Introduction and Background

Arizona - The Context

From an economy once dependent on mining and agriculture, particularly copper, cotton and cattle, Arizona is now a more service-oriented (tourism, manufacturing) state. Measuring 335 miles wide and 390 miles long, Arizona is the sixth largest state in the United States, and possesses great geographical and climatic variety. Predominantly rural, the state's 15 counties comprise 113,909 square miles. Despite its rural nature, 56% of Arizona's population lives in the metropolitan areas of greater Phoenix and greater Tucson, and a total of 76% of the state's population lives within the two counties where those cities are located.

Population

People often move to Arizona because of the climate and the diversity of life styles. Arizona offers a tremendous variety of cultures, and is a winter haven for visitors, young and old alike. Between 1980 and 1990, Arizona's population increased 34.9%; third behind Nevada and Alaska. By 1990, Arizona's distribution by race included:

80.8 % - White 5.6 % - American Indian, Eskimo or Aleut 3.0 % - Black 1.5 % - Asian
9.1 % - Other Race
Includes all other persons not included in the above. Persons reporting the "Other Race" category and providing write-in entries such as multiracial, multiethnic, mixed, interracial, Wesort, or a Spanish/Hispanic origin group (such as Mexican, Cuban, or Puerto Rican) are included here.
[Definitions of Subject Characteristics, 1990 Census of Population and Housing, U. S. Department of Commerce]

NOTE: Those of Hispanic Origin (of any race) made up 18.8 % of the state's overall population in 1990.

From 1994 to 1995, the state's population grew at the rate of nearly 4%, but most of the growth since 1990 occurred in the two counties of Maricopa and Pima. With their population centers of Phoenix and Tucson, these two counties accounted for over a half-million new people of our total 4,217,940 population.

The State has a large constituency of retired senior citizens: 17% of its population is over 60; and 13% is over 65. As with other border states, Arizona is heavily influenced by its increasing Mexican-American population. In addition, there are 250,000 Native Americans living in Arizona on 20 reservations inhabiting 31,250 square miles -- 27% of Arizona's land area.

Arizona - Children and Poverty

In April, 1996 the National Center for Children in Poverty at the Columbia University School of Public Health released a comprehensive national report on state initiatives for young children. This report, which tracked poverty rates for children under age six from 1975 to 1994, documented that 72,528 (21.5%) of the 337,904 children under six in Arizona live in families with incomes at or below the poverty level. Even though Arizona does have a state-funded pre-kindergarten program, the State does not provide supplemental child health insurance or supplemental aid to the federal Head Start program. However, in 1995 Arizona instituted a preschool program and three preventive family support initiatives.

By the county, the percent of Children below the poverty level in Arizona are:

1990 Census Estimates: County Income and Poverty Percent Below the Poverty Level
COUNTY	CHILDREN UNDER 5 YRS. OLD %	CHILDREN 5 TO 17 YRS. OLD %	CHILDREN TOTAL UNDER 17 YRS. OLD %
Apache	55.2	49.5	52.4
Cochise	33.7	25.9	29.8
Coconino	31.9	24.1	28.0
Gila	34.2	22.3	28.3
Graham	40.2	29.0	34.6
Greenlee	12.4	12.6	12.5
La Paz	37.5	35.7	36.6
Maricopa	19.9	15.7	17.8
Mohave	26.2	19.5	22.9
Navajo	46.1	36.1	41.1
Pima	26.9	21.3	24.1
Pinal	37.8	30.3	34.1
Santa Cruz	29.5	36.3	32.9
Yavapai	23.1	16.4	19.8
Yuma	26.1	28.9	27.5

STATE AVERAGES	32.0 %	26.9 %	29.5 %

The Arizona State Library, Archives & Public Records

The Chief Library Agency

The first Arizona Territorial Legislature established the Territorial Library in 1864. Following statehood in 1912, the second State Legislature created the Arizona State Library in 1915. In 1937, the Arizona State Library and Archives was formed as part of the legislative branch of state government. Reflecting increased responsibilities, the name was changed to the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records in 1976. The Director of the Agency is appointed by, and responsible to, a legislative board comprised of the President of the Senate, a representative of the Senate appointed by the President, the Speaker of the House, and a representative of the House appointed by the Speaker.

Today, the Department serves the information needs of Arizona citizens by providing access to contemporary and unique historical resources through its divisions:

Arizona History and Archives:

The Arizona History and Archives Division identifies, acquires, cares for, arranges, describes, and makes available the permanently valuable public records of Arizona. It provides leadership and assistance to organizations and individuals responsible for historical records. The Archives promotes historical research and encourages the study of Arizona history through workshops, exhibits, tours, and collaborative efforts with educational and historical institutions. Holdings date from 1864 to the present. Services include:

Services include:

appraisal of public records to determine historical value dissemination of information about records in the Archives consultation to government agencies and the public on preservation of documents, disaster preparedness and recovery
administration of archival programs.

Braille and Talking Book Library:

In Arizona it is estimated that more than 55,000 visually and physically disabled people are eligible to use free services offered by the Braille and Talking Book Library Division. We currently serve one-fifth of the eligible population. The Library of Congress designated the Division as Regional Library in 1969.

Services are available to persons who cannot hold, handle, or read conventional printed material because of visual or physical disability. The services can be used by those with either permanent or temporary disability and are available to individuals or institutions serving such persons. Services include:

Loan of recorded books and magazines Distribution of equipment to play recorded material Loan of Braille books and magazines
Free mailing privileges to return borrowed material

Donating nearly 40,000 hours of work annually, a cadre of volunteers narrates and monitors recorded books and magazines, repairs playback equipment, provides home delivery to new patrons, and performs clerical and professional tasks that enable the Division to meet the highly specialized information needs of its patrons.

Library Extension:

Through the Library Development Division, the Agency takes a leadership role in coordinating statewide planning and development of library services. A staff of professional library consultants works closely with libraries to help define and meet the wide variety of information needs that exist in the state. Services include:

Administering federal grant programs for public library development, public library construction and interlibrary cooperation, and administering state grants-in-aid for county and metropolitan library development
Providing county and statewide programs of continuing education for librarians, trustees, and Friends of the Library groups
Planning and coordinating special statewide programs including the Summer Reading Program for students and other young people, and other humanities and public awareness projects
Coordinating and supporting interlibrary cooperation through the Arizona Network (AZNET), which is an online system of borrowing and loaning between libraries, and a statewide telecommunications network with access to Internet
Providing consulting services relating to library construction, automation, and other needs as requested

Museum:

The two institutions that compose the Museum Division are the State Capitol and the Hall of Fame. Both of these Museums are housed in rehabilitated historic structures. The Capitol Museum, in the original Capitol building, presents exhibits and programs on government in the Arizona Territory and early statehood days. The Arizona Hall of Fame Museum, originally the Phoenix Public Library, honors Arizona men and women who lived or settled in Arizona and brought this state to maturity, contributing throughout their lifetimes to the state's development and progress. During the past year, more than 28,000 children from 556 schools toured these two facilities. Services include:

Museum and Capitol complex tours Museum exhibits Education programs
Commemoration of special state events

Public Records:

The Records Management Division is responsible for establishing standards, procedures, and techniques for effective management of the public records of Arizona's state and local government units. The Division operates from a state-of-the-art records center capable of housing over 190,000 cubic feet of state agency records. Services include:

Consulting, training, and education in records management for state and local government agency personnel
Developing record retention schedules for state and local government agencies
Maintaining and accessing inactive state agency records
Housing state agency master copies of microforms and computer tapes in a climate-controlled vault
Microfilming selected state agency documents and Arizona newspapers (In conjunction with the State Library's U. S. Newspaper Project.)
Processing and duplicating microfilm of current and active records for state agencies

Research Library:

The Division's collection, consisting of the materials in the Research Library in the State Capitol and of the State Law Library in the Arizona State Courts Building, serves the informational needs of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of state government in addition to the Arizona legal community and the general public. Services include:

Collection of over 900,000 print volumes and 380,000 microforms in the subject areas of Arizona and the Southwest, Federal and State Documents, Law, Genealogy, and Reference
Legal collection of more than 90,000 print volumes and 234,000 microforms
Resource sharing services to Arizona libraries through the Arizona Network (AZNET)

Boards and Commissions:

The Department directs and coordinates the activities of the following boards and commissions:

State Historical Records Advisory Board, under the National Archives Program for Grants to the States, makes proposals to and advises the National Historical Publication and Records Commission on state historical records priorities; the Department Director serves as State Coordinator as appointed by the Governor
Board of Library Examiners, authorized by Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S.) § 11-906, passes upon the qualifications of persons desiring to become county librarians
State Board on Geographic and Historic Names, authorized by A.R.S. § 41-835 and § 41-836, evaluates proposals for changes in, or additions to, names of geographic features and places of historical significance in this state. It designates the most appropriate and acceptable names and the spelling of these names for use in maps and official government documents
Historical Advisory Commission, authorized by A.R.S. § 41-1352, encourages research, writing, and teaching of Arizona history and aids in the preservation of cultural resources

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Updated: 11/24/2006