 As published in the Red Rock News
Sedona Public Library has posted a new StoryWalk at Sunset Park! StoryWalk is a fun, safe, and educational activity that all ages can enjoy. Each page of a book is displayed along a paved, half-mile long accessible path in Sunset Park. The journey begins at the toddler playground, and passes over two bridges, providing 15 minutes of walking and reading in the great outdoors. Each panel includes a fun activity, prompt, or literacy tips in English and Spanish! Our newest StoryWalk book is “Little Elliot, Big City,” written and illustrated by Mike Curato and published by Henry Holt & Company. Our first visitor was one of our favorite young patrons, Elliot! He got a kick reading a story with his name in it, and he loved the interactive prompts like stomping to the next numbered page, listening for sounds that are different from city sounds, and talking about friendship. Elliot and his family are loyal library patrons who also enjoy many library services. They are currently homeschooling, and Elliot’s mother uses the Yavapai Library Network app to locate and hold books for her homeschool curriculum. She also uses the curbside pickup option 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday through Friday. She says her favorite thing about the Yavapai Library Network app is “how I can keep track of all the books that I have checked out, including the ability to renew books. My library card is also saved on the app, so I never have to look for my library card!” Elliot’s mom also uses our online catalog, where she can search by reading level and select level-appropriate books for her son so he can practice reading all by himself! You can even bring StoryWalk to your own backyard or classroom! Children and adults can read the story and enjoy the activities and literacy tips on each poster at home, at school, or any location. Sedona Public Library exhibits four different books each year at Sunset Park. When a story is replaced, the previous books become a part of our collection and are available for families or teachers to check out and host their own StoryWalk. Each StoryWalk includes a large plastic tote, individually laminated pages, and clips to hang the pages. Check out the “StoryWalk” tab on the Youth Services page of sedonalibrary.org to learn more about StoryWalk kits. After you visit Sunset Park and read “Little Elliot, Big City,” you can stop by the Library to read the rest of the Little Elliot books in our collection: “Little Elliot, Big Family,” “Little Elliot, Big Fun,” and “Little Elliot, Fall Friends.” Funding for this project was provided by the Arizona Community Foundation, Goldenstein Gallery, City of Sedona Parks and Recreation, and the Langston Family Foundation Sedona Public Library is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization. Please support your library by making a gift at sedonalibrary.org/donate, or mail your donation to Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona AZ 86336. Thank you! StoryWalk® is a trademarked concept created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, Vermont, and developed in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. Sedona Public Library Column for February 26, 2021 Written by Viviane Kraus, Youth Services Librarian  As published in the Red Rock News
Library Lovers Month is celebrated nationally throughout the month of February, and Sedona Public Library regularly participates in the fun. This year, we wanted to turn the tradition on its head, and say “We Love You” instead. Your library loves you, Sedona! All of you, and we’re showing our love in small and large ways. For instance, patrons can receive a coupon to pay off fines. Replacement cards are free, and on Fridays we’re providing goody bags with the coupon, a notepad, button, chocolate, and more. Kay Bork, former employee and volunteer said, “What a nice surprise to receive your library goody bag on Friday! It's a great way to connect with patrons even while we're socially distancing.” One of the most important ways we love our community is through our many partnerships. SedonaKind joined the fun and installed a “Kindness Tree” in the children’s room. Kids and families can write a recent act of kindness on a heart-shaped ornament and hang it on the tree. Kind acts noted so far include: “I taught my dad how to play ‘Deck the Halls;’” and “I helped my friend with their homework.” Another important partnership is with Sedona Area Homeless Alliance (SAHA). They collect supplies (sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, etc.) for distribution to the homeless. A local expert reported approximately 125 homeless in the area early this winter. “What we all experience with COVID,” they suggested, “is similar to what homeless people experience every day. The loneliness and the isolation.” And the highest priority for the homeless is a safe place to sleep. While the Library can’t provide safe sleep, Ryan Dowd, a national expert on the homeless and author of The Librarian's Guide to Homelessness, says, “There is one word, and that word is SOCKS!” Why socks, you ask? Great question. Dowd explains that individuals experiencing homelessness walk around a lot, in all kinds of weather. Imagine not having a warm, dry home, let alone warm, dry feet, during the storm we had a few weeks ago. So what has your library done? We’ve created a “Sox Box.” The box for sock donations is in the lobby in West Sedona and near the door at our service center in the Village. We’re asking everyone to help us fill the box with socks. Dowd recommends plain socks, and tube socks, if available, because they go up the calf and keep more of the body warm. And, finally, men’s socks. Why? They’re larger and can be worn by anyone, even children. According to Cheri Baldwin, board member and volunteer at Sedona Community Food Bank, there are at least 36 currently known homeless or foster children in the area. Cheri mentioned SedonaKind has established a clothing room at Red Rock High School, and socks are always a popular item. For Sedona Public Library to make this effort is not unlike many libraries across the nation. According to the American Library Association, “Access to library and information resources, services, and technologies is essential for all people, especially the economically disadvantaged.” Across the country, there’s been increasing discussion of how libraries can address homelessness and mental health issues. A 2018 report by the Chicago Tribune estimated there are now more than 30 library systems across the country with full-time social workers. Seattle Public Library has librarians that regularly set up small stations in tent cities throughout the vicinity. Granted, Sedona is a much smaller city, but it is worth noting that from Flagstaff to Cottonwood there are five homeless shelters and in Sedona, SAHA stays busy. Additionally, Manzanita Outreach, a food provider in Cottonwood, sees approximately 600 cars every two weeks in their curbside food box pickup program. Cheri Baldwin says that Sedona Community Food Bank assists approximately 150 people a week. Sedona Public Library is proud to support organizations that do the work that we can’t do like providing certain services to our disadvantaged patrons. What the Library does offer is an array of resources, just ask a librarian, and literature, here are some items on homelessness from our collection that might interest you. For movie buffs, please consider watching The Public, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. If fiction is your thing, we have Booker Prize 2020 shortlist Burnt Sugar, by Avni Doshi. If you like nonfiction, you might read Journeys out of Homelessness: The Voices of Lived Experience, by Jamie Rife. Our youth services librarians recommend the YA novel Crenshaw, by Katherine Applegate (2015), and children’s picture book A Chair for My Mother, by Vera B. Williams (2009). Come on by, read for a while, scan our resources, and be sure to pick up a goody bag and a “My Library Loves Me” button. Wear it this month, wear it always, and let everyone know your library loves you. Finally, please consider coming by with new socks for our box. We’re about 30 percent full, and we know we can get there with your help. As Ryan Dowd says, “Instantly the world is a better place. Remember, empathy is the answer.” Sedona Public Library Column for February 19, 2021 Written by Anne Marie Mackler, Development Director  As published in the Red Rock News
Let's go birdwatching! Sedona Public Library has a new Birdwatching Kit available for checkout! It has everything you need to engage children in learning about the birds of North America. We’re excited about this new addition to our Youth Services collection, and we can’t wait for you to stop by and take one home! What’s in the Birdwatching Kit, you ask? Everything but the birds! First, it includes four books, both fiction and nonfiction, about birds! For example, you can use Jennifer Ward’s I Love Birds!: 52 Ways to Wonder, Wander, and Explore Birds with Kids to guide you and even help you create a yard map to document your landscape, the birds, and the wildlife that frequently visit! Second, there’s all kinds of equipment to help you explore and go birding! The kit includes both adult and children’s binoculars, as well as a bird call identifier to help you listen and learn the songs of a blue jay, a Steller’s jay, and many more! You’ll have fun talking to your birds! Which ones will you call? Third, you’ll need maps, and we’ve got those, too! In the Birdwatching Kit, you’ll find the Verde River Valley Birding Trail Map and the Birds of Arizona Field Guide. Take a walk at Red Rock State Park and you might spot a common black hawk or a rufous hummingbird. Everyone’s excited about the kit and our growing resources! We collected resources from our community, and library patrons have contributed the Verde River Valley Birding Trail Map and the Dead Horse Ranch State Park & Verde River Greenway Checklist of Birds in the Park and Vicinity to our Birdwatching Kit! It’s a joy to collaborate with bird lovers and experts, and the community. We welcome any resources as we continue to grow our offerings! Finally, what would a Birdwatching Kit be without games? Our kit includes bird versions of popular games such as Bird Bingo, where you’ll learn about 64 species of birds from around the world. Would you be able to recognize the puffin or the kookaburra? You can also play Audubon Bird Spotting-Opoly and collect bird species, eggs, and nests to win! Our Birdwatching Kit is perfect for any parent, guardian, grandparent, or teacher looking for new educational and fun activities for children! It’s great for learning pods, classrooms, after-school programs, homeschoolers, or anyone who is interested in learning about our fine-feathered friends. The Birdwatching Kit is best suited for elementary school-aged children and older, but children of all ages and even adults will love it, too! Sedona Public Library’s Birdwatching Kit is one of many activities in our STEAM programming at Youth Services. Any of our kits can be checked out for up to three weeks. To learn more about our kits and other STEAM programming, please visit sedonalibrary.org or call Youth Services at (928) 282-7714 x 119. STEAM kits and STEAM programming are supported by the Arizona State Library, Archives & Public Records, a division of the Secretary of State, with federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Sedona Public Library Column for February 12, 2021 Written by Viviane Kraus, Youth Services Librarian  As published in the Red Rock News
As the snow melts and we head into spring, a season of renewal, all of us at Sedona Public Library look ahead with excitement to wildflowers, warmer mornings, and longer days. With this idea of “looking forward,” we’re working on new ways to bring engaging and exciting programming to Sedona and the Verde Valley. We believe in partnerships, and our partnership with Camp Verde Community Library and Cottonwood Public Library is a powerful one, creating new programs and collections to share and celebrate the talent here in the Verde Valley. In our upcoming presentation made possible by this partnership, authors return to the Library in a new way—virtually! We invite you to join us for a virtual author presentation featuring much-loved Arizona author Roger Naylor to discuss his new guidebook, Arizona’s Scenic Roads & Hikes: Unforgettable Journeys in the Grand Canyon State. In this presentation, Naylor will also share images from his new book, some by local photographer Mike Koopsen, followed by an audience Q&A. Whether you are looking for gorgeous scenic drives or new hikes to fall in love with, Naylor has suggestions for everyone to enjoy Arizona. As Naylor describes, readers can “travel from sun-kissed deserts to the summits of snow-capped mountains, from the cosmic abyss of the Grand Canyon to the red rocks of Sedona and the soaring monoliths of Monument Valley. Visit ancient Native American villages, chase Old West legends, and get your kicks on Route 66.” The guide thoughtfully pairs attractions and activities with hiking trails of all levels of difficulty, making it easy to plan an exciting and varied road trip sure to fit anyone’s interests. Naylor even provides suggested routes organized by region and provides suggestions for locally owned places to eat or stay! Naylor has drawn large audiences in his previous presentations. Kay Bork, former staff member and volunteer, says, "Roger Naylor is a local treasure with a state-wide reputation. His presentations combine vast knowledge with great enthusiasm, and, after hearing him on several occasions, I am definitely a member of his fan club." Another fan and library patron, Michelle Barrett, says that Naylor “brings his infectious love of Arizona, travel, and exploration to life with his great humor and personal stories for a most enjoyable and memorable presentation. I left the Sedona Library laughing and ready to hit the roads, trails, and eateries with a couple of his books stashed in my backpack. One of the best programs I've attended at the Library.” Registration is required for this free event. Please visit sedonalibrary.org and follow the link on our homepage. You can check out the following titles also by Roger Naylor at sedonalibrary.org: Arizona Kicks on Route 66 and The Amazing Kolb Brothers of Grand Canyon: Photographers, Adventurers, Pioneers. For recommendations on other related books and materials, just ask a librarian when you stop by either location or give us a call. We invite you to look forward with us, into the spring and into the future. Step out of winter and into nature, with Roger’s guidebook to show you new ways to explore our beautiful state. Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and we welcome your support. Please visit sedonalibrary.org/donate today and make an online donation. You can also make your tax-deductible donation by mailing a gift to 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ 86336. Sedona Public Library Column for February 5, 2021 Written by Chelsea Burk, Program & Marketing Coordinator |
