Arivaca is a rural community of about 1,200 residents in unincorporated Pima County, sixty miles southwest of Tucson. Historically, it was a mining area. In recent years retirees, alternative lifestyle pursuers, rural-life aficionados, artists, cattle ranchers, self-employed business people and commuters make up most of the population. Currently about 58% of local users have library cards, drawing regular users from a twenty-five mile radius.
The Caviglia-Arivaca Branch Library opened on November 16, 1996. The Arivaca community had been served for eight years by the Pima County Public Library Bookmobile and was clamoring for a building. During the tenure of Pima County Public Library Director Liz Miller and Pima County Supervisor Ed Moore, approval and funding was granted for a library in Arivaca. Teresa Rill was the first manager. Local residents Gary and Barbara Scheer donated land in a very appropriate location just outside the Arivaca townsite.
The building was designed by CDG Architects and has proved to have a very welcoming and practical plan. The branch is named for Diane Aguirre Hamilton Caviglia (1930-1994), who was active in the Pima Historical Commission and whose maternal ancestor, Pedro Aguirre, built the first school in Arivaca in 1879. The Caviglia family was a pioneer family in Arivaca.
Arivaca may have had the first library in Arizona, a collection of books belonging to mine owner and pistol maker Samuel Colt, who offered them to his employees for their edification. The current Library has a collection of about 12,000 items and of course, access to the whole Tucson-Pima Library collection.
