Updates: There will be five passes for each of the museums at each library location, with the exception of the Desert Botanical Gardens, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, and Cave Creek Museum** --these locations will now have 10 passes per location (as of 7/1/11). Arizona Science Center and Children's Museum will now have 3 passes (as of 11/15/13).
All passes will be valid for 2 general admissions only.
No longer participating: Heard, the Bead Museum, the Arizona Museum for Youth, the Natural History Museum***.
**Cave Creek Museum opens on October 1 (closed for the summer).
***Natural History Museum is now participating in Mesa's 3 for Free promotion and was concerned about being overextended if they participated in two free-to-the-public programs.
We can NO LONGER look up Culture Pass due dates.
This is to create consistency across the branches as required by the call center.
But we CAN look in the catalog to see what is currently available.
New: performing arts venues. The Downtown Chandler Library (only) will have 10 passes total. The participating venue, performances, and dates of availability will vary. Passes will allow 2 people free tickets to 1 performance. Patrons will check out the pass on their card and will be given an instruction sheet with the information to secure their tickets. Patrons will need to call the Box Office, stating they are using a Culture Pass, at which time they will give the 14-digit barcode number on their receipt. Seats are limited so patrons will need to call within 7 days of checking out the pass. Patrons will need their check-out receipt to pick up their tickets at Will Call on the day of the performance.
Participating Libraries
Passes will be available for checkout on a library card at ALL BRANCHES of the Chandler, Scottsdale, Glendale, Mesa, Tempe, Phoenix, Peoria and Cave Creek public libraries, as well as ASU West, Tempe, Polytechnic, and Downtown Phoenix libraries.
Procedure
- The patron will select an institution from the display.
- The patron will bring the pass to the service desk along with his or her library card. The cardholder needs to be present (no checking out on kids' cards if the child isn't here).
- Staff will check out the pass (sorry, no self check) and stamp the receipt with the library stamp.
- The pass stays in the library in our Cultural Pass storage bin. It will be returned to the display after 7 days.
- The patron will present the receipt (not the pass) to the institution. It will admit up to 2 people, general admission.
They can check out one pass at a time, with a limit of one per family. The brochure states that there is also a limit of 2 per month. The museums do not expect us to police this, but if we see repeat customers we can remind them of this limit.
How long will the receipt be valid?
The receipt is valid for 7 days from the time of checkout. It expires at the end of the day on the date on the slip.
Can patrons use the receipt more than once? No, the institution will collect their receipt when they visit, so it may be used only once during the 7 days.
Are the passes renewable? No, passes are not renewable.
Will patrons be able to place holds on the passes?
No, passes will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Also, we cannot set passes aside for patrons who call, since this is equivalent to placing a hold.
Do the passes need to be returned to the library? No, since the receipts are surrendered at the institution there is nothing to return!
Restrictions? The pass will cover admission to the institution, but not to special events/exhibits such as Zoo Lights or Body Worlds at the Arizona Science Center.
How do you see which passes are available?
Passes are cataloged under the keyword Culture Pass, and we or patrons can look in the catalog to see what is currently available. However, since we cannot place holds or set passes aside for patrons, there is no guarantee that a pass will still be available when the patron arrives.
What if a patron can't get the pass they want?
- Suggest they try another day, since new passes are returned each day. (Sorry, we cannot look up due dates.)
- Explain that these rules are set by the museums, to keep the progam within their budgets and to minimize the amount of work involved.
- Explain that the program is scheduled to run through April 2012 or later, so there will be plenty of opportunity for patrons to check back.
- Refer them to one of the free days that many museums offer:
See the sidebar on the Culture Pass page on our website.
Contact Charles in DT cataloging.
