By Edward D. Buster
The long-awaited and eagerly anticipated southeast library is about a year away from becoming a reality. The newest addition to the Pima County Public Library System of libraries will serve the growing and thriving communities of Southeast Pima County. The desire for a Pima County Library serving the Greater Vail Area has been long sought after by residents of Corona de Tucson, Vail, Rita Ranch, and others for decades.
Pima County heard the call. In collaboration with the greater Vail area communities and the support of the Pima County Public Library, $4.5 million in funding was provided to erect a 9,500 square foot library on county-owned land located on Mary Ann Cleveland Way. The facility will be located next to Empire High School and centrally located to two Vail School District schools and multiple existing and planned housing subdivisions.
Our new library has completed both the infrastructure and design phases. Construction will begin later this year with completion in December 2020. An official groundbreaking ceremony is being planned by the Pima County Public Library to celebrate this major addition to our community with details to follow in the upcoming months.
No detail was overlooked when designing this open concept. Both inside and outside the library will have a modern look with natural elements to represent our communities’ people and uniqueness. The completed facility will provide meeting and conference rooms in an inclusive, safe, and friendly environment. The design provides a unique forum for social networking, book clubs, and reading groups.
Our library will do so much more than just house books. The role of the library is to promote literacy and foster a love of reading. But it will do so much more; it will serve as a community gathering place to provide information, programs, classes, clubs, and other social activities. The inviting and comfortable atmosphere will provide a forum where people can come and sit, talk, and read. Users may check out materials or reference information for job seeking, complete homework, or perform independent 
research to gain skills for use at their workplace. Through the use of technology, users may gain access to a wealth of information they often cannot find elsewhere.
This welcomed addition will serve countless generations of people of every age, demographic, income level, ethnicity, or physical ability. It will become an institution delivering a full range of information resources fostering learning and development as our community continues to grow and prosper.
Edward D. Buster is the President of the Corona de Tucson Community Alliance
