TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A Pima County Public Library draft report drew a crowd to the Library's Advisory Board meeting Thursday evening. The room was so packed, people spilled out the door and stood listening for the entire two-hour long meeting.
The Director of Pima County Public Library, Amber Mathewson said this was the largest crowd she'd seen at any board meeting.
“We’ve never had more than one or two people at call to the public, and usually no one,” she said.
Library-goers were concerned about proposed closures in the plan.
The advisory board says they wish the roll out of the draft had gone differently.
“It came as a shock to people and feeling like… where did this come from? We’re trying to rectify that now,” Mathewson said.
For many, this was an emotional subject since the library is more than just a place to get books.
For high school seniors Maze Alvier and Lilleah Barrow, the library is a place for them to go after school to be with friends for free.
“The library is kind of where we make our friend memories, It’s where we have fun,” Alvier said.
MarleyMae Webster has been using libraries their whole life. They say it's good for many things, but “most of all, the library is a community space”
The library team says they want to preserve the community and resource-sharing aspects the library offers as they modernize the program.
The draftproposed a few of the branches closing, like the Santa Rosa Library (1075 S 10th Ave., Tucson, AZ) and Dewhirst-Catalina Library (15631 N Oracle Rd., Catalina, AZ). For some branches, there's a bit more to the story: the Southwest Library would close since the new Richard Elías-Mission Library is opening nearby.
Library Director Mathewson assured this was a draft that still needs public input. The library plans to put out a survey this month and encourages people to come to advisory board meetings Thursday evenings.
"Nothing’s set in stone," she said. "Everything is negotiable.”
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Alex Dowd is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9, where her work combines her two favorite hobbies: talking to new people and learning about the community around her. Her goal is to eventually meet every single person in Tucson. Share your story ideas with Alex via email, alex.dowd@kgun9.com, or connecting on Instagram or X.
