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Yes, it is true! Sedona Public Library in the Village, currently located in Bell Rock Plaza, will be moving to the Big Park School Library. The projected opening is early November. More information will be forthcoming as we get closer to this date.
Positive response from the community has been overwhelming. Here is what library supporters are saying: Barbara Boeh: “The move to the BP School library is a necessary step to provide greater service in the Village. In this new space the library will continue to provide information and inspiration to connect visitors, newcomers, and locals. It is a great idea for the library to join the Rotary Club’s community garden and the Village Learning Center Preschool at Big Park School. Sedona Public Library is essential to the community’s well-being.” Rod Cashin: “I am an enthusiastic patron of Sedona Public Library in the Village. I am extremely pleased regarding the move to the Big Park Community School grounds. Having a dedicated library space with a browsing collection, study rooms, quiet reading areas and community gathering places will be a tremendous asset to the community.” Paul Cooley: “It is great and welcoming news that the school library facility in Big Park Community School will now be leased to the Sedona Library for relocation of its Village of Oak Creek Branch. I am a firm believer that the Village of Oak Creek, where I have lived for the past eight years, should maintain a sense of community. That sense of community is greatly enhanced by a functioning library, that I understand in its new location will not only serve our VOC residents but will provide an opportunity for early childhood literacy to the Sedona Village Learning Center, also located in the Big Park Community School. What greater gift can we, as a community, bestow upon following generations than literacy and an appreciation for the wonderful world of books (and of course, now, eBooks!)?” Lynne Sullivan: “I've become accustomed to digital library services. But, like many of my neighbors, I think something vital is lost in the cold efficiency of the process. I miss the hands-on feel of the books, the attraction of a colorful cover, and the hook of a clever blurb. And so I'm eager to explore the new VOC branch being set up in the former library at Big Park Community School. It will be convenient, full-service, and well-stocked with actual books, periodicals, and savvy staff. I can almost smell the aroma of books now!” The library board, library staff and volunteers are excited about this opportunity. To ensure success in our new location, the library needs your financial support. Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. To make a tax-deductible donation to Sedona Public Library in the Village, please visit sedonalibrary.org/donate or send your check to 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ 86336. Be sure to designate your donation to SPL-V! One of the best ways to pass time during the hot summer is to relax in the comfort of air conditioning and binge watch your favorite series. The Yavapai Library Network has a good selection available. Since my travel has been limited due to the pandemic, I like to watch shows that take place in other countries. Many of these series are based on books. When you begin searching for details in the online patron catalog, I’m sure you will recognize some of the authors. Here are a few recommendations to get you started on your travels.
Shetland: This series, based on several books written by Ann Cleeves, takes place on the Shetland Islands at the northern-most tip of Scotland. Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez stays busy trying to solve murders taking place in his small island community. The scenery is breathtaking, and plot lines will keep you guessing. Doc Martin: If you like British comedies, you will enjoy watching Martin Clunes starring as Doc Martin Ellingham. Doctor Ellingham is a successful surgeon in London until he develops a fear of blood and can no longer perform surgeries. He is forced to move his practice to the fictional village of Portwenn. The show is filmed in Port Isaac, a charming fishing village on the Atlantic coast in north Cornwall, England. My Life Is Murder: This relatively new series set in Melbourne, Australia, is best described as a murder mystery, crime comedy-drama. Lucy Lawless plays Alexa Crowe, a retired cop. Her hobbies include baking bread and solving mysteries. A second season is on the way. Mystery Road: Aaron Pedersen, an Australian actor of Aboriginal descent, was born in Alice Springs, Australia. In this series, Pedersen plays an Aboriginal detective, who returns to his hometown after 10 years. Episodes are set in the Australian Outback. Indian Summers: This series is set in India shortly before the country gained independence from England. Story lines deal with conflicts between the British ruling class and their Indian subjects. Even though the series is supposed to take place in India, the entire show was filmed in Penang, Malaysia. The Good Karma Hospital: Ruby Walker, a young physician, flees London to relocate to a small coastal town in Southern India. While working at The Good Karma Hospital, she hopes to heal her heart and reconnect with her biological father. Another show supposedly taking place in India was filmed entirely on location in Sri Lanka. Wallander: Based on books by Henning Mankell, this series follows Inspector Kurt Wallander and takes place in southern Sweden. There are two different series based on Mankell’s books: the British series featuring Kenneth Branagh as Kurt Wallander or the Swedish version with subtitles starring Swedish actor Rolf Lassgård. Both versions are well done. All of these series are available in the Yavapai Library Network. If you need assistance placing a hold, please call 928-284-1603 or email voc@sedonalibrary.org. We are here to help. Thank you for supporting library services in the Village of Oak Creek. As a general rule, my reading interests lean toward fiction. However, lately I have been gravitating toward nonfiction, especially memoirs. My interest was piqued when I heard Joy Harjo, Poet Laureate of the United States; the late actress Cicely Tyson; and Ruby Bridges, American civil rights activist, share their stories during a virtual conference hosted by the American Library Association.
To learn more about these extraordinary women, their lives, and how they persevered, I checked out the following books from the Yavapai Library Network: “Crazy Brave: A Memoir” by Joy Harjo, “Just as I Am: A Memoir” by Cicely Tyson, and “Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story” by Ruby Bridges. After reading these books, I decided to ask my colleagues at the library three questions. What famous person, alive or deceased, would you like to meet? Why did you choose this individual? What would you ask him/her? Here are their responses. Judy Poe, Library Director: There are so many people I would love to meet...Edward Abbey, John Muir, James Wesley Powell, William Faulkner, Virginia Woolf, Picasso, Van Gogh, Frieda Kahlo, Leonardo da Vinci, Mary Oliver, Elizabeth Bishop, Nina Simone, Galileo, Charles Darwin, Jerry Garcia, and Edgar Allen Poe! It’s impossible for me to answer this question. Eric Petersen, Assistant Library Director: I would like to meet Johann Sebastian Bach. His music is some of my favorite. He was a true genius, craftsman, and artist. I would ask him how he managed his life/time to be able to get everything done. Viviane Kraus, Youth Services Librarian: I would like to meet Harriet Tubman. I chose Harriet because she risked her life to save so many others. I would ask her about how she survived living in fear and how she overcame that fear. Stacie Rivera, Volunteer Coordinator: I change every day. Today I would like to meet Simone Biles. I chose her because she has overcome so much in her life and is so successful. I would ask her how she developed so much determination and discipline. How does she stay positive? Teri Ruiz, Programs & Marketing Coordinator: I would like to meet the unknown mastermind who designed and built the Great Pyramid. I would ask her “why?” Jim Thomas, Facilities Manager: I chose Nikola Tesla because all of his inventions, whether he got credit for them or not, were with the intentions of helping all humanity. I would ask him two questions. Since you were so ahead of your time with your ideas, where did these ideas come from? Was it just theories that you had or did something happen to make you feel like these things were possible? If you are interested in reading biographies and memoirs, check out the numerous resources available in the Yavapai Library Network. If you need assistance searching or placing a hold, please contact the Library. We are here to help. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives forever. For months, we did not have access to activities that we enjoy: dining at restaurants, hanging out with friends, traveling to new destinations, working out at the gym, and visiting the library to browse the collection. I asked people to share what they missed most during this past year, and then I found books that offer ways to stay connected from home or adapt to our “new normal.”
Since I cannot travel, I found the next best thing in a book called ‘Lonely Planet’s Where to Go When: The Ultimate Trip Planner for Every Month of the Year.’ The title says it all, and the photos are spectacular. I look at this book every day and dream of my next trip. Deb Stein said, “I missed my leisurely perusing of the grocery aisles. What I have realized is that I’ve adapted to a new routine for procuring groceries, and I prefer it!” If you need ideas to update your cooking/grocery shopping routine, check out this new book from America’s Test Kitchen: “The Ultimate Meal Prep Cookbook: One Grocery List, a Week of Meals, No Waste.” “I missed going to my favorite restaurants,” disclosed Janice LaDuke. When you cannot dine at your favorite restaurant in Sedona, you can skim cookbooks that feature Sedona restaurants and recipes. Here are a few titles to whet your appetite: “The Elote Café Cookbook,” “The Elixir of Life,” and “Sharing the Table at Garland’s Lodge.” Library volunteer Nancy Champagne shared, “I think the thing I missed the most during the pandemic was human contact. Getting back to volunteering at the library gave me a much needed mental health boost. I love seeing the people from the VOC, hearing their stories, and, of course, talking about books and movies. I’m sure it helped my sanity!” To learn more about the many benefits of volunteering, read “The New Breed: Understanding and Equipping the 21st Century Volunteer,” by Thomas McKee. If you prefer not to go to the gym and want an informative guide to stretching exercises you can do at home, Marie Olivarez recommends “Stretching Exercises Encyclopedia,” by Oscar Moran. “I missed soft toilet paper,” confessed Carol Stetser. While the library does not lend toilet paper, the collection has some interesting books about toilets: “The Story behind Toilets,” by Elizabeth Raum, and “Pipe Dreams: The Urgent Global Quest to Transform the Toilet,” by Chelsea Wald. If you have missed visiting the library, we are excited to welcome you back. Our patrons and visitors are delighted to come inside to use the computers, pick up holds, and browse our floating collection. Sedona Public Library in the Village is at Suite 51 A in Bell Rock Plaza. We are open Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information about library services, please call 928-284-1603 or email voc@sedonalibrary.org. We are here to help! Thank you for supporting library services in the Village of Oak Creek. Libraries are in the business of improving lives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sedona Public Library has become more important than ever, connecting people with valuable resources and services.
One of these services is the Arizona State Braille and Talking Book Library. Talking Books are audiobooks recorded for individuals with visual impairments or physical limitations. The collection of braille, talking books, magazines and equipment is loaned to anyone who cannot hold, handle, or read conventional printed matter due to vision loss or physical disability. There is no charge for the books or equipment. Books are delivered and returned by mail; postage is not required. Once the Arizona Talking Book Library has established eligibility for the service, a librarian will contact the applicant by phone, send books and provide catalogs that list available books and magazines. If the applicant is hearing impaired, there is the option to call a contact person as listed on the application. I recently signed up a Village resident for this service. Debbie Schwartz, a VOC library patron, stopped by the Village library to inquire about library services for her friend Boots Claunts. He can no longer read print books. I told Debbie about the Arizona Talking Book Library and gave her the application. After Debbie completed the simple, one-page application for Boots, I signed off and submitted his application to the Arizona Talking Book Library. Within a week’s time Boots had a personal librarian, received his player, and began listening to books that he requested. Thanks to the Arizona Talking Book Library, Boots can experience books again. He likes to read mysteries and books about sports. His favorite author is John Grisham. “I enjoy the audiobooks because they help pass time. If I can’t sleep, I get up and listen to a book. Without these audiobooks, I would not have the ability to read. The books are delivered by mail right to my home. Most of all, it’s a free service and greatly appreciated,” shared Boots. In addition to being an avid reader, Boots plays golf five days a week and enjoys hanging out with his golf buddies. Boots celebrated his 102nd birthday on March 21, 2021. Happy reading, Boots! If you are interested in learning more about the Arizona Talking Book Library, please stop by the Village library to see a demonstration of the player and pick up an application. We are here to help. Sedona Public Library in the Village is at Suite 51 A in Bell Rock Plaza. We have resumed regular operating hours: Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information about the Arizona Talking Book Library and other library services, please call 928-928-284-1603 or email voc@sedonalibrary.org. Thank you for supporting library services in the Village of Oak Creek.  Heidi and Faith Glenn Hello, Village of Oak Creek! I’m Anne Marie, the Development Director at Sedona Public Library, and I’m excited to share some news about your hometown library. April 7 is Library Giving Day, a day to celebrate and support libraries across the nation, and we’re participating for the third year in a row. I promise, this is not just another giving day. This is an opportunity to invest in building a stronger community, and it’s a wise investment at that: All gifts will be matched, dollar for dollar, up to $20,000! Now that’s smart philanthropy.
In fact, it is a Village of Oak Creek resident, library patron, and philanthropist, Gordon Reiter, who has made this match possible. Gordon believes in the work that libraries do to build community, and he hopes that his gift will inspire more residents to give. Do you like to double your money? Well you can thanks to Gordon! This Library Giving Day we’re sharing the inspiring story of Heidi Glenn and her daughter Faith, who has visited the Library since she was a baby. When she received her first library card this winter, it was a day of celebration. Heidi tells us, “Just like my mom took me to story time, I’ve brought Faith since she was tiny. She’s basically grown up with storytelling at the Library.” Heidi notes with pride that she still reads to Faith, but now Faith reads to her, too. “The Library has been important in our lives since . . . forever!” We’re building community, one reader at a time. Young and old readers alike need library services and, of course, we offer so much more than books. For those not yet ready to come into our facilities, we offer doorway holds pickup at Bell Rock Plaza. Or visit our website where you’ll have access to online movies, classes, books, and more. We’re your 24/7 library at sedonalibrary.org. When you support Sedona Public Library in the Village, you’re supporting the future of the library. And we’re glad that the Sedona Village Partnership, Big Park Regional Coordinating Council, and the Village of Oak Creek envision a future that includes expanded library services. To this we say, “Yes!” Our vision is to provide service to as many people as we can in Yavapai and Coconino Counties. As they say, great minds think alike. From young readers like Faith, to parents like Heidi, and to the many seniors who have found their home here in the Village, we want everyone to enjoy the investments we make in this community. Speaking of investments, we sure hope you will consider making an investment in us on Library Giving Day, doubling your money, and directing your gift to Sedona Public Library in the Village. What brought you to Arizona? Was it the climate? Did you move here to be closer to family? Did you relocate for a job? Was Sedona where you chose to retire? Whether you are a native Arizonan, a transplant from another state, or a visitor, Arizona offers something for everyone.
Award-winning travel author and popular Sedona Public Library speaker Roger Naylor explains why he calls Arizona home: “I knew this remarkable state was where I belonged as soon as I arrived as a wide-eyed college student. It captivated me with its epic beauty, diverse landscapes and rich history.” If you would like to read books about Arizona scenery and history, try checking out a title from the recommended list below. All of these titles are available through the Yavapai Library Network. You may recognize some of them! Many of the authors on this list have visited Sedona in the past to share presentations for the Library’s Arizona Humanities programs. You can find more information about each title or author by searching the library catalog at sedonalibrary.org. We hope you enjoy these books about Arizona, the grand state that we call home!
Sedona Public Library in the Village is at Suite 51A in Bell Rock Plaza. For current hours, please check the Library’s website at sedonalibrary.org. You have the option of returning materials from the Yavapai Library Network to the book drop box available 24/7 at the Village location. Please note that your items may not be checked in right away. Each library has a policy to quarantine items. We are here to help. If you need assistance with your library account, please call (928) 284-1603 or email voc@sedonalibrary.org. Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization where your gifts are always welcome. Learn more at sedonalibrary.org/donate. Did you know that every paved highway into Sedona is an officially designated scenic road? If this fact piques your interest, join us for a virtual author presentation with popular Arizona author Roger Naylor on Friday, February 12, from 1:30 to 3 p.m., presented by Sedona Public Library, Camp Verde Community Library, and Cottonwood Public Library. During this free virtual presentation on Zoom, Naylor will read excerpts and share images from his new book, Arizona’s Scenic Roads and Hikes: Unforgettable Journeys in the Grand Canyon State, followed by an audience Q&A.
Registration for Roger Naylor’s free virtual author presentation is required. You may register at sedonalibrary.org. Please follow the event link on the homepage. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Zoom meeting. If you have questions about this program or need more information, please email voc@sedonalibrary.org or call Sedona Public Library in the Village at (928) 284-1602 on Thursday or Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. or Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can also check out Roger Naylor’s newest book from the Library! Arizona’s Scenic Roads and Hikes features all 27 of Arizona’s state-designated scenic and historic roads, including five National Scenic Byways. The stunning drives are arranged by region and include starting and ending points, mileage, photos, full descriptions, and suggestions on locally owned places to eat and sleep. Each road trip is paired with attractions and activities, including nearby hiking trails. We are happy to have Roger Naylor present his new work, as we have enjoyed his past presentations at the Library. Sedona Public Library is proud to partner with Camp Verde Community Library and Cottonwood Community Library in presenting this event. We are currently working with our sister libraries to develop more virtual programming, as well as a shared collection of authors, artists, and musicians to celebrate the incredibly rich and diverse talent found here in the Verde Valley region. Please check sedonalibrary.org and follow us on social media for updates on future events and collaborations! If you would like to read additional books about Arizona scenery and history, please explore the library catalog at sedonalibrary.org. Sedona Public Library in the Village is at Suite 51A in Bell Rock Plaza. For current hours, please check the Library’s website at sedonalibrary.org. You have the option of returning materials from the Yavapai Library Network to the book drop box available 24/7 at the Village location. Please note that your items may not be checked in right away. Each library has a policy to quarantine items. We are here to help. If you need assistance with your library account, please call (928) 284-1603 or email voc@sedonalibrary.org. Thank you for supporting library services in the Village of Oak Creek. Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization where your gifts are always welcome. Learn more at sedonalibrary.org/donate. People often ask me to recommend books. I am an avid reader, and I am always happy to introduce patrons to new titles and authors. For 2021, I’ve made a list of 21 books that I recommend and hope you’ll enjoy reading as much as I did.
It was difficult narrowing my list to 21 titles; however, these books have made a lasting impression on me. When compiling this list, I selected books that are available in various formats from the Yavapai Library Network. Fiction:
Nonfiction:
If you need assistance locating a title, placing a hold, renewing items you have checked out, receiving your PIN, or updating your account information, please contact the library at 928-284-1603 or email voc@sedonalibrary.org. We are here to help and look forward to assisting you in 2021. As a new year begins, we would like to acknowledge our community for continuing to support library services during these unprecedented times. A special shout out goes to Clark’s Market for designating Sedona Public Library as a recipient of their Non-Profit Monday program. Thanks to Dave Miller, store manager, and the crew at Clark’s for encouraging shoppers to support the library. Thank you Clark’s Market and shoppers for your generous gift of $1,572 to support library services. Sedona Public Library in the Village is open and offering most library services; however, the browsing collection is not available at this time. We are encouraging patrons to place holds for pickup at the VOC library. Placing a hold is easy if you know a specific title that you would like to request. What if you prefer browsing the shelves and have no idea what to read next? This article will offer some suggestions for finding titles that will appeal to your reading interests.
If you need assistance locating a title, placing a hold, renewing items you have checked out, receiving your PIN, or updating your account information, you may find it easier and quicker to call the library at 928-284-1603 or email voc@sedonalibrary.org. We are here to help. Sedona Public Library in the Village is at Suite 51A in Bell Rock Plaza. You have the option of returning materials from the Yavapai Library Network to the book drop box available at the Village location. Return materials to the cart at the door when the library is open. For opening hours please call the Village library at 928-284-1603 or check the library’s website at sedonalibrary.org. Thank you for supporting library services in the Village of Oak Creek. |
