MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. – April 28 – Maricopa County Library District (MCLD) is saddened to announce the end of its partnership with the Gila Bend Unified School District (GBUSD) to run the only library in town. For more than 30 years, the County-operated Gila Bend Library has been a community gathering place, providing not just reading materials but also food assistance, job training, and so much more.
“We would have loved to continue supporting the community for another 30 years but, unfortunately, the Gila Bend Unified School District (GBUSD) made a unilateral decision to end library service and told the Library District to vacate the building by the end of June,” said Chairman Thomas Galvin, District 2. “My understanding is they plan to repurpose the building, though I’m not sure how it could possibly be put to better use for the community.”
The Gila Bend Library operates on the GBUSD campus. While GBUSD owns the building, Maricopa County staffs and operates the library, including all programming and materials.
In a letter earlier this year, GBUSD’s superintendent notified the Library District it was terminating the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) allowing the Library District to operate on school district grounds. Attempts by the Library District to renegotiate the IGA were unsuccessful.
“This is a terrible result for students and families. The Gila Bend Library is a pillar of this community and has been for 34 years. Why would anyone want to take that resource away?” said Supervisor Steve Gallardo, who represents Gila Bend and the rest of District 5.
Maricopa County has similar agreements with other cities and towns or school districts to operate libraries in municipal-owned buildings. These agreements generally involve the city or town or school district covering the costs of building maintenance and repairs, and the Library District covering the costs of library materials, programming, and staff.
GBUSD cited “ongoing and increasing costs” of maintaining and repairing the property—specifically heating and cooling needs—as the reason for ending the IGA.
“It’s strange they claim maintenance costs as a reason for ending our partnership, yet they are also planning to repurpose the building for a different use, which will involve those same maintenance costs,” said Gallardo. “I just don’t get it.”
The library has been at its current location at GBUSD for five years, and as a show of partnership, Maricopa County covered renovation and other costs to make the building move-in ready, totaling more than $558,000. In the past year alone, the Gila Bend Library served over 43,000 visitors, administered 61 library programs for adults and teens, and provided workforce development services to 64 people. That’s in addition to all the services provided to GBUSD students and families.
“I’m proud of the incredible work we’ve done to serve the Gila Bend community over the past three decades, including curriculum support for students, free meals for residents in need, workforce development resources, and reliable internet service for all,” said Jeremy Reeder, director of Maricopa County Library District. “In big and small ways, we’ve been making life better for Gila Bend residents. It’s a shame it’s all coming to an end.”
The library will permanently close its doors at the end of the day on May 22, 2025. The Library District will work with staff and partners over the next weeks to wind down services and move materials out of the GBUSD location. Gila Bend residents will still be able to access online materials at
mcldaz.org after this date.
