History
In the 1990s, a group of Tanque Verde Valley residents appealed to elected officials to expand library services for the growing population in the northeast Tucson area. Eventually, some of these residents formed the Friends of Kirk-Bear Canyon Library (FKBCL), whose purpose would be to fundraise on behalf of the branch, strengthen community ties to the library, and advocate for literacy. In 1998, the group was chartered as a non-profit Arizona corporation.
The first archived FKBCL newsletter cheers the September 2005 reopening and remodeling of the branch as the building we know today: Along with the beautiful new furniture and equipment throughout the building, we now have a great area for teens, several café-like seating areas for adults, two conference rooms, and a lab with 10 computers. The spacious, new community room will be unveiled…. Photos in the newsletter documented the evolution of the building's exterior.
Beginning in 2000, FKBCL began sponsoring community sales of “gently used” donated books. Along with monetary donations and membership fees, the funds derived from book re-sale efforts produced an ongoing stream of contributions to the Pima County Public Library. The contributions were applied toward community programs – for example, summer youth activities, tutoring and homework help, concerts, crafts, lectures, fitness classes, and supplies for children’s story times and holiday gifts – as well as occasional purchases of art or equipment that were outside the library’s normal budget.
Some of FKBCL’s most popular and enduring projects include the monthly book discussion group, initiated in 2000 by Friends members and sustained by reading enthusiasts in the area; the Bear Canyon Knitters, established by Friends members circa 2010 and carried forth by dedicated knitting hobbyists; and the Legos Club for children, introduced in 2010.
FKBCL has funded two notable exterior art installations at the branch
FKBCL has funded two notable exterior art installations at the branch, including in 2008 the “Canyon Cascade” near the library entrance, a stylized waterfall sculpture representing “the spirit of the library and its multifunctional purpose for the community”; and in 2021 the mural painted across the front of the branch’s east side, celebrating “flights of literary fancy in the context of area’s natural environment.”
In 2019 FKBCL was privileged to be accepted as a beneficiary of a Hughes Federal Credit Union program, in which a $10 contribution to FKBCL or other special interest groups entitles applicants to credit union membership. This status has given us a significant endowment beyond our traditional fundraising avenues.
FKBCL remains committed to recruiting new members and informing them about the benefits and impact of our community library. Our book recycling program is ongoing. We are always open to ideas for new partnerships with businesses or community organizations. Are you a member? If not, isn’t it about time?
