradise Village Parkway dedicated. |
| July 14, 1990 | Expanded Cholla Library opens at same location. |
| Oct. 26, 1991 | Ironwood Library at 4333 E. Chandler Blvd. dedicated. |
| May 20, 1995 | New Central Library at 1221 N. Central Ave. dedicated. |
| July 13, 1996 | Juniper Library at 1825 W. Union Hills Road dedicated. |
| July 19, 1997 | Desert Sage Library at 7602 W. Encanto Blvd. dedicated. |
| February 26, 2005 | Desert Broom Library at 29710 N. Cave Creek Road dedicated. |
| January 2007 | Cesar Chavez Library at 3635 W. Baseline Rd. dedicated. |
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