Thank you for making the first annual Library Giving Day a success! Our original goal was an ambitious $10,000. Our results? $40,000! Thank you to everyone who participated – donors from 11 to 88 years old! Your gifts help guarantee that the community will continue to enjoy educational and culturally enriching programs, updated books and materials, connection to technology, and so much more.

The Library Giving Day campaign was originally crafted by the Seattle Public Library Foundation as part of National Library Week, and it was supported by the American Library Association and the Public Library Association. It was designed to remind people that libraries are cornerstones of their communities.

What started as an idea grew into a movement of 190 library systems across North America, just in its first year, representing 39 U.S. states and four Canadian provinces. Sedona Public Library is thrilled to be a part of a national effort to amplify libraries’ profiles in their communities, and we are thrilled with the tremendous turnout of donors.

Thanks to 115 of you who made donations that were matched dollar for dollar - up to a total of $20,000. With the match, given by two generous donors, we raised $40,000 towards our Library programs, services, collections, exhibits, and more.

Sedona Public Library has its roots in community generosity from its founding by a small group of Friends; to the gift of land by Eugenia Wright and Helen Ecker for the first building on Jordan Road; and to the cash donation by Ethel M. Low to buy land for our current large facility on White Bear Road. The construction of both buildings was a result of community support by way of cash, materials, and labor, and the generosity continues.

We are a thriving, growing, and strong organization, and we are one of the oldest businesses in Sedona. We owe our historic success to each and every donor who carries on that founding spirit of philanthropy. Donors for Library Giving Day included volunteers, board members, staff, and patrons, even one eleven-year-old girl.

​“I want to help,” this young patron told a few of us sitting at the welcome table on Library Giving Day. While she did have her eye on the chocolates we gave away to donors, she happily dropped her two quarters in the donation box. “I love to read,” she told us. “I love books.” We believe that when she walked away with a chocolate she also walked away knowing she had supported a place she truly loves.

The opportunities to support the Library didn’t end on April 10, in fact, on Monday, April 29 you have an opportunity to specifically support Sedona Public Library in the Village when you shop at Clark’s Market on Verde Valley School Road.

​April 29 is Clark's ‘Non-Profit Monday,’ when you can drop your purchase receipt in the Giving Box at checkout (duplicate receipts provided). We’ll receive five percent of the sales receipt total. Tell your friends and neighbors, and we hope to see you there, 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Thanks, again, Sedona. Your support makes a huge difference to what we can offer to the community. Sedona Public Library is an independent, 501c3, private, debt-free, non-profit organization providing public service. We receive support from the City of Sedona, property tax dollars from Yavapai and Coconino Counties, and gifts from businesses, foundations, and individuals like you, as well as Friends of the Sedona Library. Please visit us at sedonalibrary.org.

 Sedona Public Library
Column for April 26, 2019
Written by Anne Marie Mackler, Development Director

After last spring’s disappointing wildflower season, this year we have a magnificent display of wildflowers, thanks to a wet fall and winter.   A great place for a quick walk with plenty of flowers is Posse Grounds Park Loop Trail. 
 
You don’t have to go far or out of your way to see the bold, bountiful, and beautiful evening primrose in bloom.  They’re on the roadside, in vacant lots, and on the trail. The flowers open in the late afternoon and stay open through the early morning, so time your trip so that you can take full advantage of the brilliant display of these white flowers—as you drive from Sedona to Cottonwood you’ll see clumps of them everywhere!
 
The early bloomers are still blooming. There are fields of owl clover and cream cups that are just about at their peak; Indian paintbrush, Perky sue and verbena are plentiful.  Four o’clock flowers will later come into full bloom with their spectacular purple blossoms on bushy plants.
 
If you’re curious about the flowers you see and want to learn more, visit a wonderful website to help identify them. The Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants database was created by Master Gardener volunteers and contains photos and descriptions of native plants found in Yavapai County.  It is available at cals.arizona.edu/yavapaiplants/index.php, and the link is also on the Library’s website at www.sedonalibrary.org/tools--databases.html . Because this database is designed for amateur botanists rather than plant taxonomists, it’s easy to use. One great feature is the inclusion of drawings of plant characteristics in the search screen, so you don’t have to know technical terms in order to search for a plant. Other plant identification websites you might want to visit are:  plants.usda.gov and www.naturesongs.com/vvplants, which features common plants of the Verde Valley and Sedona .
 
An indoor display of live wildflowers, labeled to help you identify currently blooming species, is up in the Library at least through Saturday, April 20, and maybe longer if the weather cooperates.  This year’s display is brought to us by Lucie Burris, Linda Schermer, and Kathy Wege.  They are following in a long tradition of volunteers who have gathered plants for this educational display (by special permission), including most recently, Marlene and Jack Conklin.   We’re pleased to see that the butterfly bush planted in memory of Phyllis Lindberg, a longtime contributor to the wildflower display, is thriving in its location in front of the Library.
The wildflower identification books that Phyllis created are available in the Library, and there are copies of the books at the Red Rock State Park Visitor Center.  Their photographs are a good way to learn about local plants.  There are many other books that you can check out to help you on your quest to learn about Arizona wildflowers.
 
The Library’s Culture Pass program is also a great way to learn about the plant life in Arizona.  By checking out a Culture Pass, you receive free admission for two people at participating arts and cultural institutions, including the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix and the Arboretum in Flagstaff (FYI: the Arboretum is closed on Tuesdays).
 
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The land on which our beautiful library sits was donated, and the library building was constructed with private funds and is entirely debt-free. Donations and grants allow us to continue to offer free and innovative services to residents and visitors. Your tax-deductible donation may be made online or sent to: Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ 86336.

Sedona Public Library
Column for April 19, 2019
Written by:  Virginia Volkman, Library Director

Along with libraries and organizations across the country, Sedona Public Library is celebrating National Volunteer Week, April 7–13.  It’s fitting that this week is also National Library Week, an opportunity for libraries of all types to raise awareness of their value and impact in the communities they serve.
 
The friendships made by volunteering are priceless and the benefits that volunteers bring to our Library are enormous.  We are truly grateful for the nearly 17,000 hours of volunteer service given by 146 volunteers last year.  We will honor them and thank them for their contributions at an Appreciation Brunch on Sunday, April 14.
 
Volunteers will be recognized for their milestone years of service.  Contributing Five Years:  Dale Albright, Lorraine Anderson, Jan Bareuther, Pat DiMillo, Joyce Kelly, Bob Little, Donne Ruhe, Sharon Skeer, and Sharrie Wadsack; Ten Years:  Penny Beers, Pat Jansen, and Jo Kontzer; Fifteen Years:  Sandy Leavitt and Bonnie Martin; Twenty-five years:  Carol Stetser; Thirty years: Gerri Perrin.
 
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 as members of the board of trustees, and we couldn’t do it without them. They help us fulfill this year’s National Library Week theme:  “Libraries = Strong Communities.”
 
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 at the main library in West Sedona 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.  At our location in the Village of Oak Creek, volunteers work Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
 
Other volunteers work in the Friends of the Sedona Library Used Book Store, Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The store has been open for almost two years now, and customers are raving about the friendly and helpful service that the volunteers provide.
 
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. We are grateful for all of our volunteers, and for the support we receive from the City of Sedona, the property tax dollars we receive from Yavapai and Coconino Counties, and the gifts we receive from businesses, foundations, and individuals like you. Please support your library at www.sedonalibrary.org.

​ ​Sedona Public Library
Column for April 12, 2019
Written by Virginia Volkman, Library Director

Sedona Public Library is the cornerstone of our community. Within its beautiful rock walls, people of all ages, backgrounds, and from near and far, connect with one another and with our services, technology, and programs. Our visitors learn new things, discover new interests, seek new trails, and get started on the path to new careers and more.
 
Everything we do requires the support of our generous community, especially individuals like you. We know we can count on you to support your library, and that’s why we’ve joined more than a hundred libraries across the country for the first ever national day of giving, April 10. From now through April 10, Library Giving Day, your gifts are matched dollar for dollar, with the support of a generous patron.
 
“Everyone in this town comes through the Library at some time,” this supporter notes. “I believe the community feels that this is truly their library, a community resource for all.” With their pledge, your Library Giving Day gift is doubled, up to a total of $15,000!
 
When you champion your library, you guarantee the broad array of services and resources that we make available to the community, for free. You secure the breadth of our collection, currently at 83,000 items. And you support the cost to provide access to 1.2 million items within the Yavapai Library Network.
 
We are conveniently located, making sure that our services are available to all. Our main facility is on White Bear Road in West Sedona and we have a service center in the Village of Oak Creek; and now, we have a children’s project at Sunset Park. Have you visited StoryWalk?
 
StoryWalk is a community supported project that gives local families the opportunity to practice reading skills, get some exercise, and enjoy Sedona’s lovely outdoors. When you visit StoryWalk at Sunset Park, you find the pages of a children’s story placed in frames along a half-mile paved path. Each season Sedona Public Library will post a new children’s story that includes helpful reading tips and fun suggestions for movement and fitness. Check it out!
 
Have you checked out our newest free service: Kanopy? We just launched the popular on-demand film streaming service that provides thoughtful entertainment. It’s free for all Sedona Public Library card holders, and you can sign up to stream from most computers and devices. New York Times calls Kanopy “a garden of cinematic delights.” Kanopy showcases more than 30,000 of the world’s best films including award-winning documentaries, rare and hard-to-find titles, film festival favorites, indie and classic films, and more.
 
Speaking of films, there’s even more news to share about what how we make terrific use of your support. This month we launch Reel Life, a free documentary film night. Please join us on the fourth Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. in the community room. This month, on April 23, we will screen RBG, for free! This is an inspiring exploration of the life and career of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. See you there!
 
And this is just a list of the new things we are offering to the 190,000 visitors who come through our doors every year, and many more who visit us online. Please show your support for your library, and consider a gift for Library Giving Day. Remember, now through April 10, your gifts are matched dollar for dollar. Drop a check in the mail, stop by, or visit sedonalibrary.org/donate. It’s easy to give online.
 
Thanks for your support!

​Sedona Public Library
Column for April 5, 2019
Written by Anne Marie Mackler, Development Director