Library · Tucson
Joel D. Valdez Main Library
Tucson’s library is the Joel D. Valdez Main Library, a branch of Pima County Public Library, open about 42 hours a week.
IMLS Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024County system. Tucson’s branch belongs to Pima County Public Library, which serves 1,086,634 people. The yearly numbers below are for the whole system, not just this branch. A card works at every branch.
Your branch
Joel D. Valdez Main Library
101 N Stone Ave, Tucson 85701
42 hrsopen a week
100,000sq ft
Charges late finesLate fees on some overdue items
Auto-renews loansBooks renew on their own if no one’s waiting
Fiscal year 2024
A year at Pima County Public Library
2.5M
visits
2.3 per resident
1.7M
loans, print + digital
1.6 per resident
12K
programs & events
193K attended
296K
library cards
27% of people served
How it compares
Against libraries serving 100,000+ people
Per-resident numbers, compared only with libraries of a similar size across the country, because a tiny town’s library always looks busier per person.
Visits per resident
2.3 visits · typical 2.1
Higher than 58% of similar-size libraries
Borrowing per resident
1.6 print items · typical 3.2
Lower than most similar-size libraries (15th percentile)
Kids’ borrowing
0.6 kids’ items · typical 1.6
Lower than most similar-size libraries (14th percentile)
Program attendance
0.2 attendees · typical 0.2
A little below typical (39th percentile)
Cardholders
27% of residents
Lower than most similar-size libraries (23th percentile)
Borrowing & programs
What people use it for
What people borrow
1.7M loans last year
Books & media (adults)59%Kids’ books & media41%E-books, audio & streaming0%
Who the programs are for
11,916 story times, classes, clubs and events
Money
Who pays for it
$42 per resident a year
Typical for a library this size: $36. Operating budget $45M.
Local 94%State 0%Federal 1%Gifts & other 5%
Locations
Other Pima County Public Library branches in Tucson
And 1 more in Tucson.
About these numbers
How to read this page
Hours are an averageThe survey reports a building’s public hours for the whole year. We divide by the weeks it was open, so check the library’s own site for today’s hours.
Compared by size“Similar-size” means libraries serving about as many people, nationwide. Per-resident numbers always flatter the smallest towns, so they’re never compared with big cities.
One year, the library’s own countLibraries report their own visits, loans and programs for fiscal year 2024. A library that didn’t respond keeps its address and hours here, with no numbers.
Source: Institute of Museum and Library Services, Public Libraries Survey, fiscal year 2024. Distances are straight-line from the town center.