Community Impact

Support Your Libraries to go beyond books

Your contribution to the Pima Library Foundation ensures that Pima County's libraries can create and expand programs, services, and spaces that go beyond books.

Your Donation Matters

The Pima County Public Library serves the third largest land area of any library system in the United States. Our Libraries enrich lives and build our community through opportunities to learn, to know, to interact and to grow. With 27 public library branches serving Tucson and communities across Pima County including Arivaca, Green Valley, Sahuarita, South Tucson, Ajo, Marana, Oro Valley and Catalina, the Library provides a wide range of free services that contribute to the economic development of the community. For more information about the Pima County Library System, visit www.library.pima.gov.

Your generous gifts to the Pima Library Foundation support programs, services, and materials identified as strategic priorities by Pima County Public Library leadership. These programs include:

Library Programs and Facilities that Go Beyond Books

It All Adds Up!:

Research shows that children exposed to basic math concepts before preschool and kindergarten begin to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills and are even more likely to grow into better readers and writers by third grade. In other words, early math literacy plays a major role in preparing our youngest learners for success in school and beyond.

With seed funding of $18,000, the Pima Library Foundation has launched a campaign to help the Pima County Public Library system create an early math literacy program and eventually make this program available at all library branches.

Join us in building strong foundations for success by supporting early math readiness programs. Your donation enables us to provide children in Pima County with essential math skills, equipping them with the tools they need for academic achievement and future opportunities.

Early Math Readiness

Early math literacy describes skills that children need to develop from birth to age five to form the foundation for their math and reading competency. Early math thinking skills include concepts like making sense of patterns, identifying quantities, evaluating data, and counting. These skills help children move beyond just knowing number names and number order; they help children make sense of their world.

Make a difference in the lives of children in Pima County by investing in early math readiness programs. Your donation directly supports the expansion of these transformative programs, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to thrive academically and pursue their dreams.

Sahuarita Library Outdoor Performance Patio

When communities have access to well-designed, flexible public spaces, they fill them with cultural, civic, and economic vitality. With the support of individual and corporate donors and community partners, the Pima Library Foundation led a campaign to fund the construction of the Sahuarita Library Regional Outdoor Performance Patio. The 1,000 square foot covered venue, which opened in September 2021, serves more than 30,000 Sahuarita area residents.

Join us in supporting the Sahuarita Library Outdoor Performance Patio. Your donation makes a tangible impact on our community’s cultural vitality and plays a key role in creating a space where imagination thrives and community bonds grow stronger.

Career Online High School

Earning a high school diploma opens up a multitude of educational and career opportunities, but conventional high school doesn’t work for everyone. Pima County Library’s Career Online High School offers an alternative. Through this program, adult students can earn a nationally accredited high school diploma while simultaneously preparing for a career in one of nine high-demand, high-growth fields.

Empower individuals to reach their full potential by supporting Career Online High School. With your donation, we can provide access to a nationally accredited diploma program that prepares students for high-demand careers, ensuring equal educational opportunities for all. Your donation directly fuels the expansion of this transformative program, going beyond books and providing educational opportunities that pave the way for lifelong success.

Words from a program Graduate:

Pictured: The Foundation’s executive director, Tom Cashman presents a check for $18,000 to Career Online program director Ken Zambos, right, at the program’s graduation ceremony on May 20 when thirty-two students graduated from the program.
The Foundation’s executive director, Tom Cashman presents a check for $18,000 to Career Online program director Ken Zambos, right, at the program’s graduation ceremony on May 20 when thirty-two students graduated from the program.

Libraries Fuel Our Economy

Workforce Investment

The economic engine of Tucson needs a library system that goes beyond books. We’re investing in Pima County’s libraries so that all our teens can get help with academic and life skills, all adults can gain skills in high-demand fields, and all local entrepreneurs can get help growing their businesses. In so many ways, library programs can fuel innovation and boost our local economy.

By supporting workforce development, you actively shape Pima County’s economic landscape. Your donation fuels the creation of innovative programs that broaden employers’ approach to workforce development and empower individuals to thrive in the evolving job market. With your support, we can bridge the skills gap, equipping individuals with the tools they need to thrive in a rapidly changing economy.

Leadership Starts at the Library with Code Clubs

Code Club

The benefits of learning how to program computers are extensive, but the chance to learn coding is not open to all kids. With your support, the Pima Library Foundation provides our community’s children with the opportunities they need to succeed. From Java to Python to Scratch, Code Clubs engage students in a collaborative environment, help them strengthen critical thinking skills, and support 21st century academic subjects and life skills.

Support Code Clubs and inspire the next generation of coders and problem solvers. Your donation provides underrepresented youth in Pima County with access to technology and bright career paths, enabling them to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital world. With your continued support, we can expand Code Clubs to additional libraries and invest in the future leadership of Pima County.

Learn more

Helping Children Succeed in School

Ready, Set, School!

Thanks to the generous support of the Zuckerman Community Outreach Foundation, the Pima Library Foundation funded the Ready, Set, Learn Program for the Pima County Public Library.

This program focused on executive brain function activities that help children develop learning skills to get them ready to be successful when they start school.

Free personalized tutoring

Homework Help

Homework Help offers free, personalized tutoring to over 32,000 Pima County learners of all ages. Help is available online and in person at various public schools, libraries, Boys and Girls Clubs of Tucson, and at the Juvenile Detention Center.

Donate And Help Support
The Pima Library Foundation!

Whether your interest is in giving your financial support, your time or your voice — there are many different ways to get involved with the Pima Library Foundation in support of our Pima County Public Library.