Q.C. library draws paying Pinal County residents

Queen Creek's new library has attracted more than 900 new cardholders since moving to a larger location earlier this month - including 100 new paying customers who live in Pinal County.

Since it's just a couple of miles from the county line, the Maricopa County Library District's Queen Creek Branch Library attracts people who live in Pinal County, said Queen Creek library director Holly Paxson. But a lot of those people don't realize they have to pay for library cards because they don't actually live in Queen Creek.

That's because the library's primary source of funding is a secondary property tax district in Maricopa County, Paxson said. Since people who live or own property in Maricopa County pay that secondary tax, they're eligible for free library cards.

"But folks that don't live in or own property in Maricopa County aren't contributing to the library in any way, so they have to pay a fee," Paxson said.

Most residents in unincorporated areas of Pinal County are disappointed instead of angry when they find out, Paxson said.

Library staff give them a couple of options: $50 per year for a full-service card, $5 a month for an Oasis card that gives computer access only or a list of libraries in Pinal County.

Plus, anyone is free to browse the books or come to programs like story times, Paxson said.

"Everyone who comes in is a potential customer, regardless of where they live," Paxson said.

And a fair number of Pinal County residents do pay to get the card. Since the library officially opened its new location on Nov. 8, 934 people have signed up for new cards. Nonresident cards account for 111 of those.

Of the approximately 5,300 people with active library cards based in Queen Creek, about 270 live in unincorporated Pinal County.

Three of those cards belong to Carla Mitchell and her two daughters, Leah and Ashley. Mitchell's family moved to Johnson Ranch more than seven years ago.

They prefer driving the 15 minutes to Queen Creek's library instead of to the nearest Pinal County library in Apache Junction, Mitchell said.

Mitchell sees her $150-a-year library card fee as comparable to what some families spend at Starbucks or fast-food restaurants, but she gets access to books, DVDs and librarians who have gotten to know her children over the years.

"All those things add to making your $50 worthwhile," she said.

"If you think about it, buying four or five of those books would pay for your card for the whole year," said Leah Mitchell, 14.

Carla Mitchell has tried talking some of her neighbors into buying a library card, but doesn't get many takers, she said.

Mitchell has also overheard plenty of Pinal County residents coming in trying to get a library card.

"I hear a lot of indignation: 'I pay taxes, too,' " Mitchell said.

Part of the confusion is an old problem: Not everyone with a Queen Creek address actually lives in Queen Creek, but a lot of residents don't find that out until after they've moved into their homes, Paxson said.

Parts of unincorporated Pinal County have Queen Creek mailing addresses since that's the closest municipality, but that doesn't mean they're actually within town limits or eligible for services, Paxson said.

Mitchell said she had that problem, too, and hopes that communication has gotten better since she and her family bought a home in Johnson Ranch.

People in the portions of Pinal County annexed into Queen Creek are eligible for a free library card because of a special arrangement with the town, Paxson said. A good rule of thumb to determine whether you're in that portion is to check whether you pay town property taxes.

And help may be on the way in another form - Pinal County is building a library in the Johnson Ranch area and finished adding free wireless Internet to its facilities over the summer. The branch should be open by the end of 2009, said county spokeswoman Heather Murphy.

Library customers

Maricopa County libraries paying customers:

Queen Creek Branch 267

Southeast Regional Branch (Gilbert) 48

Perry Branch (Gilbert) 17

Fountain Hills Branch 16

Source: Maricopa County Library District (Numbers are as of Nov. 21)

Who's eligible?

People are eligible for free Queen Creek Branch Library cards if they:

Live in Maricopa County

Live in Pinal County, but own property in Maricopa County. Only property owners are eligible for a free card; other family members must pay.

Live in Pinal County, but within the town limits of Queen Creek