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Library Timeline

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.
May 7, 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 28, 2006	New Palo Verde Library opens at same location.
January 6, 2007	Cesar Chavez Library at 3635 W. Baseline Rd. dedicated.
June 7, 2008	New Saguaro Library opens at same location.
June 5, 2009	Agave Library at 23550 N. 36th Ave. dedicated.
September 12, 2009	New Harmon Library at 1325 S. 5th Ave. dedicated.

September 24, 2011

South Mountain Community Library at 7050 S. 24th St. dedicated.

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