Save the date! Sedona Public Library in the Village is having a Love Your Library Open House on Wednesday, February 17, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Stop by to check out our new location, enjoy some refreshments, and enter our raffle to win a Kindle Fire HD. Special thanks to Friends of the Library for providing funds to purchase the Kindle Fire for this special event.
In the fall of 2015, the Village library relocated from Tequa and opened at the new location at Suite 51 A in Bell Rock Plaza. Library patrons, volunteers, and staff seem to be very pleased with the new library service center, located between the Fitzpatrick Law Office and the Verde Valley Medical Labs. Statistics for SPL-V from the Library Director’s report for December 2015 show an increase in circulation, number of cards issued, and traffic.
We have another outstanding Arizona Humanities program scheduled in February. In observance of Black History month, Dr. Akua Duku Anoyke will present “African American Pioneers of Arizona,” on Wednesday, February 10 at 1:30 p.m. at Sedona Winds Retirement Community, 405 Jacks Canyon Road. This presentation, funded by the Friends of the Sedona Library and the Arizona Humanities, is free and open to the public. Donations are always welcome. Special thanks to Sedona Winds Retirement Community for providing our meeting space. Please note: parking and seating are limited at Sedona Winds.
During this presentation, Dr. Anoyke will share compelling documentaries based on interviews to tell the stories of prominent African Americans who contributed to the life and culture of Arizona.  Such luminaries include the late Dr. Eugene Grigsby, Betty Fairfax, Judge Jean Williams, Rev. Warren Stewart, Councilman Calvin Goode and Carol Coles Henry.  Each individual’s life is portrayed through prominent events that took place in Arizona and the impact his/her work had on the social, cultural and political lives of the state.
Thank you for your continuing support of library services in the Village. Your generous donations, designated specifically for Sedona Public Library in the Village, assist with funding daily operations of the Village library. Another way to support the Library is by joining Friends of the Sedona Library. The 2016 membership campaign is underway. You may pick up your application and return it to SPL-V. The Friends provide more than $100,000 annually toward the Library's budget. They also providing funding for the Arizona Humanities programs in the Village. These programs are free and open to the public. Book sales and other fundraisers bring in more than half of this amount, but the membership drive is still a priority. Your financial assistance is much appreciated. It's a valuable investment in your Library's future.

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” 
~ Saint Augustine
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Imagine what Saint Augustine would think of travel in today’s world! This quote appeals to my sense of wanderlust. For those of you who frequent Sedona Public Library in the Village, you may know that I recently returned from an extended holiday in Australia.
Long before my departure, I began using free resources from the Library to prepare for my trip. I checked out several guidebooks and travel DVDs about the Land Down Under. I enjoyed reading the following books: “In a Sunburned Country” by Bill Bryson, “Tracks” by Robyn Davidson, and “The Dressmaker” by Rosalie Ham.
These DVDs, available from the Yavapai Library Network (YLN), may be placed on reserve and picked up at the Village library: “A Cry in the Dark,” “Australia,” “Crocodile Dundee,” “My Brilliant Career,” “Muriel’s Wedding,” “Rabbit-Proof Fence,” and “The Sapphires.” You might also like the Australian TV miniseries called “The Shiralee,” based on the novel by D’Arcy Niland.
Dreading the 15 hour 45 minute flight from Los Angeles to Melbourne, I loaded my iPad with magazines from Zinio, the Library’s online magazine collection. I used the OverDrive app to download a few e-books to keep me occupied during the long flight.
Preparation for the trip does not begin to compare with the actual experience of being in the Land Down Under. Witnessing sunset at Uluru, hiking at Kata Tjuta National Park, snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef, exploring the Daintree Rainforest, driving along the Great Ocean Road near Melbourne, taking a backstage tour of the Sydney Opera House, and navigating Sydney Harbor were among the many highlights.
In addition to seeing great sights, I learned so much about the people of Australia. I met the owner of a working cattle station in the Outback, toured the School of the Air and chatted with one of the teachers, heard about the history of opal mining and learned more about the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. I attended a lecture by an Aboriginal artist, toured the Cultural Center at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, and visited The Old Telegraph Station at Alice Springs. I appreciated warm Aussie hospitality during a home-hosted dinner with a local family in Adelaide. During this adventure I discovered that Aussies are warm, gracious people who take great pride in their nationality and their country.
Whether you are an intrepid traveler or an armchair traveler, the Library can take you places. Stop by or call the Library to plan your next travel adventure. G’day, mates!