| 125th Anniversary of Phoenix Public Library | 125th Anniversary of Phoenix Public Library | <div class="ExternalClass367FBE38B8A949809E44D923871874C7"><h2><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">2023 marks our system’s 125</span><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">th</span><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US"><span data-ccp-parastyle="paragraph"> anniversary of serving our community!</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="paragraph"> </span></span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":120,"335559740":240}"> </span></h2><p><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":120,"335559740":240}"></span></p><div><p><span role="presentation"></span><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US"><span data-ccp-parastyle="paragraph">On June 21, </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="paragraph">1898</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="paragraph"> the “Friday Club” opened our first Phoenix Public Library location in two upstairs rooms of the Fleming Building</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="paragraph"> </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="paragraph">at Washington and First Avenue. This was the result of fourteen women recognizing the need for Phoenix, incorporated as a city in 1881, to have a free library. In 1901, the Arizona Legislature passed a bill allowing a tax to support free libraries, qualifying Phoenix to have a donated library building from Mr. Andrew Carnegie. The Carnegie Free Library at 11</span></span><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US"><span data-fontsize="14" data-ccp-parastyle="paragraph">th</span></span><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US"><span data-ccp-parastyle="paragraph"> Avenue and Washington was opened in February of 1908</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="paragraph"> and served as our primary location until 1952. It was replaced by the original central library constructed </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="paragraph">on property donated by the Heard family </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="paragraph">at </span><span data-ccp-parastyle="paragraph">Central and McDowell</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="paragraph">.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":120,"335559740":240}"> </span></p></div><div><p><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US"><span data-ccp-parastyle="paragraph">In 1995, our current flagship, Burton Barr Central Library was opened, and the original central library became what is now the Phoenix Art Museum.</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="paragraph"> Recognizing how critical library services are to a growing city, community leaders have consistently supported Phoenix Public Library expansion</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="paragraph"> and th</span><span data-ccp-parastyle="paragraph">rough the decades, we have grown to be a system of 17 locations.</span></span><span data-ccp-props="{"134233117":true,"134233118":true,"201341983":0,"335559739":120,"335559740":240}"> </span></p></div><div><p><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">For 125 years, generations of </span><span data-contrast="none" lang="EN-US"><span data-ccp-charstyle="normaltextrun" data-ccp-charstyle-defn="{"ObjectId":"d76f225f-c8d4-47fc-aa5e-b492891e15cf|7","ClassId":1073872969,"Properties":[469775450,"normaltextrun",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"normaltextrun",469778324,"Default Paragraph Font"]}">Phoenicians </span><span data-ccp-charstyle="normaltextrun">have come to the library to discover a love of reading…help their children be ready for school… …learn new skills for a job…enjoy a great family program…use the latest technology…</span><span data-ccp-charstyle="normaltextrun"> </span><span data-ccp-charstyle="normaltextrun">discover they have what it takes to go to college…find a welcoming place…</span></span><span data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US">and of course, we have always helped fellow book lovers find their next great read! </span></p></div><p><br></p></div> |
