This year’s Summer Reading Program was a huge success thanks to numerous community partnerships, passionate donors, and kids who love to read! So much reading and active learning has happened at the Library over the last two months, we are brimming with pride in our community kids. Take a look at all the reading going on!
 
This year we had 247 children and teens sign up online for Sedona Public Library’s eight-week Summer Reading Program: Build a Better World.  As of last week, our readers recorded a whopping 128,854 minutes of reading, but that’s not all. Kids are writing, too, and they submitted nearly 500 book reviews and comments online. Many participants choose to use the good old-fashioned hard-copy reading logs with stickers to keep track of their reading minutes. During June alone, 815 youngsters and parents attended 43 library programs.  And July is turning out to be an equally full, and fun, month! The love of books and reading is hot this summer!
 
Sedona Public Library is grateful to so many members of our community who are instrumental in the success of Build a Better World and our other summer programs. We aim to keep kids cool and engaged in the warm summer months, and so many donors helped us do just that.  Individuals and organizations alike donated their time and expertise, as well as donating exciting prizes that have enticed reluctant readers into participating and logging their minutes. As you meet people, shop locally, help neighbors, and generally do your thing, please keep the following library supporters in mind, and if you see them, offer a thank you!
 
Red Rock State Park Ranger Susan Joyner and Don Jones, the local “grandson of a mountain man,” presented informative and interactive programs about animal habitats and beavers.
 
The Arizona Science Center and Flagstaff’s The Wonder Factory provided engaging science and engineering-based workshops where children could experiment with wind tunnels, electrolytes, and frozen baseballs.
 
Dr. Beyer ran our chess club and provided instruction and encouragement to many young chess enthusiasts every Thursday afternoon.  Chess Club will continue thanks to Dr. B.!
 
Paws to Read pet partners—Carole Binswanger with Luna, and Hal Stern with Sadie—regularly visited the Library on Mondays to the delight of young readers who love to read aloud to the dogs.  The dogs love it, too!
 
Edible reading incentives were offered by Chipotle Mexican Grill and Famous Pizza, and outdoor activity incentives were provided by the City of Sedona Parks and Recreation and Arizona State Park.
 
And, of course, the Friends of the Sedona Library contributed to Build a Better World and to other youth-related events this year.
 
Build a Better World for youth will officially end on Saturday, July 29, at 8 a.m., when we will draw the winners for our prizes, including a free day pass to the amazing wildlife park Bearizona for an entire carload of people; and great games and toys donated by Tlaquepaque Toy Town.
 
We will announce winners at Juggle and Jiggle, a family event, also on Saturday, July 29, at 1:30 p.m. in the Si Birch Community Room. Enjoy a variety show followed by a family dance party with healthy snacks from another local partner, Natural Grocers!
 
Thanks to this vibrant community for supporting Sedona Public Library and helping us make sure that kids love to read.
 
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization. We are grateful for the support of the City of Sedona, Yavapai and Coconino Counties, businesses and foundations, and individuals like you. Your tax-deductible donation may be sent to: Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ 86336 or can be made online at www.sedonalibrary.org.

​Sedona Public Library
Column for July 28, 2017
Written by Karen Mack, Youth Services Librarian

In 2013 I attended my first American Library Association (ALA) conference in Chicago. I was completely overwhelmed by the magnitude of this conference, which featured thousands of speakers, programs, events, and exhibitors.  When I learned that ALA 2017 was in Chicago, I was determined to attend with a plan.
 
The 2017 Annual Conference and Exhibition, June 22 to 27, did not disappoint. More than 22,700 librarians, library workers, and library supporters attended the conference.  There were over 1,800 programs and more than 2,500 events from which to choose. The exhibit hall hosted more than 6,500 exhibitors.
 
While I could not attend all the programs, I would like to share a few of my highlights:
 

• Julie Todaro, 2016 to 2017 ALA President, kicked off the conference with an inspirational message to all librarians, “Ours is a noble profession, dedicated to equity and inclusion.” She encouraged us to continue to lobby for funding for libraries.
• Reshma Saujani, CEO and founder of Girls Who Code, was the featured speaker for the opening session. During her address she explained the importance of inspiring young girls to be involved in the technology and science fields.
• Sandra Uwiringiyimana brought the audience to tears as she related the harrowing tales of her life after fleeing the Democratic Republic of the Congo and living in a Burundi refugee camp.  When she was 10 years old, the camp was attacked. She witnessed her mother being shot and her aunt and six-year-old sister being killed. She acknowledged that she could be bitter and filled with hatred, but she encouraged us to practice kindness in our daily lives.
• Andy Weir, bestselling author of “The Martian,” lightened the mood with funny stories about his childhood and his struggles as a writer. His wonderful sense of humor definitely shines through in his writing.  He introduced his new book “Artemis,” to be released in November.
• Sarah Jessica Parker—actress, avid reader, and library supporter—was introduced as the inaugural chair of ALA Book Club Central, a new online platform to provide resources for book clubs of all kinds.  As the honorary chair, Parker will provide content around her recommended titles throughout the year. She announced her first selection for Book Club Central—“No One Is Coming to Save Us” by Stephanie Powell Watts. Resources for ALA Book Club Central can be found at bookclubcentral.org.

 
Waiting in line seems to be the norm during the ALA Annual Conference—waiting for the bus, waiting for speakers and programs to begin, waiting for authors to sign books.  Was all this wait time worth it?  Absolutely!  What better way to connect and share ideas with librarians from all over the world.
 
Sarah Jessica Parker’s high praise for librarians has stayed with me, “If a library is the very heart of a community, the librarians keep the heart beating.”
 
I returned from the ALA 2017 Annual Conference exhausted but inspired and proud to be a librarian serving the Village of Oak Creek and Sedona!
 
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported by the City of Sedona, Coconino and Yavapai Counties, Friends of the Sedona Library, and readers like you. Your tax-deductible donations can be made online at www.sedonalibrary.org or sent to Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ.

Sedona Public Library
Column for July 21, 2017
Written by Cheryl L. Yeatts, Manager, Sedona Public Library in the Village

Sedona Public Library’s fiscal year ended on May 31, and we’re happy to report that we have experienced another year of growth and transition.  The library continues to be an outstanding community resource by providing new and innovative services and programs in an efficient and cost-effective manner.
This Year’s Highlights and Accomplishments:

• Sedona Public Library was nationally recognized by “Library Journal” magazine as a Star Rated Library for the third year in a row.  Only eight libraries in the state of Arizona received this distinction, based on statistical measures that were higher than those of other libraries.
• The Arizona Community Foundation of Sedona awarded the Spirit of Sedona 2016 Community Collaborator Award to Sedona Public Library.  Spirit of Sedona awards recognize individuals, organizations, and businesses that have made significant contributions to advance the quality of life for residents of Sedona and the Verde Valley
• The Library won the 2016 Customer Service Award, given by the Sedona Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau.  Sedona businesses and organizations providing a great customer service experience were nominated for the award by community members, and the Library was selected by Chamber members as the winner.                                                                                                      
• Sedona Public Library in the Village installed a self-service touch-screen Library Document Station, which patrons can use to scan and fax documents.  The station was purchased with funds received from an LSTA grant.
• We launched our first-ever community reads program, Read Around Sedona, with support from an LSTA grant from the Arizona State Library.  Our selected book was "House of Apache Fires," written by local author Morgan Jameson.  Ten events were held in conjunction with the program, including a kickoff event with the author, book discussions, a panel discussion, movie, Arizona Humanities speaker events, and a program in partnership with the Sedona Heritage Museum.  319 people attended the events.
• In a continued effort to broaden and strengthen our reach in the community, and  increase awareness of our services and funding needs, SPL published two editions of “Check It Out,” the official magazine of Sedona Public Library. The magazine was mailed to over 13,000 residents and businesses in Sedona and the Village of Oak Creek. 
• The Library introduced a Summer Reading Program for adults.  Everyone who signed up received a free book, and active participants were entered in a drawing to win a grand prize of a Fitbit. They also earned prizes provided by businesses in Sedona.
• Services were offered to the Latino community.  Representatives from the Consulate General of Mexico in Phoenix came to the Library to provide consular services, and we offered English as Second Language classes and an immigration forum.
• Youth Services continued to reach out to the community by visiting Head Start classes and preschools.  We offered services for Head Start homebased families to introduce parents to the Library.  Staff participated in events at Big Park Community School, Sedona Charter School, and West Sedona School, and made class visits. We did outreach service to Red Rock Middle School’s special needs class. The Library also cooperated with the City of Sedona by having an exhibit table at the Celebration of Spring event.
• For National Poetry Month, we engaged poet/teacher Logan Phillips to present five workshops.  One was held at SPL and attended by homeschoolers, the general public and students from Sedona Charter School.  We held the other four workshops at Red Rock High School for 192 students. Written program evaluations indicated that this was an excellent educational outreach experience for both teens and teachers.
• In honor of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, we engaged Mike Graf, author of a national park fiction series for children, to present a program at the Library which was attended by 67 students.  We also sponsored outreach presentations by Graf at Big Park Community School for 98 students and at West Sedona School for 137 students.  
• The Library hosted a program in the children’s room with the Rotary Club of Sedona to celebrate the fifth anniversary of Imagination Library.  For five years, this program has provided free monthly books to hundreds of preschool children in Sedona, and this year expanded to include the entire Verde Valley.
• The SedonaKind organization placed Gratitude Trees at sites around the City, including two trees at the Library.  Residents and visitors had the opportunity to write what they are grateful for on handmade, heart-shaped wooden ornaments and then hang them on the trees. 
• We welcomed the Arizona Attorney General Office, which is now providing a satellite office service once a month to give information on consumer fraud, identity theft, and civil rights.
• SPL in the Village held an open house in September to celebrate its one-year anniversary at Bell Rock Plaza.  The Village service center opened in 2005 in a location on West Cortez Drive.
• The Library’s new website was launched in December.  Our goal with the new website is to provide our patrons with a fresh, modern look; a more streamlined organization for easier access; and most importantly, a more mobile-friendly experience.
• Friends of the Sedona Library opened a new location for their book sale.  The Library has provided an adjacent property so the Friends can hold sales in their own space, right next door to the Library on White Bear Road.  The Friends’ entire inventory of books and other materials are now available in their book store all year long for patrons and visitors alike.

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.

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 the 15,000 hours of volunteer time we received last year.

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

Imagine strolling with your kids through Sunset Park in the early evening when the day has finally cooled down, and suddenly you see a page of a children’s book displayed on a nearby fence, then you see another, and then another! Before you know it, you’ve walked the length of the grassy field and enjoyed an entire story. Welcome to Sedona Public Library’s inaugural StoryWalk, launching on Wednesday, July 12, 10:30 a.m., at Sunset Park.

StoryWalk kicks off with music, song, and a terrific children’s picture book: If You Plant a Seed, by award winning author Kadir Nelson. Mayor Sandra Moriarty will lead the first walk by the pages of this delightful book where bright-eyed animals share a story of generosity and compassion.

Residents and visitors alike can stroll 300 feet of park fence where every 20 feet they will find another laminated spread of colorful book pages hung at just the right height so children can easily see the illustrations and read the text.
This free program combines favorite summertime activities: walking and reading. The national fitness and literacy project has inspired adults and children to read together while encouraging healthy outdoor activity in all 50 states and 11 countries.

Enjoy StoryWalk all summer long, and watch for a new StoryWalk in the fall. StoryWalk is made possible through a partnership with the City of Sedona Parks and Recreation and donors who love art and literacy.
The laminated story pages of this pilot project were assembled with the help of local teens. The summer and fall displays will establish interest and audience levels in preparation for permanent display stations where the Library will share stories outdoors throughout the year.

Visitors are encouraged to share their StoryWalk experience on evaluations at the park or on social media with photos, comments, and suggestions. If you’d like to support a permanent StoryWalk, contact the Development Director at 928-282-7714, ext. 125.

For more information about StoryWalk, and other Library programs, visit our Facebook page, our website at sedonalibrary.org, or call 928-282-7714. For more information about Sunset Park, 655 Sunset Drive, Sedona, visit http://www.sedonaaz.gov.

Sedona Public Library
​Column for July 7, 2017
Written by Anne Marie Mackler, Development Director