MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. – April 7– What draws people to the library? Everything! From books and digital resources to job assistance and creative programming, libraries are essential to thriving communities. National Library Week, celebrated April 6–12 this year, is a time to amplify the many ways libraries bring people together, spark imagination, and support lifelong learning.
More than 1 million people in Maricopa County have a library card from one of the 16 public library systems serving the area. Any Maricopa County resident or property owner is eligible for a free library card at every single one of these library systems, giving our community an incredible amount of access.
Today’s libraries are innovative and vibrant community centers that foster learning, connection, and creativity. Not only are shelves packed with books, movies, and music, many county libraries also provide an extensive digital library of eBooks, audiobooks, and streaming music, movies, and TV shows, all accessible from personal devices.
Many libraries also offer non-traditional items to checkout like tickets to local arts institutions, vinyl record collections, memory care kits, telescopes, seeds for gardens, blood pressure monitoring kits, Chromebooks and wi-fi hotspots, Citizen Science Kits, and more.
This year’s National Library Week theme is “Drawn to the Library”. With 65 library branches to choose from—plus additional book mobiles—library patrons have shared the many reasons they are drawn to all of our county libraries:
