 During these challenging times, we need a little humor in our lives. You’ve heard the saying “laughter is the best medicine.” Laughter is a good way to bring your mind and body into balance. Research has proven that laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from stress.
To add a little humor to your life, why not read or listen to a book? Many humorous fiction and nonfiction titles are available on OverDrive, the Library’s ebook and digital audiobook collection. With your library card and PIN, you can check out up to six ebooks or downloadable audiobooks on your mobile device or computer, for free! To get started, visit our website, sedonalibrary.org, and click “OverDrive.” If you don’t already have a library card, visit the library’s website (sedonalibrary.org), choose “How Do I…?” from the top menu, and choose “Get a Library Card” in the drop down menu. Review the Yavapai Library Network User Agreement and click the orange “I Accept” button. Then fill out the form. We’ll get back to you with your new library card number and PIN. Your card will give you access to all of our online resources for six months. Here are a few suggestions for ebooks and digital audiobooks that will make you smile, chuckle, and even laugh out loud: One of my favorite books by humorist Nora Ephron is “I Feel Bad About My Neck,” available on OverDrive as a downloadable audiobook. Ephron is best known for her romantic comedy films: “When Harry Met Sally,” “Sleepless in Seattle,” and “You’ve Got Mail.” Nora Ephron passed away in 2012, but she has gifted us with her sense of humor. Bill Bryson is another talented author known for his accessible and humorous writing style. I have not read all of his books, but I can personally recommend his memoir entitled “A Walk in the Woods,” which contains both funny and thoughtful observations. I particularly like this quote: “Distance changes utterly when you take the world on foot…Life takes on a neat simplicity, too.” “A Walk in the Woods” is available on OverDrive as an ebook and audiobook. I can’t wait to read book #27 in the Stephanie Plum series by best-selling author Janet Evanovich. It will be published later this year, but in the meantime, you can catch up on Stephanie’s comic mishaps by reading the previous books in the series, available as audiobooks or ebooks on OverDrive. After Stephanie Plum loses her job as a lingerie buyer in Trenton, New Jersey, she goes to work as a bounty hunter for her cousin Vinnie. Her sidekicks include Lula, a former prostitute, and her Grandma Mazur, a gun-toting senior citizen. You never know when Stephanie is going to set her hair on fire, get kidnapped, or demolish her car. Start with “One for the Money,” the first book in the series. Alexander McCall Smith is best known for The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency series. Since I like this author’s lighthearted style of writing, I decided to read the first book in his Paul Stuart series, called “My Italian Bulldozer.” When the main character arrives in the small town of Montalcino, Italy, he discovers that there are no rental cars. He decides to rent a bulldozer for his transportation. He encounters many interesting people and has lots of misadventures as he tools around the Tuscan countryside on his bulldozer. “My Italian Bulldozer” and its sequel, “The Second-Worst Restaurant in France,” are available as ebooks on OverDrive. Have questions about using OverDrive or any of the Library’s other great digital resources, like Kanopy (streaming video) or RBdigital (digital magazines)? Email reference@sedonalibrary.org, and a librarian will be happy to help. The Library may be closed, but we’re still here for you! Sedona Public Library is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization. Please support your library by visiting the Library’s website at sedonalibrary.org/donate to make an online donation or mail to Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona AZ 86336. Sedona Public Library Column for April 24, 2020 Written by Cheryl L. Yeatts, Manager of Sedona Public Library in the Village  When Sedona Public Library began planning its now annual Library Giving Day campaign for April 23, it was with excitement and confidence. The goal of $60,000 was set and seemed achievable considering the success of last year’s $40,000 campaign, and that we had secured matching gifts totaling $30,000. We were ready!
Special guest poets and other readers had committed to participate in a day of “Pop-up Poetry.” Staff and board members had added Library Giving Day GIFs, logos, and messaging to their emails. Board members had signed up to be greeters at our Library Giving Day table. We were on a campaign roll. And then the world changed, and all of our lives right along with it. But for all of the changes, there is one thing that simply hasn’t changed, not fundamentally. And that’s us, Sedona Public Library. Oh, sure, the doors are closed, staff and volunteers were sent home, and we’ve cancelled late fees, extended holds and due dates, and postponed an exciting slate of spring programs. The parking lot is empty, and the Staff Picks shelves are actually accumulating dust. But, in the meantime, we promise, that no matter the impact of this crisis, Sedona Public Library is here to stay. Our dedication to our mission is solid, and we’re taking every opportunity that we can to better serve you during this confusing time. We’ve hustled from our homes to improve, expand, and publicize all that we offer online, and to learn everything we can about how to better serve you. We’re still fielding reference questions and assisting you in managing your devices. We’re making use of social media in new and exciting ways. Have you seen Story Time on Facebook? Even the statue of Sedona Schnebly out in front of the building is donning a mask. (We have to keep our sense of humor!) So, really, some great things never change. And that’s worth celebrating. We are proud of being your 24/7 library. We’ve always been here for you beyond our open hours, but that has never mattered as much as it does now. And we trust that the community loves to invest in something they know will never fail or go away. In fact, dozens of donors have already given nearly $12,000 towards our Library Giving Day campaign to date, and every dollar is matched because of two amazing community donors who will also match the next $18,000. So, please celebrate with us, and consider making a gift online. And Pop-up Poetry will survive! This celebration of Sedona Public Library and National Poetry Month is going online! We still need community members to make a brief video of themselves reading a poem. What a great opportunity for everyone while you’re at home, especially local students, poets, writers, and actors! If you’re interested, email me at amackler@sedonalibrary.org. On Library Giving Day, we can all come together as champions of Sedona Public Library, a constant that is always here for you, no matter the crisis. Your gifts guarantee that we are even stronger and more prepared to accommodate the changing times and the growing need for our many critical services. Thank you for your continued support of Sedona Public Library. As one supporter said, “This library is the best thing in Sedona, after the landscape.” And we’ll happily own that second place rating Special thanks to SedonaKind for making masks for the community, and for making a special one for Sedona. Please take care of yourselves, and each other. Hug those you can often. We’ll see you online, 24/7, and we’ll see you back at the Library soon. To make a gift, visit sedonalibrary.org/donate. For questions, please email me at amackler@sedonalibrary.org. Sedona Public Library Column for April 17, 2020 Written by Anne Marie Mackler, Development Director  Just because you’re sheltering in place, doesn’t mean you can’t take advantage of a wealth of library services—you can do it from the comfort of your own home. Sedona Public Library provides a host of digital offerings, from downloadable ebooks, audiobooks, and popular magazines, to streaming movies, children’s books, the Great Courses, and more.
What? No library card? No problem! If you live in Sedona or the Village of Oak Creek, visit the library’s website (sedonalibrary.org), choose “How Do I…?” from the top menu, and choose “Get a Library Card” in the drop down menu. Review the Yavapai Library Network User Agreement and click the orange “I Accept” button. Then fill out the form. We’ll get back to you with your new library card number and PIN. Your card will give you access to all of our online resources for six months. You’ll need to come in to the Library once we reopen, to update your account and pick up your library card if you want to check out books, DVDs, magazines, audiobooks on CD, and more. Your library card puts a world of opportunities at your fingertips. Interested in streaming movies to your phone, computer, or television? Visit Kanopy.com and sign up for an account! Click on “Get Started,” then “Find Your Public Library.” Follow the simple instructions to create your Kanopy account using your email address or Facebook/Google login. Once completed, you’ll need to check your email for a confirmation. If you don’t see it, be sure to check your spam folder! Follow the instructions in the email and you’ll be ready to go. Kanopy gives you access to over 30,000 critically acclaimed movies, inspiring documentaries, award-winning foreign films, the Criterion Collection, the Great Courses, and more. There’s also Kanopy Kids, a collection of enriching, educational, and entertaining films and TV series for kids. Adults have four play credits per month (plus there’s a selection of credit-free movies, this month only) and kids have unlimited access to Kanopy Kids. Interested in ebooks or downloadable audiobooks? Visit sedonalibrary.org, scroll down to Quick Links and click on OVERDRIVE. Download the free Libby by OverDrive app from either Google Play or the App Store on your phone, tablet, or Kindle. Set up your account by selecting Sedona Public Library (Yavapai Library Network) and adding your library card and PIN. You’ll be able to check out and place holds on tens of thousands of ebooks and downloadable audiobooks to listen to or read, whenever, wherever, you choose. And here’s a tip—click on “What’s Available?” and you’ll find the books that are available now with no need to place a hold. You never know what you’ll find! What about magazines, you ask? RBdigital has you covered! You’ll need to visit yavapaiaz.rbdigital.com on your computer, tablet, or phone to register. Then download the RBdigital app and sign in with your account information. RBdigital has over 130 popular magazines, more ebooks, and downloadable audiobooks, all available for checkout. Plus, you can subscribe to your favorite magazines and have them delivered to your device instead of your mailbox. Free! Go ahead, give it a try! For the kids, there’s TumbleBooks. TumbleBooks are created by taking existing picture books, adding animation, sound, music, and narration to produce an electronic picture book that you can read, or have read to you. It also includes beginner chapter books, quizzes, and entertaining book-related activities. TumbleBooks and TumbleMath also have hundreds of lesson plans available. Whether you’re a teacher trying to work out a lesson to use for distance learning, or a parent trying to homeschool, try it out! Visit sedonalibrary.org, scroll down to Quick Links and choose TumbleBooks, and then click TumbleBooks or TumbleMath. It’s that easy! If you have trouble accessing any of these services, please email the Library at reference@sedonalibrary.org, fill out the form on our webpage at sedonalibrary.org/contact, or leave a message at 928-282-7714, ext. 114, and we will get back to you with answers. So what are you waiting for? There’s a whole world of free, digital materials just waiting for you at your online Sedona Public Library. Visit sedonalibrary.org for updates on closures, links to other free, fun opportunities (tour a museum, visit a zoo, take a cooking class, or learn a new language), and access our online tools and databases (Ancestry.com, Universal Class, Mango Languages, Yavapai County Native & Naturalized Plants database, and more). Whether open or closed, we’re always here for you. Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Please support your library for Library Giving Day. From now through April 23, your gifts will be matched with the generous support of local donors. The match has reached $30,000! Visit sedonalibrary.org/donate or send your donation to Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona AZ 86336. Thank you! Sedona Public Library Column for April 10, 2020 Written by Judy Poe, Assistant Director It was a day unlike any other at Sedona Public Library. Hour after hour, from morning into the evening, people lined up to check out books, audiobooks, and DVDs—by the bag full, by the box full—they were preparing to be home for an unknown period. Without being asked to, they spaced themselves six feet apart, in a somewhat somber, yet festive atmosphere. Happy to see each other, they parted with a wish to stay well and “hope to see you soon.”
Many patrons passed through the doors on March 18, the last day before the Library closed to help contain the spread of COVID-19, and they expressed their gratitude for that one last chance to stock up. We’re in this together, folks, and the camaraderie and respect for one another shown that day was heartwarming and bittersweet. Social distancing is necessary, and it won’t last forever! If you’re one of our health providers, first responders, grocery store workers, or one of the many others helping us get through this difficult time, thank you from all the library staff, volunteers, and board members! We have extended our closure through at least April 30 and will continue to monitor the changing situation. Please check our website and Facebook page for up-to-date information. While Sedona Public Library and SPL in the Village are closed:
We look forward to welcoming you back when the Library reopens. In the meantime, keep safe and healthy! Sedona Public Library Column for April 3, 2020 Written by Virginia Volkman, Director |
