QC library grand opening is Nov. 8

Submitted by Nelson Mitchell of the Maricopa County Library District:

Maricopa County Supervisor Fulton Brock and Queen Creek Mayor Art Sanders recently paused from the rigors of government decision-making to place books on shelves of the second "Dewey-less" library in the Maricopa County Library District in preparation for its Nov. 8 grand opening.

The 27,000-square-foot Queen Creek Branch Library is a welcome departure from the 1,700-square-foot facility that has sustained the community for nearly 20 years. According to Brock, not only will the newer facility be more user-friendly, but there are many more books and greater online capacity.

Thirty-thousand new items, including 25,000 books and 5,000 media, were purchased for the new library. Some 10,000 items will be brought over from the older town library.

The $18 million state-of-the-art building contains a Teen Oasis, the Mary Lou Fulton Children's Center, four quiet study rooms, a bookshop, 34 Internet-accessible computers, personal wireless Internet access and conference and meeting space. The automatic sorter for returned books adds efficiency.

The colorful exterior of the building features a 38-foot artistic archway over the entrance. There will also be a waterless fountain and comfortable, multitiered outdoor family seating.

"Having a new library in this community means we are improving the quality of life for the people who live here in Queen Creek and the entire East Valley," said Brock. "It's a strong centerpiece for this community."

"We are entering the green movement era and this is Queen Creek's first shot at building a facility of this type," Sanders said.

Windows are designed to let in natural light to offset the use of electrical lighting. All of the lighting is compact fluorescents or low-electrical-use bulbs. The library will be heated by hot water and cooled by a highly energy-efficient electromagnetic chiller.

In comparison to Queen Creek's existing municipal buildings, a savings of as much as 25 percent is anticipated on library electricity bills.

Sanders and Brock are grateful for the partnership their respective governmental entities have forged over the years and especially during the construction of the library project. Collaboration and cooperation, they said, brought together more resources and more positive energy to see this project to completion.