 As published in the Red Rock News
Libraries across the nation encourage voluntary reading as an essential step to help children become better readers, especially during the “summer slide.” Too often, children lose their school year reading routine, and summer reading programs help keep them on track. That’s why Sedona Public Library will once again take part in the national program. What’s this year’s fun theme? Oceans of Possibilities! Oceans of Possibilities runs from May 31 through July 22. On May 31 youngsters will begin tracking their reading based on their achievable goals. Registration began this week and continues through the end of the month. Let the reading begin! For the seven weeks of the program, we encourage families to read with the youngest of readers, ages 0 to 3, and we suggest sharing reading experiences of at least 10 books. For ages 4 to 11 and ages 12 to 18, the typical goal is to read for 1,000 minutes or more (that’s over 16 hours). We enter all participants into a drawing to win great prizes from our local business sponsors. Prizes include a visit to the Science Vortex of Verde Valley, Arizona State Park passes, toys from Sedona Kids Company, donuts from Sedonuts, a family pass to Out of Africa, and many more. A very special thank you to the generous businesses that support kids and reading! Remember you can get reading minutes logged when you take our new StoryWalk at Sunset Park featuring Seeds Move, written and illustrated by Robin Page. The journey begins at the toddler playground and provides 15 minutes of walking and reading in the great outdoors. Each page of the book is displayed for you to read silently or out loud and includes a fun activity in English and Spanish. Spin and twirl along the path like a milkweed seed in the wind. That’s not all! The summer will be full of events and programs, so get these dates on your calendars! For starters, on June 4, drop in to register for Summer Reading when children can have face painted or their hand decorated with a cool henna art design. Then, on Friday, June 10 from 10:30 to11:30, Dr. Hofstetter, Professor of Forest Entomology at Northern Arizona University, will present two activities: bark beetle ecology where we’ll open infested logs and look at live bark beetles; and milkweed and monarch ecology. Dr. Hofstetter will bring live insects including the Madagascar hissing coach roach! On Saturday, June 18 from 11:30 to 4:00, we’re partnering with Sedona Parks and Rec for a Summer Reading Pool Party. When you register for Summer Reading, you’ll receive a pool pass to attend the Party! Or if you prefer you can use the pass at an open swim this summer. On Friday, June 24 from 11:00 to 12:00, we’ll host the Magical Michael Steele Variety Show. Michael will perform amazing magic yo-yo tricks, juggling, and a "Name That Tune" contest, so come by for this personable and family-friendly fun! Up next, we’ll celebrate Independence Day with Miss Marcia in a special “Hats Off for the 4th of July Story Time” at the library on Saturday, July 2 at 10:30. From July 12 –23, Sedona Youth Theatre for teens returns for a 9-day intensive improv/theatrical training and performance thanks to the Friends of the Sedona Library. This year, the Friends have provided full scholarships for all participants. Sign up soon – there are only 24 spots in this FREE theater program. Sedona Youth Theatre will inspire participants to create a unique show, highlight their unique talents, show off their skills, and use their imaginations. To register, please visit our website and click on the events tab, sedonalibrary.libcal.com, then go to the date Monday, July 11, where you’ll find the registration link. To wrap up Summer Reading, we’ll host an all-ages Moore Escape Room event on Saturday, July 16. What is an escape room you ask? It’s a game where players work together to investigate clues and solve a puzzle in a limited time. It requires cooperation and imagination, and Escape Rooms are rumored to be really fun! Will you be able to solve the puzzle? Stop by on July 16 and find out! Check back for details. Of course, there are always endless possibilities at the Library, and in addition to our Summer Reading Program, we have plenty of things to do for summer fun. Watch for new programs this year including Stop Motion for Kids; Summer Spanish; Intro to French; Maker Mondays; Intro to Garage Band; Spanish Story Time; Kaleidoscope Red Rocks; and Tinker Time. We look forward to helping you explore the Oceans of Possibilities at Sedona Public Library. Of course, we have lots of new ocean-themed books for you to check out, and as always, an attentive parent/caregiver must always stay with children under 10 years of age. Stay in the know by visiting our website and checking our calendar at sedonalibrary.libcal.com and signing up for our monthly kids newsletter. Special Announcement: Sedona Public Library is looking for a new Youth Services Library Assistant II. If you’re interested in a fun job at the Library, please visit https://www.sedonalibrary.org/jobs.html. Sedona Public Library News Column for May 27, 2022 Written by Viviane Kraus, Youth Services Librarian As published in the Red Rock News
Good day, Red Rock News readers! Despite the price of gas, many of us will no doubt hit the open road this summer. And whether your adventure takes you to another state or just a few towns over to a farmers’ market, why not take a good book along to listen to while you drive? Obviously, I don’t recommend reading in the car if you’re the one driving-- that’s really not safe. But audiobooks are still all the rage. Listen, I’m old school. I spent my twenties on long road trips from New Jersey to North Carolina to see my brother with nothing but Dan Brown’s “The DaVinci Code” to keep me company as I cruised down I-95. I had it down to a sweet science: keep my eyes on the road and my left hand at 9 o’clock and my right hand masterfully queueing up the next audiobook CD just as the story was getting good and Brown’s hero of the story, Dr. Robert Langdon, was up to his neck in biblical intrigue. I have a rule: an author has three chapters to hook me; a movie has 30 minutes to keep me watching; and a television series has three episodes to keep me wanting to tune in for more. I love audiobooks. A good narrator can help draw in the listener and keep them engaged even when the storyline isn’t quite doing it. That’s right, I’m looking at you, Jimmy Patterson. Listening to an audiobook is, for me, my happy time. In a recent column, I made it quite clear that sometimes technology and I don’t see eye to eye. But we all can adapt to technology and the wonders it can show us! For those patrons who like to try new technology and love to listen to books, we also have free audio books available with the Libby app. Libby is a free app you can download to your Apple or Android device. But don’t take my word for it. Our reference librarian, Andrea, is a firm supporter and fan of Libby, and she is our resident expert on all things audiobook. “Libby is great for reading free downloadable eBooks, audiobooks, and magazines,” she explains. “And with Arizona Digital Book Sharing, I can supplement my local library selection with titles from 10 libraries across Arizona! If the Yavapai Network is short on the book I want, I just hunt it down at libraries in Yuma or Flagstaff.” She raves about how this was perfect during times in the pandemic when coming into the Library was not always an option for everyone. “Occasionally,” she says, “We end up waiting our turn, but it's a small price to pay for good free stuff.” Andrea is also the lead behind but another exceptional library book display: “Are We There Yet?” Great summer listens line the shelves in front of our Reference Desk. There you’ll find titles like “Unfinished Business” by J.A. Jance; “The Storied Life of A.J. Filkrey” by Gabrielle Zevin; “The Underground Railroad” by Colson Whitehead, and many more! You’re sure to find a favorite or two for listening while you’re on the road. If you’re on the fence about how, or if, to use the free Libby app, you can always ask Andrea, she’s happy to find time to give you a tour of this wonderful tool. And you’re welcome to set up a tech appointment with Marcy, our Technology Librarian. Or you can attend one of the Library’s Fourth Friday Tech Times that Marcy facilitates. There are plenty of options to help you get to listening while you travel near and far. So, there you have it! Join the thousands of other patrons, including yours truly, who enjoy the free Libby app! It’s a great way to discover new books and authors, and a great way to save money! Happy listening! Sedona Public Library, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is able to offer these free tools and resources because of support from people like you! Please consider making a gift. Visit sedonalibrary.org/donate to learn more. Thanks! Sedona Public Library News Column for May 20, 2022 Written by Jan Marc Quisumbing, Program & Marketing Coordinator  As published in the Red Rock News
You made our fourth annual Library Giving Day a success! Thank you for investing in Sedona Public Library during this national campaign celebrating libraries everywhere. We’re so glad you choose to support your hometown library! We believe in the community, and you believe in us. It’s a win-win. We celebrated Library Giving Day with poetry as we have done in the past, but this year it was in person! On April 27 we had a series of poetry readings including local poet Mary Heyborne, local magician and poet Roger Blakiston, Tucson poet Jefferson Carter, and local author Robert DeMayo, as well as a host of other poets and readers. What a great way to celebrate the Library, literacy, and literature! “I’m just beginning to get active in the community again,” Mary Heyborne explained. “And when Anne Marie called, she hadn’t even finished inviting me when I said, ‘Yes!’ I’m so glad to be back in the Library.” Mary read a few poems from each of her books, including her poem “On the Dedication of Sedona Library.” Roger Blakiston’s also read from his collection of five books of poems, and many of the poems he read celebrate Sedona’s beautiful landscape. His magic was also a hit, and you’ll see him back at the Library soon performing for Youth Services. In the meantime, Library staff is still trying to figure out how he turned one red foam ball into a handful of colored foam balls while the participating audience member held out a closed fist. It’s magic! Several children from Sedona Elementary Charter School made poem pockets in our annual April craft, and then they read the poems. The readers took turns reading selections from Shel Silverstein and A.A. Milne. Then, with giggles, whispers, and pride, after their first round of readings, several kids asked if they could read again! (Maybe it was all those cookies they ate! Thank you, Layla’s!) Many patrons tried their hand at writing poems for our Poet-tree, and many contributed haikus. Of course, there were several written about books and reading. Here’s a sample. “Books make me happy/They take me to distant spots/No screens, no passwords” “My body stays home/But my mind travels the world/On wings of a book” And my favorite humorous haiku. “Road kill/Bloating in the sun/Death came quick” My favorite kids’ poem: “I love unicorns/because they are beautiful/I love them so much!” And finally, truest to our library hearts: “Home away from home/A place to study and read/Our Library rocks” The day closed with an author talk by Robert DeMayo, who read from his newest novel, “The King of the Coral Sea.” The group chatted in the corner of our Silent Waterfall garden, with the sun setting and sparkling on the stained glass behind them, making for a perfect ending to a lovely and fun day. Thanks, everyone! Library Giving Day was originally established by the Seattle Public Library Foundation as part of National Library Week, and it continues to be supported by the American Library Association and the Public Library Association. Designed to remind people that libraries are cornerstones of their communities, the notion has caught on. What started as an idea grew into a movement, and this year 440 library systems across the U.S. and Canada participated in April events. Sedona Public Library is thrilled to be a part of a national event to amplify libraries’ profiles in their communities, and we are thrilled with the tremendous turnout of supporters. Thanks to the hundreds of donors who participated in our April campaign by making an online gift, mailing a check to us, dropping cash into one of our gift boxes, or attending our poetry readings! Gifts were matched, dollar for dollar, up to $20,000 until the Library’s Board chipped in and boosted the match to $26,000! We surpassed our goal, and with the matched gifts, we raised $55,650 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 of the Library, 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. And now that we’ve broken ground on our Courtyard, the impact of community philanthropy continues to grow. Thanks, again, Sedona! Your support makes a huge difference to what we can offer to the community. Sedona Public Library is an independently run, 501(c)(3), privately owned, debt-free, nonprofit organization providing public services. 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, of course, from the Friends of the Sedona Library. When you support them, you support us—it’s a win-win. Please visit us at sedonalibrary.org. Sedona Public Library News Column for May 13, 2022 Written by Anne Marie Mackler, Development Director  As published in the Red Rock News
Good day, Red Rock News readers! Few of us on the staff at Sedona Public Library could chart the exact path that led us to work at the Library. However, for Pamela Logsdon, the Library’s Administrative Services Manager, it was as simple as writing a fourth-grade essay about her dream of living in Sedona. As a water person, she was destined to leave Phoenix where she grew up, and she made Sedona her primary residence in 2012. She continues to enjoy the cool shade and beauty of Oak Creek and to hike in the nearby forests and canyon. I first met Pamela when she toured the Cottonwood Public Library where I was the Teen Services Library Specialist. Pam remains the welcoming and friendly woman I met that day, not knowing that barely a year later she would be a colleague and a reassuring presence. She is always quick to say, “You’re doing fine, Jan. Keep up the good work.” You won’t normally find Pamela in the stacks or at Circulation or Reference. She’s usually in the Business Office with Anne Marie Mackler, the Library’s Development Director. Pamela stoically sits at her desk, an Oracle-esque expression on her face as she combs though a myriad of accounting and human resources emails and documents, counts donation revenue, sorts bills and invoices, and diligently and quickly finds the answers to the onslaught of questions the Staff and Board pose on an hourly basis. Or she’s laughing about something with Anne Marie. Prior to working at the Library, where she will celebrate her 10-year milestone this November, she worked for two non-profit organizations in Orlando, Florida. She served as Chief Financial Officer for Hope Helps which works to prevent homelessness; and for Florida Literacy Coalition. But Pamela has, as many of us have, worn many career hats. She was the Treasurer and Director of Finance, and co-owned along with her life partner Jack, VBNet, an Internet Service Provider servicing the Orange County Convention Center and supporting student housing across Florida and North Carolina. Pam also managed and co-owned CCN, a provider of information and promotional services at the Convention Center. This background lends to that oracle-esque nature I mentioned. Pam has a memory like an elephant and can out multi-task anyone. By far the career hat that that I find most fascinating is that she also served as VP of Finance and Operations for Barclay Communications, Inc., a full-service ad agency catering to clients in the motion picture and entertainment industry. She had a hand in the glamorous openings of the Hard Rock Café and Planet Hollywood restaurants that surely I watched on “Entertainment Tonight.” She also met one of my favorite celebrities: chef Wolfgang Puck! But enough of me going on about Pamela. We’ll let her tell you about herself as she answers the questions we ask all of our staff for our introduction columns. Then, you can see for yourself how she came to be the Oracle of the Library. Where were you born? “ I was born in Phoenix, Arizona and attended Arcadia High School with famous alumni like Stephen Spielberg and Wonder Woman herself, Linda Carter. I am inspired by my amazing daughters, who attended that same high school. Jamie, a doctor of physical therapy, is a regional managing partner/owner of Texas Physical Therapy Specialists. Ginger is a Multi-Disciplinary Interactive Experience Designer whose installations have been celebrated from Barcelona to Taiwan, as well as the Artechouse and Orlando Science Center in the U.S.” What was your first job? “The ultimate teenage rite of passage: Jack in the Box! There I made hamburgers, took drive-through orders, and counted out correct change, all at the same time!” What book most influenced you and why? “Hmm…I am so much more a movie girl. Recently, I was fascinated with The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing and the Future of the Human Race. As I am a self-proclaimed ‘DNA freak,’ I believe that the research they present on DNA is something everyone should learn about.” Are you on Team Dog or Team Cat and why? “Team Dog because I am allergic to cats. Our 15-year-old dog, Charlie, a designer breed guaranteed not to shed, but does, is a most wonderful friend and companion. In the 80’s, a wonderful black cat, Star, adopted us and lived with us for many years, but she had to live outside due to my allergies. While living in Florida, she graciously shared the porch with the raccoons who came through the cat door. They were so tidy, they washed their hands in her water bowl.” Have you ever seen a ghost or a UFO? “No, I have had dreams that served as premonitions to events that happened like my grandmother’s passing. But no UFOs landing in my yard. The ghost conversations have to remain private (lol). Pam’s passion and experience for running a tight ship adds to the financially sound reputation the Library has had for many years. And those movies you love to watch at the Library? Pam’s humor, keen eye, and love for the Sedona audience often contribute to which films we show. It all started as far back as grade school and imagining her life here, in high school rubbing elbows with stars, and now, here she is, and we’re grateful! Thank you, Pam! Sedona Public Library Column for May 6, 2022 Written by Jan Marc Quisumbing, Program & Marketing Coordinator |
