April is a month of celebration at Sedona Public Library: April 4 is Arizona Gives Day and April 11 is National Library Workers Day. As we think about what makes our nonprofit library extraordinary, we cannot overlook our dedicated team of librarians. They are an extraordinary lot. While you depend on the entire staff, and our volunteers, to provide friendly and helpful customer service, it is the librarians you depend upon for so much more.
 
Our librarians are information experts who assist you in finding, using, and understanding material effectively. Our librarians stay on top of all the trends in publishing, technology, and media so it’s easily available for you. Librarians are organization experts.
 
Nearly one third of Sedona Public Library’s permanent staff is degreed librarians. They wear many expert hats: manager, publicist, marketer, writer, reader, entertainer, program producer, gatherer, counter, recorder, artist, manager, greeter, verifier of truth, essential members of society…..the list goes on. As a recent PBS article stated, “Librarians, sometimes considered an antiquated breed, were swiftly deemed essential in the fight against disinformation. And libraries across the country responded, promoting researcher-vetted content, hosting community discussions on fake news and sharing guides to help people think critically about what they were reading.” (Art Beat, PBS.org).
 
Essential is right. Sedona Public Library librarians answer approximately 18,000 questions a year requiring research, expertise, and true librarian persistence. That’s extraordinary.
 
A visitor from Germany, who had travelled to Sedona to re-create a photo of artist Max Ernst and poet Dorothea Tanning, came to SPL and asked librarian Andrea Lhotka a question. He inquired, “Where in Sedona is the Max Ernst house?” Andrea was on it, and she wouldn’t quit until the answer was discovered. She found the location, of course, and our patron was thrilled and grateful. While a thank you bouquet was delivered, Andrea needed no reward. Extraordinary research and discovery are daily tasks for librarians.
 
The American Library Association (ALA) tells us in their “Libraries Transform” campaign that “the best search engine in the library is the librarian.” Who else do we go to when we need a verified answer, delivered with a smile? To the information experts: the extraordinary librarians. As author Neil Gaiman so aptly reminds us, “Google can bring you back 100,000 answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.”
 
As Sedona Public Library gives you extraordinary service, we ask that you consider giving back. Please join thousands of Arizonans on April 4, and support your favorite nonprofit, the extraordinary one: Sedona Public Library.
 
This year is the fifth annual Arizona Gives Day, a community-led effort to invest in our state. From 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on April 4, supporters of Sedona Public Library can go to azgives.org  and select Sedona Public Library to make a direct contribution or schedule donations in advance. These gifts are crucial to supporting YOUR Library.
 
Libraries Transform reminds us that libraries today are less about what they have for people and more about what they do for people and the communities where we live. Sedona Public Library and its librarians help make Sedona extraordinary. We do it for you, and we couldn’t do it without you. Thanks for your support.

Sedona Public Library
Column for March 31, 2017
Written by Anne Marie Mackler, Development Director

Observed annually in March, Women’s History Month is an occasion to reflect on the concerns of women from all walks of life and to celebrate women’s achievements throughout U.S. history.
 
Women’s History Month, which originated in 1981 as Women’s History Week, is commemorated by several government agencies and institutions, such as the National Park Service and the Library of Congress (more information can be found at womenshistorymonth.gov). It is also promoted by the nonprofit educational organization National Women’s History Project (NWHP), the group that petitioned Congress to re-designate Women’s History Week as a month-long observance.
 
Every year, the NWHP nominates honorees whose lives and work exemplify the annual Women’s History Month theme. The 2017 theme is “Trailblazing Women in Labor and Business,” and you can read biographies of this year’s nominees on NWHP’s website, www.nwhp.org. These brief articles offer a fascinating look not only into the groundbreaking contributions of the honorees but also into the unequal conditions women have faced in the workplace from the 1800s until modern times. For instance, did you know that airline companies automatically fired female flight attendants when they turned 32, until former stewardess and 2017 honoree Barbara “Dusty” Roads filed the first Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint in U.S. history?
 
To read more about the remarkable women who have shaped the course of American history and who are continuing to do so, stop by Sedona Public Library to browse the biography section. Recently released works include these well-reviewed titles, about two very different women who both dedicated their working lives to helping others:
 

• Dorothy Day: The World Will Be Saved by Beauty, by Kate Hennessy.  This biography of prominent social activist and journalist Dorothy Day is written by her granddaughter. Day helped found the Catholic Worker Movement during the Great Depression, which provided food to the needy. Organizations inspired by Day’s efforts still provide social services to the poor today, and Day is being considered for sainthood by the Catholic Church.

 

• Shoot Like a Girl: One Woman's Dramatic Fight in Afghanistan and on the Home Front, by Mary Jennings Hegar. In this memoir, a National Guard helicopter pilot shares her struggle through gender prejudice in the military. Flying combat search-and-rescue missions during three tours of duty in Afghanistan, Major Hegar was shot down during a mission yet managed to save the lives of her crew and patients. When her injuries ended her flying career, Hegar applied for another military position but was turned down because of a law excluding women from ground combat. Refusing to give up, she joined others in a lawsuit, resulting in the law’s repeal. Hegar’s book about her experiences is described as “a gripping chronicle by a daring pilot with an indomitable spirit.” 

 
These books are just a couple of the many new releases available from Sedona Library  or through the Yavapai Library Network. Contact the reference desk at 928-282-7714 if you need help finding a book or placing a hold.
 
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, partially supported by the City of Sedona and Yavapai and Coconino Counties. We also require donations and grants to fund our operations. Your tax-deductible donation may be made online through our website or sent to: Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ 86336.

Sedona Public Library
Column for March 24, 2017
Written by Elizabeth Cate, Collection Development Librarian

“One Sunday morning the sun came up and—Pop! Out of the egg came a tiny and very hungry caterpillar.” Eric Carle’s colorful, classic picture book has, for almost 50 years, been a first venture into the world of the Lepidoptera for many preschool children. The learning continues as Sedona Public Library hosts a visit from the “Butterfly Guy,” a.k.a. Jerry Schneider, on Wednesday, March 22, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
 
The Butterfly Guy is a former teacher and children’s librarian.  He is also a founding steering committee member of the Vermont Butterfly Atlas Project, a five-year study of butterfly populations in Vermont. He lives in Hardwick, Vermont, and is currently on a cross-country tour sharing what he has learned about the butterflies of North America. The Butterfly Guy has been doing about 125 shows a year for the last 16 years!
 
On Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., Schneider will share a beautiful butterfly slide presentation and talk about habits and habitats. We will learn about Eastern and Western butterflies: how to attract them to our gardens, how they differ from moths, what their defense mechanisms are, and more!  After the show, children will create their own butterfly tee shirt using a combination of fabric dye sprays, plants, and butterfly cutouts. The 100% cotton tee shirts, ranging in size from XS youth to adult large, and all supplies will be provided. You will leave the program with butterfly facts and a new tee shirt for spring.
 
Later this month, I will be sharing at least a couple of my favorite butterfly books in upcoming story time programs.  A Book of Colors: Butterfly, Butterfly, by Petr Horacek, is a simple story of a little girl in a ladybug dress who loses sight of her butterfly. A pop-up surprise finishes the story with a happy ending.
 
The Caterpillar and the Polliwog, by Jack Kent, is one of my very favorite read-aloud stories for preschoolers. Children also love this story of naivety, puzzlement, and joy, which is filled with rich vocabulary and opportunities for learning.
  
“National Learn about Butterflies Day” was just this week, on March 14, and we have made a month of it in the children’s room.  If you are feeling crafty, drop by the activity table anytime this month to create a one-of-a-kind butterfly, with wings like no other, using watercolor pencils, a coffee filter, water, and string.  Spot the flappy wooden butterfly overhead and choose books to take home from the butterfly, bugs, and spring book display.  Enjoy your library, and just a reminder that donations are graciously accepted for any youth event, at any time.

Sedona Public Library
Column for March 17, 2017
Written by Karen Mack, Youth Services Librarian

Do you want to be part of a dynamic team responsible to guide a treasured community resource?  Do you dream of sharing your valuable experience and contributing to a nonprofit recognized as the heart of Sedona?
 
Each spring, the Board of Trustees of Sedona Public Library (SPL) actively recruits new trustees.  We are now seeking new members, especially people who have fundraising, marketing, computer technology, and/or construction experience.  We are seeking an ethnically diverse membership that reflects the diversity of our community.  All are welcome to apply.
 
Information about applying for Board membership may be found at the end of this article. As an introduction, I’d like to tell you about the Board of Trustees and what the Board does, so you will better understand what membership entails. 
 
Instead of being owned and administered by a city or county library system, SPL is a private 501(c)(3) corporation, and, as such, its Board of Trustees is a governing board. Our library was started by volunteers in 1958 and was incorporated in 1966 – more than 20 years before the City of Sedona.  The library building was constructed with private funds and SPL remains entirely debt free. Today, the City of Sedona, and Yavapai and Coconino Counties contribute to the operational expenses. Our library relies heavily on volunteers, in-kind donations, donations and bequests, and funds from Friends of the Library to cover all other expenses necessary to sustain and preserve the building and offer ever increasing services to meet the needs of the community.
 
Our current board has eleven members:  President David Simmer, President-Elect Joel DeTar, Past President Pat Jansen, Treasurer Abbie Denton-Lander, Secretary Wendy Edwards, and Members-at-Large, Harvey Bershader, John Crawford, Charles Curtis, Gwen Ortmeyer, Roger Shlonsky and Mike Yarbrough.
 
Some of the most important duties of the board include: 

• Fundraising to support continued operation and any necessary expansion of the Library in a fiscally responsible manner
• Making and enforcing all policies, rules, regulations and bylaws necessary for the administration and government of SPL and all library property 
• Exercising and administering any trust declared or created for the Library
• Employing a Library Director, determining compensation, and empowering the director to administer the policies of the Board of Trustees 

 
The Board of Trustees holds monthly meetings, scheduled on the third Tuesday of each month at 9:00 a.m.  The board’s annual meeting in June is an open meeting at which annual reports are submitted for approval, and new Trustees are elected and installed for the new fiscal year.
 
The Board of Trustees conducts much of its work through committees. These committees include: Building and Grounds, Budget, Investment, Donor Relations, Marketing, SPL in the Village, and Strategic Planning and Policy.  Each of these committees has specific responsibilities outlined in the Board of Trustee Bylaws.  Board members usually serve on two or more committees.
 
According to Mary Y. Moore in her “The Successful Library Trustees Handbook”, the common characteristics of successful board members include:

• Willingness to participate in fundraising
• Record of working well with others,
• Ability to participate in discussions without dominating
• Knowledge of the community
• Commitment to library progress

 
If you have these characteristics and are interested in joining a dynamic, fun-loving, and fiscally responsible team, please send an email requesting an application packet to: splboardapplication@gmail.com.   Application packets are also available at the Reference Desk at the Sedona Public Library’s main site, 3250 White Bear Rd., Sedona, and at SPL in the Village, located in Bell Rock Plaza. Applications will be accepted through April 8.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Sedona Public Library
Column for March 10, 2017
Written by Pat Jansen, Library Board Past President

The excitement of launching our community-wide reading program, Read Around Sedona, has hit Sedona Public Library in a big way. There are 80 copies of “House of Apache Fires” available in the collection, and though most of them were checked out within the first two weeks, a few may remain on the shelf for the lucky ones who next walk in the door.  Once all copies have been checked out, we’ll be filling holds as soon as copies are returned. 
 
For those who enjoy reading e-books, 25 copies are available.  If all have been checked out, you can place a hold for the next copy.  You can access the e-book on the Library’s online catalog or go directly to the OverDrive site.  Call for instructions if you’re unfamiliar with how this works.  You can also find the e-book on Amazon.
 
We have also packaged 20 copies of the book especially for book clubs.  If you’d like to reserve a set of 10 books for your group, contact Galen Worthington, 928-282-7714, ext. 116 or Cheryl Yeatts at the Village location, 928-284-1603.
 
You may ask what makes this particular book so easy for us to recommend. Historical fiction entertains and can inform.  “House of Apache Fires” is one of those novels that keeps you turning the pages long after it’s time to go to bed, and it touches on historical facts that will pique your interest.  Fortunately there are many references to explore.
 
The title of the book comes from the home that Jack and Helen Frye built in the 1940s, in what was then a remote area, and is now Red Rock State Park.  Jack Frye was the co-founder and president of TWA, and his beautiful and talented wife was previously marred to Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr.  Their association with Howard Hughes and other influential people gave author Jameson a rich source of material for his book. 
 
The house can still be seen in the park, and you can imagine the scenes that take place there when you visit the site.  For more background on this aspect of the book, visit www.sedonalegendhelenfrye.com, a website created by Randall Reynolds.
 
The romantic thriller features pilot Jake Ellison, who leaves the death and destruction of World War II Europe after being badly wounded, only to be faced with the brutal murder of his ex-fiancée’s sister when he returns to his ranch in Sedona. Solving the mystery of who killed the young woman leads him to Flagstaff and takes him right back into the war effort.
 
John Westerlund’s book “Arizona's War Town: Flagstaff, Navajo Ordnance Depot, and World War II” is a great source of information on the U.S. Army ordnance depot at Bellemont, ten miles west of Flagstaff, where some of “House of Apache Fire’s” action takes place.

Be sure to join us on Wednesday, April 12, at 3:00 p.m. at the kick-off event in the Library’s community room.  Author Morgan Jameson will cover a broad range of topics, from how he arrived at the original idea for the novel all the way to determining the best conclusion.  He will discuss his research, character development, the intricate blend of fact and fiction, and the work involved in self-publishing. He will also share news about his work in progress, a prequel to this novel.

Please check the events calendar on the Library’s website at www.sedonalibrary.org and watch for announcements of additional programs that will explore the history of the 1940s in Arizona and the impact of the war.

This Arizona Community Reads program is 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 March 3, 2017
Written by Virgina Volkman, Director