What better way to bring a small town together than to give people the chance to talk about a place they love—Sedona—and the stories they’ve come to know and want to share. Sedona Public Library’s first-ever community read program gives the community just this opportunity, and, according to one patron, “It’s the talk of the town.”
 
“Read Around Sedona” kicked off this month and has inspired hundreds of community members to read the same book as their neighbors, friends, colleagues, and families, and join Library discussions and events. The Library has more activities lined up for next month, all stemming from the novel House of Apache Fires, by local author Morgan Jameson, which was a superb choice for this new initiative. Community members agree.
 
Cindy Wilmer is one patron who has loved the program. “With a self-published and local author, and a book about familiar places during World War II, I was attracted to the idea of a community read,” she said. Wilmer, also a parent, Girl Scout troop leader, and novelist, thoroughly enjoyed the novel. “The literary technique at the end, the short chapters, kept the action going. It was intriguing from an author’s perspective, and proved entertaining for the reader.” She looks forward to more events including next week’s panel discussion.
 
On Tuesday, May 2, at 10:30 a.m., the Library hosts “Historic Perspectives” featuring four historians in the Si Birch Community Room. Having read the book, these panelists were glad to participate and share their expertise, perspectives, insights, and photos all related to the plot, settings, and action of Jameson’s historic WWII thriller. They will offer viewpoints into life during WWII, particularly in northern Arizona. Topics could range from familiar Sedona sites like the Helen and Jack Frye house in Red Rock State Park to familiar Flagstaff sites including the mysterious steam tunnels below the city; from Camp Navajo, just 42 miles north of Sedona in Bellemont, to a variety of WWII aircraft both well-known and experimental. Speakers include:

• James (Jim) E. Babbitt is a descendant of a pioneer Flagstaff family and co-owner of Babbitt's Wholesale, Inc. with his wife Helene. He is also co-author of Flagstaff (Images of America). Jim is a renowned Flagstaff and northern Arizona historian and collector.
• John S. Westerlund, who served as a U.S. Army field artillery officer for 26 years, retired in 1994 as a lieutenant colonel. He was a seasonal ranger with the National Park Service at the Flagstaff Area National Monuments for 11 summers. His book, Arizona’s War Town: Flagstaff, Navajo Ordnance Depot, and World War II has won awards for preservation of Southwest culture.
• Janeen Trevillyan is a farm girl from South Dakota.  Her professional career was in commercial interior design in Phoenix and corporate real estate in Florida. She has an interest in historic preservation and served on the City of Sedona’s Historic Preservation Commission.  She is the historian at the Sedona Heritage Museum and is co-author of the book, Images of Sedona.
• Richard Vihel, a second generation Arizonan and U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, studied aeronautical engineering and military history and the air war in World War II.  He flew combat in Vietnam as an O-1 Forward Air Controller and has flown heavy jets and bush planes in the U.S., Canada, and Australia.  He is a retired attorney and licensed A&P Mechanic.

 
Through the partnership with Sedona Heritage Museum, Read Around Sedona’s community connections and conversation went beyond the Verde Valley, all the way to North Carolina. Patsy and Joe Booth, visiting from Raleigh, attended a Museum presentation with Ruth Jordan Van Epps and Paul Thompson, both from pioneering Sedona families.
 
“This was one of the most informative presentations I’ve attended in a long time,” Patsy told us when she came to the Library looking for the books mentioned in the presentation. “Those presenters were an absolute delight; they reminded us of all the things we take for granted that simply weren’t available during the war.”
 
Also in May, Sedona Public Library encourages the community to join a book discussion with reference librarian Kay Bork, who originally met the author and recommended the Library select his book for our program. Kay will lead a discussion on House of Apache Fires on Friday, May 5 at 2:00 p.m. in the Quiet Study at Sedona Public Library.
 
All Read Around Sedona programs are free and open to the public. This Arizona Community Reads project 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 April 28, 2017
Written by Anne Marie Mackler, Development Director

The invitation said: “You’re invited to Val’s 100th Birthday Polka Party; Food and Drink, Music and Dancing with The Bouncing Czechs.”  Who could resist?  Several of us traveled to Tucson to celebrate with our former Library volunteer, Val Hirsch, and wouldn’t have missed it for the world!
 
In 2010 we honored Val for her 35 years of service and shortly after that we gave her a going-away party when she moved from Sedona to be closer to her son and daughter-in-law.  So, how does a 35-year Library volunteer celebrate her 100th birthday?  She dances the polka from start to finish, with a crown on her carefully-coifed hair and a smile on her face!
 
Erma Bombeck summed up the value of volunteers when she said, “Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation’s compassion, unselfish caring, patience and just plain love for one another.”
 
It’s that kind of connection that we celebrate during National Volunteer Week, April 23 to 29. The friendships made by volunteering are priceless and the benefits to our Library are enormous.  We are truly grateful for the nearly 16,000 hours of volunteer service given by 142 volunteers last year.
 
We love our volunteers at Sedona Public Library and we’ve scheduled an Appreciation Brunch on Sunday, April 23, to thank them for their contributions.  Special recognition will be given to these dedicated women who have been training new volunteers:  Tricia Egger, Sandy Kreml, Linda Schermer, and Kathy Wege.
 
We will also recognize volunteers for their milestone years of service.  Contributing Five Years: Gail Basham, Harvey Bershader, Kay Bork, Sandy Immerso, Mary “Hass” Maxson, Edith Shulman,  Dotte Vande Linde; Ten Years:  Janet Fontaine, Sandy Kreml, Janet Powell;  Fifteen Years:  Linda Schermer and Kathy Wege
.
Sedona is blessed with a wealth of people willing to devote their time and energy to help make the community a vibrant place to live.  As an institution created and sustained by volunteers, Sedona Public Library is well aware of their value.  Our volunteers work both behind the scenes and in the public eye and we couldn’t do it without them.
 
Most volunteers work one shift per week, but many work more.  Some volunteers work for more than one department.  Other volunteers prefer to be on-call only and substitute for volunteers who are away. Most shifts are 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 5 or 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.  Evening shifts are Wednesdays from 5 to 8 p.m.
 
If you would like to work with others who share a passion for our Library, please call Volunteer Coordinator Marisol Molina at 928-282-7714, ext 143 or fill out an application online.  After you fill out an application, we will call you for an interview and in-depth Library tour.
 
Join the millions of people who find fulfillment in working with and helping others in their communities. Become a volunteer today!
 
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 April 21, 2017
Written by Virginia Volkman, Library Director

This week, Sedona Public Library joins libraries in schools, campuses and communities nationwide in celebrating the many ways libraries are transforming their communities every day through the services and invaluable expertise they offer.

April 9 to 15 is National Library Week, a time to highlight the changing role of libraries, librarians and library workers. Libraries of all types are evolving to meet the needs of the communities they serve. By providing such resources as ebooks and technology classes, materials for English-language learners, programs for job seekers or a safe haven in times of crisis, libraries and librarians transform their communities.

The Library embraces the entire community, offering unlimited opportunities for personal growth and lifelong learning. Libraries level the playing field for people of any age who are seeking the information and access to technologies that will improve their quality of life.

We chose National Library Week to launch Read Around Sedona, our first-ever community reads program. This is an opportunity to connect people to literature and to bring them together to read and discuss the same book. The novel chosen for this inaugural program is House of Apache Fires by local author Morgan Jameson.

Much of the action of this historic thriller, set during World War II, takes place in Sedona. In partnership with the Library, the Sedona Heritage Museum is hosting a special presentation on Wednesday, April 19, at 1:30 p.m., entitled “Memories of Sedona – The 1940s” with Sedona natives Paul Thompson and Ruth Jordan Van Epps.

Thompson is the grandson of J. J. Thompson, Oak Creek Canyon's first permanent Anglo settler. His memories include living under the dark clouds of WWII and the success of the Normandy Invasion.  He remembers well when Elmer Purtymun and some of his cousins built the House of Apache Fires for Helen Frye.

Ruth Jordan Van Epps is the daughter of Walter and Ruth Jordan, who established and ran the Jordan orchards, the largest private employer in Sedona at one time. Van Epps will share memories of how the news of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor reached her family, how rationing and a shortage of men impacted her family’s orchard business and what daily life was like in general at that time.

The Sedona Historical Society now operates the Sedona Heritage Museum on the Jordan Farmstead, with many of the original buildings still in use. The museum is located at 735 Jordan Road, in Jordan Historical Park in Uptown Sedona, and is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

This event and all Read Around Sedona programs are free and open to the public. This Arizona Community Reads project 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.

Visit Sedona Public Library at 3250 White Bear Road or SPL in the Village at 51A Bell Rock Plaza to pick up your copy of House of Apache Fires or you can download the EPUB version from the Library’s OverDrive ebook platform. You can also purchase the Kindle edition at Amazon.com. Additionally, a set of books is available for book clubs.

Call 928-282-7714, ext 114, or visit the reference desk to sign up to participate in one of the Read Around Sedona book discussions that will be held  on Monday, April 24, at 6:30 p.m. and Friday, May 5, at 2 p.m. 

Sedona Public Library
Column for April 14, 2017
Written by ​Virginia Volkman, Library Director

Next week, the Library launches Read Around Sedona, our first-ever community reads program. This is an opportunity to connect people to literature and to bring them together to read and discuss the same book. The novel chosen for this inaugural program is House of Apache Fires by local author Morgan Jameson.
 
This historic thriller set during World War II takes place in Sedona and the Frye home located within Red Rock State Park. The action-packed plot mixes real historic characters like Jack and Helen Frye with fictional Nazis who have embarked on a daring sabotage mission.  The intrigue and the romance extend into neighboring Flagstaff and war-torn Germany.
 
The first community reading project in the country was started in 1998 in Seattle by librarian Nancy Pearl, who wondered what would happen if all of Seattle read the same book. Literary sparks flew, and nearly 20 years later, hundreds of communities across the U.S. participate in a shared literary experience. So, what if everyone in Sedona read the same book?
 
Even before the official launch, the community has responded with enthusiasm—the books are flying off the shelf! Everyone is encouraged to borrow one of the Library’s 80 copies or put a copy on hold soon. You can also download the EPUB version from the Library’s OverDrive ebook platform. Additionally, a limited number of sets are available for book clubs. Books will be available to purchase at some of the upcoming events, and you can purchase the Kindle edition at Amazon.com.
 
Urge family and friends to read the book, too, and then everyone please join us for any of the Read Around Sedona events throughout April and May. This month’s events include these educational and entertaining programs: 
 
Monday, April 10 at 1:30 p.m.: Elsie Szecsy, Arizona Humanities speaker, will present “Crosscurrents in the Desert:  The U.S. Cadet Nurse Corps in Arizona.” The program is at the Church of the Nazarene, 55 Rojo Drive, Village of Oak Creek.
 
Wednesday, April 12 at 3 p.m.: Meet House of Apache Fires author Morgan Jameson at the kick-off event in the Library’s community room. There will be a presentation, book signing, and refreshments.
 
Friday, April 14 at 10 a.m.: Author Morgan Jameson will speak during the monthly Coffee with a Vet program in the Library’s community room. Discussion will focus on WWII artillery and aircraft.
 
Monday, April 17 at 6 p.m.: The Library’s Monday night movie is “Allied,” starring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard. The film is set in 1942 when a Canadian intelligence officer in North Africa encounters a female French Resistance fighter on a deadly mission behind enemy lines.
 
Wednesday, April 19, 1:30 p.m.:  Paul Thompson and Ruth Jordan Van Epps will talk about their experiences of living in Sedona during 1940s, the time period when Jack and Helen Frye built their home. This event takes place at the Sedona Heritage Museum.
 
All Read Around Sedona programs are free and open to the public. This Arizona Community Reads project 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 April 7, 2017
Written by Anne Marie Mackler, Development Director