Joel D Valdez Main Library

Joel D Valdez Main Library is a U.S. local government entity that provides public library services to Pima County, Arizona. Through federal grant sub-awards from the State Library, Archives & Public Records in Arizona, Joel D Valdez Main Library has provided various public services, including contactless library material retrieval during COVID-19, preservation of local Black history, expansion of a young adult learning lab with 21st century technologies, and inventory and acquisition improvements to expand patron access to physical and electronic library materials.

Joel D Valdez Main Library has received federal sub-awards to purchase exterior lockers for no-contact retrieval of library materials during COVID-19, train staff and purchase supplies to digitize and preserve historical materials from Black community members, upgrade technology and provide peer mentoring in a learning lab for young adults focused on college and career opportunities, and facilitate an inventory of library collections across 26 locations to identify and fill gaps in available materials. The federal sub-awards have enabled Joel D Valdez Main Library to maintain critical access and services for patrons during the pandemic, empower underserved groups to preserve and share their history, provide innovative learning opportunities to young adults, and expand the breadth and depth of public library resources available to the local community.