The dog days of summer are definitely here, and we are warned to take precautions against the intense heat. How do you deal with the hot, boring days of August? Consider watching movies you have checked out from the Library—it’s entertaining and free!

With your library card, you can reserve and check out past seasons of series featured on regular television and cable channels. Popular titles include “Longmire,” “The Americans,” “House of Cards,” and “Outlander.” The Library also has many BBC series available for check out: “Sherlock,” “Poldark,” “Orphan Black,” and “DCI Banks.” Additionally, we carry award-winning foreign films, such as 2016 Oscar nominees “Theeb,” “Mustang,” and “Embrace of the Serpent.”

Recently, I enjoyed watching season 1 of “Mr. Robot,” a USA Network series about a young computer programmer who is recruited by an anarchist team of hackers  to take down a ruthless and unethical multinational corporation . I’m also looking forward to seeing the first season of “UnReal,” a Lifetime show about a TV producer who works to manipulate relationships on a “Bachelor”-style dating show in order to film outrageous footage.

If you like watching movies on the big screen, join us for the Flicker Shack film series at Sedona Library most Mondays at 6 p.m. The movies are free and open to the public; donations are welcome. Here’s the schedule for August:

• Monday, August 1: “Ushpizin.” The first Monday of the month is Foreign Film Night, and the selection this month is an Israeli film. The drama, which received excellent reviews, is about a poor ultra-Orthodox Jewish couple who are happy to be given money to help prepare for the holiday of Sukkot but who then must host boorish visitors.
• Monday, August 8: “Race.” While the Nazis saw the 1936 Berlin Olympics as an opportunity to demonstrate Aryan supremacy, one African-American man, Jesse Owens, shattered that dream with a display of athleticism that resulted in four gold medals.
• Monday, August 15: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Set 30 years after “Return of the Jedi,” this full-throttle adventure is the latest installment in the popular saga.
• Monday, August 22: “Calvary.” An anonymous man comes to Father James in confession and vows to kill him in one week, simply because the priest is himself a good man. The father spends the week contemplating good and evil, viewing his small Irish community with new eyes.
• Monday, August 29: “Truth.” In this dramatic re-creation of Dan Rather’s fall from grace, the news anchor’s stellar career comes to an abrupt end after Rather erroneously reports that President George W. Bush received preferential treatment that kept him from serving in Vietnam.

​Looking for ways to beat the heat? Check out what your local library offers.

Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies upon the community to fund its programs and services. SPL is grateful for the support of the City of Sedona, Yavapai and Coconino Counties, Friends of the Library, businesses, foundations, and individuals like you. Please support your public library with a tax-deductible gift by visiting www.sedonalibrary.org.

Sedona Public Library
Column for July 29, 2016
​Written by Elizabeth Cate, Collection Development Librarian

I’m thrilled that the Sedona Public Library has received the 2016 Spirit of Sedona Community Collaborator Award from the Arizona Community Foundation of Sedona. This award recognizes the Library’s successful work in bringing individuals and groups together to benefit the community. 

It’s an honor to be acknowledged for our community engagement.  Sedona Public Library is the third recipient of this award following the Verde Valley Medical Center in 2014 and the Rotary Club of Sedona in 2015.   We are in good company with these past recipients. 

Sedona Public Library, founded in 1958, is a non-profit organization that has made a huge impact on the Sedona region for nearly 60 years. In fact, 200,000 residents and visitors come through the doors of the main library and the Village library each year to create, communicate, and collaborate. Often when people come in to read the news, check out a new bestseller or admire the annual quilt show they see someone they know or make a new friend.

The Library has been likened to the ‘family room’ for the community. We provide something for everyone, and enhancing the lives of patrons and guests is what we’re all about.  Let us know if there’s a connection we can help you make.

This important award reflects the history of strong partnerships the Library holds with numerous community organizations and professional groups. These partners provide valuable services for the community at the West Sedona location as well as in the Village of Oak Creek. Partners include Northern Arizona Healthcare, Chamber Music Sedona, Veterans History Project, Sedona Winds Retirement Community, Arizona Humanities, Friends of Sedona Library, AARP, Oak Creek Apples Macintosh Users, Consulate of Mexico, and many more.  

Through the Act One Culture Pass program we collaborate with 19 organizations to offer free admission for two to museums and cultural institutions in Northern Arizona and the Phoenix region.

We sponsored over 800 free library events and gatherings last year including activities specifically for children, youth and families; art, photography, quilt, and weaving exhibits; movie nights and literary readings; legal and computer workshops; as well as music, theater, and comedy events. Additionally, 50 non-profit organizations use the meeting rooms throughout the year.

But even with all the hustle and bustle, the beautiful facilities offer numerous quiet spaces for reading, computer work, or research.

The Library is a shining example of collaboration and owes its success to the continued involvement and commitment of this community, and the passion and dedication of its staff, board and volunteers. 

Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies upon the community to fund its programs and services. SPL is grateful for the support of the City of Sedona, Yavapai and Coconino Counties, Friends of the Library, businesses, foundations, and individuals like you. Please support your public library with a tax-deductible gift by visiting www.sedonalibrary.org.

Sedona Public Library
Column for July 22, 2016
By:  Virginia Volkman, Library Director

Sedona Public Library is happy to report that we have experienced another exciting year of growth and transition. We are grateful to this community for the continued support of our services and programs.  As a mission-driven non-profit organization we are proud to serve the greater Sedona region as an outstanding community center enhancing the lives of our residents and visitors. Thank you for your support and patronage, and if you haven’t been by for a while, stop in and see what’s new.
 
This Year’s Highlights and Accomplishments

• Sedona Public Library was nationally recognized by Library Journal as a Star Rated Library for the second year in a row.  Only four libraries in Arizona received this distinction, based on the number of people who use the library, programs and services offered, and community size. We offered more than 800 programs last year.

• We are unique in Northern Arizona by offering “The Culture Pass Program,” for the second year in a row giving cardholders free admission to museums and cultural institutions across the state. This year we welcomed Halle Heart Children’s Museum to the program.                  

• In an effort to keep you informed, we published the second edition of “Check It Out,” our official magazine. “Check It Out” reached over 11,000 residents of Sedona and the Village of Oak Creek. This colorful and informative magazine is also available online.

• The Sedona Public Library received an Arizona Community Foundation of Sedona grant to purchase a self-service touch-screen Library Document Station. This faxing and scanning service is now available to our patrons.

• We also received an Arizona State Library grant for technical assistance and software to support a Library Code Club for kids aged 8 and up. Teen volunteers helped plan and present this innovative program.

• We were proud to participate in last year’s Tlaquepaque’s Festival of Trees. We received a donation of $2,000 as a beneficiary, and our volunteer, Robin Fanelli, created a beautiful tree for the event, based on the book “The Giving Tree.”

• SPL proudly showed off the final new look for our Children’s Room, including movable shelving and an interactive, early literacy skill-building play area. This upgrade adds an even brighter tone to this space for the children, youth and families of our community.

• Rotary Club of Sedona began an innovative program supporting our youth book collection. Each guest speaker is presented a brand new book which will be donated to the Library in their name. A tremendous way to be thanked and remembered.

• Also in cooperation with Rotary Club of Sedona, the Library hosted the beautiful display “The Slide Story: A Photographic Tribute to Oak Creek Canyon.”

• Our annual Verde Valley Weavers and Spinners Guild display added a new element this year, just for children. “Spinning Stories” featured spinners and weavers who gave demonstrations in our lobby, and staff offered educational presentations in the children’s room.

• We offered three new services to the Latino community. Representatives from the Consulate General of Mexico in Phoenix provided consular services; a volunteer translator was available at our health screening events; and we hosted a domestic violence forum in Spanish in cooperation with Verde Valley Sanctuary.  We also offered English as Second Language classes, computer classes, an immigration forum, and immigration consultation services.

• Youth Services implemented a tremendous community outreach plan broadening awareness about our services for children, youth and families. This included Head Start classes and several preschools. We initiated a service for Head Start homebased families with a once-a-month program introducing parents to the Library. Staff participated in events at Big Park Community School, Sedona Charter School, and West Sedona School where we now visit a special needs class twice a month.

• The Library participated in the City of Sedona’s Celebration of Spring event. We partnered with the Rotary Club of Sedona to promote the Imagination Library program and provided activities and books and bilingual information about our services.

• SPL has expanded our subscription to TumbleBooks through a school/library partnership and now offer Big Park, West Sedona, and Sedona Charter schools the online e-book collection including animated talking picture and chapter books.

• We initiated a new service offering 30-minute, one-on-one Tech Tutoring sessions.

 

• We again celebrated “Library Card Sign-Up Month” in September and offered special library hours on Sunday when adults could join the “Coffee, Cookies, and Coloring” event.

• Celebrations continued in February with “Love Your Library Month” and patrons proudly donned the “Love Your Library” button to promote our services and programs.  We presented at the February Sedona City Council meeting and detailed the breadth and depth of our services and programs. Additionally, we hosted 125 visitors at an “Open House” at SPL in the Village at our new location in Bell Rock Plaza.

 
Our fiscal year ended on May 31, and we are once again offering exciting programs and services for our community in the new fiscal year. We could not succeed as your public library without the involvement and commitment of this community, the passion and dedication of our staff and board, and needless to say, the 16,000 hours of volunteer time we received last year.
 
The Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We are grateful for the support of the City of Sedona, Yavapai and Coconino Counties, businesses and foundations, and individuals like you.
 
Please support your public library and send your tax-deductible donation to: Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ 86336 or visit our website to donate online via PayPal at www.sedonalibrary.org

Sedona Public Library
Column for July 15, 2016
Written by Virginia Volkman, Library Director

July is the hottest month of the year in Sedona, so there’s no better time to stay indoors and engage in a hobby. At Sedona Library, you’ll find the resources you need to discover a new hobby or take your favorite pursuit to the next level.

The Library caters to hobbyists of all types. Our collection contains thousands of books and other items about every leisure activity you can imagine, including painting, quilting, bridge playing, bird watching, cooking, and jewelry making. We also provide kids and teens with many opportunities to pursue crafts and hobbies through hands-on programs and workshops.   

Throughout the year, the Library features exhibits that showcase the work of local crafters and hobbyists. This month, we’re hosting the Sedona Railroaders annual model train show fromMonday, July 25, through Saturday, July 30, in the community room. Popular with railroading enthusiasts of all ages, the display features several layouts running different scale trains.

Your hobby might be an enjoyable solitary pursuit, but it can also provide a chance to connect with others who have similar interests. A number of hobby and craft groups and clubs meet at the Library, including:

• Sit and Stitch: This group dedicated to all types of needlework meets the first Tuesday of the month from 10 a.m. to noon in the Quiet Study room.
• Sedona Writers Salon: Writers of all ages and skill levels are welcome to attend this group that gathers on the first and third Tuesdays of the month from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Quiet Study.  
• Investment Club: Members of this club share ideas about various investment strategies. They meet the first and third Fridays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Quiet Study.

Other groups that meet regularly at the Library include the Embroiderers’ Guild, the Car Club, the Sirius Lookers astronomy club, the Gem and Mineral Club, the Audubon Society, and the Archaeology Society. Many groups are open to the public or allow drop-in visitors at their meetings. Check the Library’s events calendar for meeting times and locations. 

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 sent to: Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ 86336.

Sedona Public Library
Column for July 1, 2016
Written by Elizabeth Cate, Collection Development Librarian