In 1864, the Arizona Territorial Library was established when President Abraham Lincoln sent a team delegates to visit the territory and with them came over 300 books on history, law, and other literature. On March 24, 1915, the Arizona Territorial Library officially became the Arizona State Library, and in the century since, the State of Arizona Research Library has undergone many changes. The library has been its own state department, part of the legislative branch, a division of the Department of Administration, and is currently a Division of the Arizona Secretary of State.
Originally housed in various Territorial Capital locations, the library finally settled in the Arizona State Capitol and quickly outgrew its space. State Librarian Mulford Winsor convinced the Legislature that more space was desperately needed, and in 1938, a 5-story addition (with so many mezzanines!) was added to the west side of the Capitol. In 2018, the State of Arizona Research Library was moved out of the Capitol, and the physical materials moved to the Polly Rosenbaum Archives and History Building where they could be better preserved in temperature and humidity controlled environments. No more leaking roofs, sun exposure, or poor air flow for the collections, some of which are well over 130 years old.
While the “stacks” are no longer browsable by our patrons, physical materials can still be used in our Reading Room at the Polly Rosenbaum Archives and History Building. There, our Research Library collections are all stored and can be retrieved for use. In addition, digitization projects are ongoing in-house, as well as with our partners, to develop collections that can be viewed on the Arizona Memory Project from any computer or mobile device.
For more information about the history of the State of Arizona Research Library, check out 100 Years of Public Service or visit our website. If you have any questions or would like to make an appointment to view any items in our collections, you can also fill out our “Ask a Question” form here.
The Shining S.T.A.R.L. 