Burton Barr Central Library

Located on Central Avenue in downtown Phoenix, the Burton Barr Central Branch of the Phoenix library provides the community with books, videos, CDs, periodicals, community programs, education, and a place to socialize all in one location. It is a large library and is located on five levels in 280,000-square feet of space. It opened in the spring of 1995 and has been a popular destination for those in the Phoenix area ever since. There are more than 705,000 items in the library's collection and just over 150 computers available for community use. In an effort to create the feeling of a gathering spot and compete with high-end expensive book stores, the library opened the Open Book Café, which is 2,000-square foot coffee shop that offers indoor and outdoor seating space, wireless Internet access, and plenty of space for relaxing, chatting, or studying. The menu offers a variety of coffee and espresso drinks, as well as sandwiches, salads, wraps, bagels, and pastries. The library features rotating exhibits every other month in the Pulliam Auditorium. The gallery is open when the library is open and is free to visit. The library also features a new book area, a best pick's area, a children's area, and a collection of reference documents, newspapers, and government papers.