Months after public backlash halted plans to close or downsize several branches, the Pima County Public Library launched a survey to gather feedback from residents in an effort to do the community engagement work critics said was missing from the scrapped proposal.
The survey doesn’t address some of the stickier issues the library board has raised alarms about: a main library branch with an overwhelming amount of deferred maintenance, chronic understaffing, and the growing responsibility of the library as a place to meet social needs for a range of patrons.
It does, however, ask patrons how far they’d be willing to travel for library programming that takes place in other community locations (11 or more miles?) and what time periods are most important for them to access the library.
The survey, live now, is the first public engagement in a likely monthslong process the library system will undertake to chart its future.
The Pima County Public Library became the center of a public outcry last summer when residents responded to a library system draft plan that laid out a range of chronic concerns and proposed to alleviate them by closing or downsizing several local libraries.
Patrons responded with shock and concern, sending floods of emails and packed meeting rooms to advocate for the many roles the library played for them: a place to cool down, a place to find a new read, a place to see a friendly face.
Now with the start of a new year, library users have a formal opportunity to tell library leadership how they use the library through a survey that represents the first part of a new futures planning process.
That survey, which takes about 10 minutes to complete, will be used by the Pima County Public Library “to enhance our understanding of how the library community uses the resources and programming we provide,” the survey says. “All responses are anonymous. Your participation will help with planning for the future of Pima County Public Library.”
The survey asks library users how often they visit library locations, the website, and use library services like periodicals or attend author talks.
The library administration collects a version of that information itself. A document shared at the February meeting shows a “gate count” for different branches, as well as computer use and program attendance. That data shows Oro Valley and the Valdez main library have the most people entering its gates, while Murphy-Wilmot has the most physical content circulation.
The survey will be open until midnight on March 17. Library patrons can access it in Spanish and English and also fill out a paper copy of the survey at a local branch.
Along with sending out an email blast, the library is relying on teams that work with underrepresented communities to reach out to community members to make sure they get a wide range of survey respondents.
Get involved
• Take the library survey in English here, and in Spanish. You can also pick up a hard copy at your local library. The survey closes at midnight on March 17.
• Contact the Pima County Library Advisory Board at Library.Board@pima.gov.
• The class of 2024 Career Online High School graduation ceremony takes place Saturday, Feb. 22, 2-4 p.m. at the Murphy-Wilmot Library. Learn more here.
• Need a recommendation for what to read next? Name three books you loved, three books you didn’t care for, and Ravenous Readers at Pima County Public Library will recommend you a next book.
It’s the first step in a restarted effort to weigh what Pima libraries should look like moving ahead.
In the draft report shared by Arizona Luminaria in August 2024, the library administration said local libraries were facing a staffing and facilities crisis, and proposed closing multiple library branches.
Following the release of the report, the library advisory board meeting pushed for a pause on the draft plan, and a renewed public engagement process. Library board leaders said last fall they were working with a community assessment expert from the University of Arizona to develop a survey.
Public forums and other outreach tools were still to come, said library director Amber Mathewson.
Beyond the survey, there are few details about how the library will determine next steps.
There is no specific model a future planning process is currently set to follow, said Mathewson. The library plans to solicit input on community engagement around strategic planning from consultants to help decide what the best model would be.
Some board members said they were confused about the order of events, and asked why the library was putting out a survey now, when they had not yet decided on a system for planning next steps. “They seem out of order a little bit,” said board chair Mariana Padias.
In a response to Arizona Luminaria, Mathewson said the survey was the first part in gathering information for the community engagement plan. While some questions did reflect information that the library collected, the survey would help administrators prioritize patrons needs.
“Every piece of information is like a piece of the puzzle that completes the picture of community desires for the library,” Mathewson said in an email on Feb. 12.
Conversations about some of the big-picture issues mention in the initial report, like renovating or relocating the downtown library, would likely happen through future community forums.
“A criticism of the original plan was that there had been no community input, and so we are taking this very seriously and moving forward slowly, one step at a time,” she said.
The next step of the planning effort is to find a consultant to help with designing and facilitating community forums, Mathewson said.
What they could say for certain, said library leaders, was that library closures were off the table.
“No libraries are closing,” said Mathewson.
“I feel good about the report being scrapped,” said deputy county administrator Steve Holmes, referring to the Library Futures report shared publicly last summer. “We’re not closing any libraries.”
Wells Fargo building could be temporary downtown library space
The original library report raised an alarm about the state of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library, a downtown landmark for 34 years. The building, owned by the city of Tucson, is in desperate need of repairs, the report said. Among them are a need for new elevators, a new roof and a new heating and air conditioning system.
In recent months, the county had begun initially exploring the vacant Wells Fargo building directly across Stone Avenue as a temporary space for the Valdez library during renovations, according to a Pima County memo last year.
The big question for the Valdez building remains, however, the cost and who is responsible for the repairs.
That conversation came up again at Thursday’s meeting, where county administrator Holmes said Pima County officials have met two or three times with the city of Tucson but there were no clear steps forward.
“Neither of us have that kind of money on hand,” Holmes said. “We are just trying to really be more thoughtful about what is the reality and the budget picture.”
Martyn Klell, the deputy director of project design and construction for Pima County, estimated the cost of the building repairs to address elevators and the HVAC system, even without addressing the facade of the building. “Just replacing some of the deferred maintenance items is $30 million dollars,” said Klell.
Still, a move to a new building, or a costly renovation, couldn’t happen without approval of the Pima County Board of Supervisors.
Not all, however, would be on board.
“My supervisor was against leaving this building,” said Mary Ann O’Neil, who represented supervisor Matt Heinz of District 2. “My supervisor was negative on the idea of a new location.”
Thursday’s agenda also included a report about the upkeep of other library facilities.
The Richard Elías-Mission Library, which was closed for renovation in March 2024, is likely to be closed for 16 months. The Bear Canyon Library reopened after being briefly closed to evaluate potential issues with its foundation, evident from cracks in the walls and uneven flooring, the report said.
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