As published in the Red Rock News

​Your ten minutes of fame are nigh! That’s right! In fact, you can permanently etch your legacy into the Library Courtyard when you purchase a paver for the patio. And everyone who’s anyone—as everyone is in Sedona—will see your name!

Wait, what courtyard you ask? The 18,000-square-foot courtyard we’re building this spring with a paved patio that will offer opportunities for outdoor programs for all ages. Need a pretty place to read, study, or meet a friend and share a brown bag lunch? This Courtyard will provide the perfect location. It will be safe and comfy, offer seats in the sun or the shade, with tables and umbrellas, and there will be strong Wi-Fi!

We all know how much we love to be outdoors in Sedona; we all know how the pandemic has led to too much time indoors; and we’re weary of the crowds we face at the many popular trailheads and overlooks. These lessons led to an amazing solution: The Library Courtyard! Outdoor library space is not just something the community wants, it is something the community needs!

When we conducted our Community Needs Assessment a year ago, you told us loud and clear that outdoor, accessible, non-touristy, beautiful meeting space was high on your priority list. A place where you could connect and engage. And that’s what we’re all about. As your Library, we promise to connect, engage, and inspire our community. And what better way than to offer a beautiful space, right out our back door?

Not only will the Courtyard connect to the Library’s back entrance, but it will lead right to the front door of the Friends’ Bookstore. The Friends are excited that this outdoor space will serve to reflect 55 years of Library support, and soon this historic relationship will literally have a concrete connection. Plans are in the works for a patio party commemorating the Friends 55th anniversary AND the Bookstore’s 5th birthday. Stay tuned and be ready to celebrate!

​All this, and you can own a piece of it when you purchase pavers to commemorate an anniversary, a birthday, favorite authors, inspiring poets, a pet, or how about your favorite Friend or Librarian? Library Director Judy Poe will remember her beloved dog Taloulah; Jan Quisumbing will honor his New Jersey roots. I will pay tribute to my daughters. What will your paver(s) say?

We have three sizes of pavers at introductory prices, so get them now before the prices go up. Choices include: 12”x12” with four lines of text, 18 characters per line for $400; 6”x12” with three lines and 18 characters per line for $250; and 6”x6” with two lines of text, 9 characters per line for $100. (Characters include spaces and punctuation.)

Paver order forms are available at both Libraries and on our website. Forms can be dropped off at both locations, or forms can be mailed to 3250 White Bear Rd, Sedona, AZ 86336. For charge card payments, please use our website at sedonalibrary.org/donate. All text must be approved by the Library. The Library can’t guarantee either location or stone color of any etched paver.

If you’re interested in sponsoring a larger section of the Courtyard, give me a call. There are plenty of large areas on the patio within the Courtyard where you can claim your fame and make your Library legacy in a big way. For more information contact amackler@sedonalibrary.org. See you in the Courtyard!

Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your gifts supplement the funding and support we receive from the City of Sedona, Coconino and Yavapai County property taxes, and Friends of the Sedona Library. Visit sedonalibrary.org/donate to learn more. Thank you!
 
Sedona Public Library 
Column for February 25, 2022 
Written by Anne Marie Mackler, Development Director

As published in the Red Rock News

Good day Red Rock News readers! When I introduce myself to patrons I am told almost immediately how much they love the Library. I humbly take the compliment, like a proud parent, but I have to agree that I love the Library as well.
 
After two months in the position of Program and Marketing Coordinator, what I love most of all about the Library is the volunteers. The Library staff, both full and part-time, number only 18 persons. Our volunteers, over 110 them, are the unsung heroes of Sedona Public Library. They help us focus on our duties to deliver the best services for you, our patrons. They’re the ones that greet you when you enter the library, and can be seen amongst the stacks helping to maintain the Library’s collection at both our main library in West Sedona and our newly expanded library in the Village.
If you’d like to learn more about becoming a volunteer, please visit the Library website, sedonalibrary.org, where you can learn more and apply. And of course, you can always call or visit.
Whether you’re interested in helping with children’s programming in Youth Services or helping with checking in returns at Circulation, there are many volunteer opportunities at the Library waiting for the right person to come in and give back to the community. Other tasks you might consider include shelving, shelf reading, or pulling holds. Please reach out to learn more.
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Volunteering can help you gain confidence by giving you the chance to try something new and build a real sense of achievement. You will have the opportunity to meet new people, build friendships, use skills that you may never have known you had, and find a sense of purpose. It only takes a few hours a week to volunteer at the Library, and our opportunities are based on your availability and schedule.
 
Though my time here has been short, I have gotten to know some of the Library’s volunteers and marveled at how long some of them have dedicated their time to volunteering, many of them for decades. Before I start my workday, volunteers have already arrived at the Library. They are expediently taking care of the numerous books and audio visual items that were returned late the previous day or after hours, including DVDs, audiobooks, music CDs, and audiobook Playaways.
 
They are also busily pulling holds for both our patrons and for patrons across the 50+ libraries that make up the Yavapai Library Network. Some of our volunteers even help out with the free AARP tax preparation service that is currently available by appointment at our West Sedona and Village branch. Where they find the energy escapes me, but I am all the more thankful for what they do and give of themselves. It’s truly a wonderful and noble deed to volunteer one’s time.
 
We are in a rebuilding process with our youth volunteer group. My newest goal is to increase youth volunteer participation. I know they are out there. Currently, we only have one teen volunteer. We would love to have more. Don’t get me wrong, I’m proud to have him as a teen volunteer. He’s my son! Once a week, whether he’s running the afterschool Dungeons and Dragons program or helping re-label books in the Teen Area, he serves as an example of the great impact that libraries can have on a teen’s life. I hope his time volunteering will instill in him a work ethic and the life skills he can carry into any future career. Putting on my “parent hat” and looking back to when I was a teenager, I wish I had spent more time in my school and town library and that I had volunteered more.
 
In April, we will celebrate our volunteers. We are planning a volunteer appreciation event to get together, celebrate, honor, laugh, share stories and show our volunteers just how much we appreciate them and all they do at the Library. Don’t you want to join us?
 
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your gifts supplement the funding and support we receive from the City of Sedona, Coconino and Yavapai County property taxes, and Friends of the Sedona Library. Visit sedonalibrary.org/donate to make an online gift. Thank you! 
 
Sedona Public Library 
Column for February 18, 2022 
Written by Jan Marc Quisumbing, Program & Marketing Coordinator 

As published in the Red Rock News

“A friend in need is a friend indeed.” How many times have you heard that old expression? It has been around for a long time. In fact, some attribute its origin to Quintus Ennius in the 3rd century BC. In Latin it means that a sure friend is identified or recognized when there is a difficulty. But one does not need to know Latin to understand that when someone needs assistance, the person who comes to their aid is a true friend.

As president of the Friends of Sedona Library, and as a former librarian myself, I recognize how important Friends organizations are to a library, and this expression hits home for me. Friends of Library groups are also historic and have existed in the U.S. for some 100 years offering volunteer and financial support to libraries. The Friends of the Sedona Library, a private non-profit 501(c)3 organization, got its start 55 years ago, and we are proud of how we have helped Sedona Public Library succeed.

Libraries are supported in a variety of ways. Many public libraries in the U.S. are funded by the governments of the cities, towns, or townships where they reside; they are often their own departments with specific budgets. In fact, only about nine percent of public libraries are 501(c)3 non-profit organizations like Sedona Public Library, while most libraries, municipal or independent, have Friends groups. Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish American businessman and philanthropist, funded the construction of 2,500 libraries in the U.S. from 1883 to 1929 with the caveat that the municipalities had to offer support to the libraries.

Sedona Public Library began humbly in 1958 with the work of dedicated volunteer community members. Less than ten years later, the Friends of the Sedona Library was established, and continues to be one of the key supporters of the Library. The Library receives the bulk of its operations funding from the City of Sedona and Coconino and Yavapai Counties, but also relies on the Friends and other private support from individual donors and foundations for operations and capital projects.

When you support the Friends, you support the Library. Individuals have contributed to the Friends for more than half a century with annual memberships and for many years by shopping at the annual book sales or attending fundraisers. Today, supporters shop at the Friends Bookstore adjacent to the Library or at their online store. Supporters also make donations or leave the Friends in their estate plans. The Friends are then able to provide support to the Library including an annual grant for general use as well as small grants for special projects, programs, and capital improvements.

Selling books is one of the most important ways that the Friends support the Library. The Friends Bookstore on White Bear Road will celebrate its 5th anniversary in June of this year. Book donations to the Library make up the majority of store’s inventory, and it really is the best bookstore in Sedona. Since inception, the Friends have provided more than $2 million in support to the Library from book sales and membership dues.

Residents and visitors alike marvel at the stunning library building on White Bear Road. Over the years many tourists have made contributions in appreciation of the Library’s services, and they often purchase a bundle of books from the Bookstore. Some have even become members of the Friends despite not being full-time residents. They know the value of library services firsthand, and they understand that every library needs additional financial support.

This year, as we celebrate our 55th anniversary, we invite you to join us in helping Sedona Public Library continue to thrive. You can become a Friend of the Sedona Library for as little as $15. Or you can make a donation at three convenient locations and online. Stop by the Bookstore at 3270 White Bear Road, adjacent to the Library; the Village Library at 25 W. Saddlehorn Road in the Village of Oak Creek; or visit sedonalibrary.org/friends. By doing so, you will become that “friend indeed!”
 
Sedona Public Library 
Column for February 11, 2022 
Written by David Keeber

​As published in the Red Rock News

This week’s column is another in the Library’s series introducing you to members of our staff. Today, I’m introducing Marcy Barnes Young, Technology Librarian. Marcy came on as a full-time librarian last year after working for us part time for many years. Marcy is a self-claimed “nerd” who loves the technology challenges that are brought to her. But unlike many nerds, Marcy’s tech prowess comes with kindness, patience, and a smile. For this, many patrons feel new confidence and are very grateful.
 
“I love when a user walks away more confident after our appointment,” Marcy explained. “I’m good at sensing a user’s saturation point. I can sense when it is time to stop talking, and they need to go home and practice.”

This is why typical one-on-one appointments with Marcy last only 30-60 minutes. You can make an appointment on Tech Tuesday, at the new branch in the Village of Oak Creek, from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Technology tutoring is also available in West Sedona at the Library on White Bear Road on a walk-in basis or by appointment during open hours.

“This is a great opportunity for patrons to bring in their devices and learn about applications, navigation, and general troubleshooting,” Marcy said. She explained that so far it’s going really well, and she helps people with an array of devices, problems, and often how to download apps and e-books. “People are returning for more information,” she said, happy that this service is successful. And stay tuned, Marcy hopes that one day we’ll offer tech tutorials on different universal applications like the Google Suite.

I asked Marcy our typical interview questions, and her answers were delightful. No surprise there.
 
Where were you born?
“I was born in Balboa Naval Hospital near the beautiful Balboa Park, in a beautiful building!” Marcy left San Diego when she was 19, although she had never thought she would leave the ocean. But friends finally convinced her to join them on a road trip. “It was so hot; I was tired of the traffic; and I finally decided to leave.” The first stop was Sedona, and the first house they visited belonged to Dale. For Marcy, the road trip ended there, and she and Dale have been together ever since. They have three children and married in 2010.
 
What was your first job?
“Besides babysitting, at 14, I cleaned charter fishing boats in Point Loma Harbor.” After that, Marcy tended to follow her kids to find employment. When they attended West Sedona School, she got a job there as a media aide in the school library. “I was always good at troubleshooting, and I had good customer service.” When her daughter was attending Flagstaff Arts & Leadership Academy, Marcy got a job at the Cline Library at NAU, solving a commuter problem. “We just drove together.” And when she finally retired from NAU in 2021, we inherited her, and we are so glad we did.
 
What book most influenced you and why?
“Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I read this at a time in my life when I was reconsidering who I was, and who I was going to become. This book was a self-discovery adventure. I learned that so much of what I did, I was doing for the wrong reasons. It really helped me think through things.”
 
Are you on Team Dog or Team Cat and why?
“Well, when it comes to dogs and cats, I love them both equally.”
“Bi-animal?” I asked.
“Yes!” Marcy laughed. “I’ve owned and loved both and at the same time. But right now I only have my grand-dog, Skipper.”
 
Have you ever seen a ghost or a UFO?
“I have not seen either,” Marcy said, and she seemed disappointed in that. However, she noted, she suspects her brother-in-law, who owns Sedona By Starlight, “has probably seen lots of things he couldn’t identify.”
 
Marcy loves working in a library because she believes that “Libraries are, perhaps, the greatest, or one of the greatest, institutions ever conceived of by civilization because of the service to community and the resources. Libraries serve as the equalizer.” We couldn’t agree more.

If you need some tech help, or even just a boost in your confidence as you’re figuring out a new device or app, or a new version of an app, come on by or make an appointment with Marcy Barnes Young, our Technology Librarian. You’ll be glad you did. Call 928-282-7714, ext. 8128.

Sedona Public Library 
Column for February 4, 2022 
Written by Anne Marie Mackler, Development Director