Cottonwood Public Library
🏢 City of Cottonwood · Cottonwood, Arizona
Cottonwood Public Library
Opened in 1994 on a $1.8 million community-approved sales tax — successor to a collection that began on boards-and-bricks shelves in 1959 — Cottonwood Public Library is the Verde Valley's creative hub: a free podcast studio, an Adobe Creative Suite lab, and the full Yavapai Library Network's million-item collection, 19 miles from Sedona.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–6pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–6pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–6pm |
| Thursday | 9am–6pm |
| Friday | 9am–6pm |
| Saturday | 9am–2pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 100 S 6th Street, Cottonwood, AZ 86326
Phone: (928) 634-7559
Website: ctwpl.info
Plus Code: 8569PXQG+2P (Cottonwood, AZ)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📍 Plan your visit
🚉 Getting there
100 S 6th St, Cottonwood, AZ 86326. Get transit & driving directions → (live subway, bus & car routes).
🚘 Parking
Free parking lot nearby.
♿ Accessibility
Includes wheelchair-accessible entrance, accessible parking.
🛀 Amenities
Baby changing table.
⭐ Visitor rating
4.7 / 5 from 151 Google reviews.
🕑 Best time to go
Usually calmest soon after opening; busiest around 2 pm.
Visit details from the library’s Google Business Profile, verified October 2026 — confirm on official page before a special-date trip.
📖 About Cottonwood Public Library
Cottonwood Public Library has served the Verde Valley since its founding in 1959 — beginning with donated books on boards-and-bricks shelves in the Civic Club Annex — and moved to its current 15,440-square-foot building at 100 S 6th Street on June 20, 1994, funded by a voter-approved one-fifth-cent sales tax that raised $1.8 million. The library is operated by the City of Cottonwood under an intergovernmental agreement with the Yavapai County Free Library District, meaning any Yavapai County resident may use its services for free. Through membership in the 59-library Yavapai Library Network, patrons have access to over one million items. The library runs more than 572 programs a year attended by roughly 17,500 people, and it has expanded its creative offerings with a Content Creation Center (six Alienware PCs with full Adobe Creative Suite, cameras, and video equipment, opened July 2022 via IMLS grant) and 'The Lookout' podcast studio (Rode Caster Pro II soundboard, three Rode mics, and editing PC, opened August 2024) — both free to all cardholders.
⭐ What makes this library special
- 15,440-square-foot building opened June 20, 1994 — funded by community-approved one-fifth-cent sales tax; successor to the original 1959 Civic Club Annex library
- Free Content Creation Center (July 2022, IMLS grant): six Alienware PCs with full Adobe Creative Suite, 4K Panasonic and Canon DSLR cameras, and GoPros available for checkout
- 'The Lookout' podcast studio (August 2024): Rode Caster Pro II soundboard, three Rode mics, 4K webcam, and editing PC — free and open to all cardholders
- Serves all Yavapai County residents under intergovernmental agreement with YCFLD; shared YLN catalog spans 1+ million items across 59 libraries
- 572+ annual programs — summer reading (Beanstack), weekly book club, Tuesday writing group, and co-sponsorship of the Verde Valley Comic Expo
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Cottonwood cardholders access free digital resources through the Yavapai Library Network and Arizona statewide programs:
📚 Services
- Free public computer access and Wi-Fi
- Content Creation Center — Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, Illustrator, Animate) on Alienware PCs; 4K cameras and GoPros for checkout
- 'The Lookout' podcast studio — Rode mics, Rode Caster Pro II soundboard, 4K webcam, and editing PC; reserve by calling the library
- Meeting Room A — seats up to 24, flat-screen TV, whiteboard, conference table; reservable for community, civic, and nonprofit groups
- Notary service — Wednesdays and Thursdays 2:30–5:30 PM, first come first served (bring own witnesses)
- Black-and-white and color printing from public computers or personal laptops
- Photocopying at the Help Desk
- YLN shared catalog with 414,000+ physical items including 312,734 eBooks
🎸 Programs
- Summer Reading Challenge (Beanstack platform) — free, birth through age 18, prizes from local sponsors
- Book Discussion Group — first and third Wednesdays, 10 AM, Meeting Room A
- Writing For Fun — Tuesdays 9 AM, Meeting Room A
- Live Art Demonstrations — third Tuesday of each month, local Verde Valley artists
- Verde Valley Comic Expo — annual, co-sponsored by the library at Cottonwood Recreation Center
- Verde Valley Author Expo — annual, Cottonwood Recreation Center; meet local authors
- Children's story times and early literacy programs
- Digital literacy and job skills workshops for adults
📍 Nearby Libraries in Yavapai County
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
All libraries in Cottonwood · Browse all Arizona libraries →
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Cottonwood Public Library if I live in Sedona or elsewhere in the Verde Valley?
Yes. The City of Cottonwood holds an intergovernmental agreement with the Yavapai County Free Library District, so any Yavapai County resident — including those in Sedona (~17 miles away), Camp Verde, Clarkdale, Jerome, and unincorporated Verde Valley communities — may obtain a free library card and use all services, including the Content Creation Center and podcast studio.
What is the Content Creation Center, and does it cost anything to use?
The Content Creation Center, which opened in July 2022 with IMLS grant support, is completely free for all cardholders. It offers six Alienware PCs loaded with the full Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Audition, Illustrator, and Animate), plus 4K Panasonic cameras, Canon DSLR cameras, and GoPro Hero 7 models for checkout. The adjacent 'Lookout' podcast studio (opened August 2024) adds a Rode Caster Pro II soundboard, three Rode mics, a 4K webcam, and a recording and editing PC.
How did the library's founding connect to the Cottonwood community?
The library was born in 1959 from a grassroots initiative sparked by a bookmobile driver who challenged local readers to start their own library. Volunteers organized in the Civic Club Annex with donated books and shelves made from boards and bricks. The Friends group 'Bookmarks,' incorporated in 1971, spent years fundraising through book sales, bake sales, and small donations — including elementary school children who sold 'bricks' at 25 cents each — helping match a federal grant. A 1992 voter-approved sales-tax measure ultimately funded the current 15,440-square-foot building, which opened June 20, 1994.
Does the library have resources on Verde Valley or Arizona history?
Yes. Through the Digital Arizona Library (DAZL) — a free statewide resource — cardholders can access the Arizona Memory Project (historical photographs and documents), digitized Arizona historic newspapers, and a range of reference databases. The Verde Historical Society, which maintains artifacts and records related to Cottonwood's past, is located nearby at 1 N Willard Road in the historic Clemenceau High School building.
📋 This library offers notary services. See what a library notary can do — what to bring, fees and appointments — and find other libraries with a notary notary services by state.
🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.
✎ Notice something out of date? Suggest a correction and we’ll verify and update it.
📚 Explore more library resources
- Makerspace & 3D printing at the library — see the library's Content Creation Center podcast studio and Adobe Creative Suite lab
- Meeting rooms at the library — Meeting Room A seats up to 24 and is reservable for community groups
- Library story times — children's story times and early-literacy programs
- How to get a library card — how a Yavapai Library Network card works
- Borrow eBooks free with Libby, hoopla & Kanopy — included with YLN membership
- East Flagstaff Community Library — elsewhere in northern Arizona
- Mohave County Library, Kingman — elsewhere in northern Arizona
- Globe Public Library — elsewhere in central Arizona
Is the Content Creation Center at Cottonwood Public Library free to use?
Yes. The Content Creation Center — six Alienware PCs with the full Adobe Creative Suite, plus a podcast studio and editing station — is free for cardholders; reserve a station by calling the library.
Can I stream movies and music for free with my Cottonwood library card?
Yes. With your Yavapai Library Network card you can use hoopla Digital (no waitlists for eBooks, comics, music and movies) and Kanopy for films and documentaries, both free.
✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.