Cholla Branch Library

i have been coming to this library for years and i must say they have improved a lot. it has 2 floors which they alot for various age groups. they have a section for little kids that includes a play room for babies and toddlers, section for teens, and adults as well. they have reading program for little kids as well. they also have the ff: computers, cd/​dvd/​audiobooks, manga section, news/​magazines. they also have a meeting room that they rent out with reservations for $ 10/​hr, and 2 study room for thise who’d want to use it for a study group. overall, this place is still my fave library!

This is a two floor library which is currently making study rooms (thank you so much for doing that). I like that they offer a variety of seating areas. You have the large tables with outlets for days you need to get serious work done and then comfy lounge chairs with a desk attachment and outlets at your side for leisure reading or computer work. They have a separate section for magazines and a seating area there too.
First floor– movies, kids play area, culture passes, self check out kiosks, help desk and a little nook area with the comfy chairs and outlets mentioned earlier. Some adult fiction books I believe.
Second floor– magazines, teen section, computer room, print area, 15 min computer section which is convenient if you just quickly want to print something, help desk, plenty large tables which are great for groups and soon study rooms. Oh yes! Lots of books. It’s the quieter floor.
The staff is helpful and knowledgable. Wifi is free like all PHX public libraries but tends to kick me off more frequently than I would like. So I have to log into the network repeatedly which can get a bit annoying. Some people have issues logging on the network with iPads/​tablets. The staff is not that tech savvy so not much help there. I have no issues with my iPhone and laptop though.
Entrance usually has the homeless crowd hanging but I just walk by minding my own business. Official library parking is limited and crammed but I usually park in the mall parking which is also convenient.

Not the library of my childhood… it was an experience in wide open spaces, lots of walking, and books tucked away on shelves that were anything but crowded. Beautiful building and a memorable experience. I do miss, however, the libraries of the past… with crowded aisles, shelves ready to burst with too many books, old card catalogues, and librarians waiting for your questions. Must admit, though, it was gorgeous.

This was one place I loved as a kid and I’m grateful it’s still here for my kids :) it’s always been a great library and the building itself has always been really cool looking :)

I enjoy browsing the literature in the library, but I also come here to get Culture Passes for museums and gardens in the metro area. While the exterior design of the building is a bit puzzling, the location is very convenient — it is found along the circumferential road around the MetroCenter Mall and parking is never a problem. The library is spacious and well-​lit, and the staff is friendly and very helpful.

This is a great branch and location but there are always a ton of screaming kids there. I miss the days when librarians would shush people.

I’ve been coming to this library on and off for the past few months since I moved into my new apartment. I started coming here in the fall to check out books, but found myself here a lot after my computer died in December. I got to know some of the features of this library, and I have to say, this is one of the nicer branches I’ve been too.
For starters, its located in the mall circle of Metro Center Mall. Yes, I know what your thinking, why would I want to go there? Well, its the closest library, and its not in the mall itself, just in the service drive! (leave your bulletproof vests and guns at home for this one, okay?)
The library has two floors, and is pretty modern in layout and technology. Lots of computers for kids and adults, meeting rooms, and a bunch of other cool stuff to boot. They rent books, movies, CD’s and have several other services here as well, including english classes and a few others. You can rent a room for like $ 5 an hour if you want to have a cool meeting spot as well!
The staff here is pretty friendly, and will help you with just about anything. I’ve had to ask the librarians before for assistance, and they haven’t failed me yet. Membership here is free, and you can get a card on the spot if you want to check something out. Also, they have self checkout which is pretty neat as well, and you can renew stuff online if it’s easier for you do it that way.‘s
The internet here is pretty quick, and there’s like 25 or 30 computers to use here, but they fill up quick on Sundays, so get there when they open. If your desperate, you can put in a PC reservation and get the next computer if you have to get online like I did.
Also, if you need a book or DVD and they don’t have it at this branch, the librarians will look it up for you and tell you what branch you can pick it up from. Pretty cool, huh?
The library also has security guards here as well. I don’t know why, I mean it is Metro Center, but who know it could be such a rowdy place? LOL There’s one security lady that I see, and she’s a bit snippy, BUT there’s a hot security guy that works here, and we constantly make eyes at each other, so he’s cool. We keep checking each other out, so I guess its just a matter of time…(get it? checking each other out like books at the library?) HAHAHA
Anyways, I gave an extra star for the sexy security guard, so it’s all good!!! O, and if you go there have fun! Their closed on Fridays but open every other day of the week!

Great selection of books
Friendly staff
Easy check-​out system
The business hours are not so great and they are closed Fridays.

I’ve spent a lot of time studying here recently for a pretty crazy test. it’s not the biggest library but it’s the most convenient for me (right on the way home from work).
They’ve got some comfy chairs and a great selection of movies and cds as well.
All that being said, what has happened to our library system these days??? I feel like nobody respects it anymore and people talk on their phones, scream at their kids and have incredibly personal conversations at a loud volume in the study areas. I wish the public library system would hire me and give me a nerf bat to beat overly loud strangers with.

I was relieved to learn, after moving to Peoria, that the Phoenix libraries only require you to be a Maricopa County Resident, and not specifically a Phoenix resident. I was also pleasantly surprised to learn that my closest branch — Cholla Branch — has a really good selection of children’s books, fiction, and rock music. I hesitate to tell you this, because I really want the selection to be there when I go back next time. But really! A library branch with Flying Lotus, Beck, Michelle Shocked, Hooverphonic — I’m impressed. I didn’t see much mainstream pop or rap music, and maybe that’s the secret, since this branch is not as urban as my prior branch. Perhaps its proximity to Metro Center Mall ensures more teen traffic (and they have a huge teen section upstairs) and thus my alternamom music is more readily available because… well. they just don’t know what’s good for them. ;) The staff is also very friendly at this branch — while the staff at Burton Barr or Acacia were always helpful, it was always with a slight irritation. Cholla seems the best branch of those I’ve visited so far. Now let’s hope that the recession doesn’t find this branch closed before I get to check out all the CDs on my wish list.

Great selection of new books! Their claim to fame besides the futuristic look mentioned by Erin, is really their new book selection. You’ll often find books recently mentioned in the press.
It’s all self-​check out but that’s pretty much the name of the game now-​a-​days.
Just keep in mind when standing in line to check out or speak with guest services to «follow the yellow brick road.»

holy futuristic library batman! i think because my mom is a librarian i have a homing device for any and every library in every city i travel to. i just stumble upon them.
i came upon this branch as i wandered aimlessly through the metro center mall parking lot getting ogled and sweating like a leaky fire hydrant (mmm imagery!). i asked about a guest pass to use the computers and was given a full use library card by a very friendly gentleman, whom, while he knew i was only here for a week, proceeded to detail the entire functionings of his branch and the other regional branches. he was enthusiastic so i didn’t try to stop him.
the library is all bright yellows, reds and shiny steel. there are cool twists and turns of architecture and design and the computer equipment is very current and all of the staff members offered help since i looked so bedraggled. if i didn’t have tourist’s guilt about actually going out and doing something, i would have stayed there all day reading.