The Phoenix Central Library and Its Hidden Offerings

The Phoenix Public Library system operates fourteen branches and a downtown central library on Central Avenue that most Phoenix residents have never entered. The system holds more than 3.7 million items and provides services extending significantly beyond book lending. The Burton Barr Central Library, opened in 1995 and designed by Will Bruder, is one of the most significant pieces of architecture in Phoenix. The reading room on the fifth floor — a full city block flooded with natural light — is the most impressive public interior space in Arizona. Beyond the physical collection, the library system provides free access to LinkedIn Learning, Kanopy streaming films, the New York Times digital archive, multiple genealogy databases, and language learning through Rosetta Stone. The library's meeting room network provides free community gathering space throughout the city. The digital media studio at the Burton Barr location provides equipment and training for podcast production, video editing, and digital recording. A Phoenix library card is free to all Maricopa County residents.