Sedona Public Library has been awarded a prestigious Library Services Technology Act grant by the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, a division of the Secretary of State.  Funds from the grant will be used to support the Library’s upcoming environmental program series, “Our Earth, Our Habitat, Our Home.” Funds will also be used to upgrade technology so more people can enjoy our library programs.
 
The Library has planned a number of events for the “Our Earth” series, including author talks about protecting and preserving the environment, so grab your calendar and make a note of these free presentations. All programs will take place in the community room at Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road. 
 
Tuesday, September 10, 10:30 a.m. Mike Koopsen, fine-art landscape photographer, will present a slide show of his award-winning images to celebrate the theme “Our Earth, Our Habitat, Our Home.” Mike will also offer insider tips about the best places to photograph the red rocks.
 
Friday, October 4, 3:30 p.m.  Journalist Rebecca Robinson and photographer Stephen E. Strom will speak about their book “Voices from Bears Ears: Seeking Common Ground on Sacred Land.” A land rich in history and unsurpassed in natural beauty, Bears Ears National Monument is at the heart of a national debate over the future of public lands. Through stories and images, Robinson and Strom will enable the audience to hear and see the people whose lives are intertwined with this special place.
 
Tuesday, November 5, 10:30 a.m. See Arizona in a whole new light when you explore its award-winning collection of state parks.  In his latest book, “Arizona State Parks: A Guide to Amazing Places in the Grand Canyon State,” travel writer Roger Naylor reveals the scenic wonders, rich history, and recreational opportunities contained within the extensive park system. Here you’ll find some of the best hiking, camping, fishing, boating, stargazing, and wildlife watching in Arizona—all accessible as easy day trips and weekend getaways.
 
Saturday, November 9, 1:30 p.m. What can you make from recycled book pages?  Joyce Bethune and Suzanne Moore have fun, creative ideas and will facilitate a make-and-take workshop using recycled book pages.  There is no cost for the workshop, but you must register so we can plan for the event. Please call 928-284-1603 to reserve your space.
 
Tuesday, December 10, 6:30 p.m. Meet author Pam Houston. She will be reading passages from her latest book, “Deep Creek: Finding Hope in the High Country.”  Pam is the author of two novels, two collections of short stories, and a collection of essays. She teaches in the Low Rez MFA program at the Institute of American Indian Arts, is Professor of English at UC Davis, and is co-founder and creative director of the literary nonprofit Writing by Writers. She lives at 9,000 feet above sea level, near the headwaters of the Rio Grande.
 
To learn more about all that we offer at Sedona Public Library, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization or to make an online gift, please visit us at www.sedonalibrary.org.

Sedona Public Library
Column for August 30, 2019
Written by Cheryl L. Yeatts, Manager of Sedona Public Library in the Village

Don’t miss out on all that Sedona Public Library offers for local and visiting youth.  After a summer season packed with reading challenges and amazing library events, the youth services crew is now focusing on providing library services to families on a school schedule. Event calendars are available at the Library and are online at sedonalibrary.org. Take a look at the calendar and you will see that the Library is a wonderfully busy and inspirational place during the school year as well.
 
During the last school year, we hosted many programs that were engaging and well attended. To describe a few: When local schools had early-release days, we provided science kits, game boards, and extra laptop computers, as well as offering “maker day” activities for students.  Out in the community, we presented 77 toddler and preschool story time sessions, and in the children’s room at the Library, staff engaged youngsters in around 140 story time sessions.  During the last school year, children enjoyed after-school chess club, book club, and Pokémon club. They also enjoyed a visit by Jerry Pallotta, the author of many nonfiction children’s books, including the very popular series “Who Would Win?”
 
In the spring, middle and high schoolers, homeschoolers, and the general public were treated to a day of workshops at the Sedona Performing Arts Center with bilingual poet, performer, DJ, and educator Logan Phillips.  Also for this age group, we created an online fall reading challenge.  About 250 teens participated, writing hundreds of online comments about what they were reading. Through a Sedona Public Library connection, a homeschooler learned about the annual National Garden Club poetry contest and ended up winning third place in the nation!  And did you hear about the Library’s time capsule? It’s now deep in the ground for the next 40 years and contains stories, poetry, and predictions of local youth who participated.
 
Looking ahead, the library calendar for the 2019 to 2020 school year is filling up with class visits, story times, guest presenters, and special events.  Story time is again scheduled three mornings a week, and many sessions include bilingual stories, music, or sign language.  Early-release drop-in activities are scheduled for Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m., with the next activity being an Apple-Licious crafts program on September 4.  Movies, rated G or PG, with popcorn, will be featured on the second Wednesday of each month.  On Thursdays, we welcome back Dr. B for another year of after-school chess club!  Once a month, Miss Annette brings traditional songs and beautiful music to the children’s room.
 
We are scheduling more “Fun with Math and Science” sessions for preschoolers and opportunities for older children to try out new tech.  Family geology programs, author visits, writing workshops, special celebrations, and more are currently being coordinated and will soon be added to the calendar.
 
Do these activities interest you?  Please put the library calendar on your fridge or bookmark it on your phone. Library events and services are free.  See you at the Library!

Sedona Public Library
Column for August 23, 2019
Written by Karen Mack, Youth Services Librarian

School is back in session, and Sedona Public Library is happy to say that we gladly helped lots of local kids avoid the “summer slide.” Our Summer Reading Program was well-liked, and children of all ages read books, and more books, maintaining their skills and readiness for returning to school this month.
 
Every year, libraries across the country offer summer reading programs designed to spark imaginations and engage children as schools let out for the summer. Besides being fun, summer reading programs battle the decline in reading ability (the “summer slide”) that is too often seen in students who don’t read or read infrequently during their vacations.
 
Nearly 100 local youngsters signed in to the 8-week library program and tracked their summer reading activities and competed for prizes. And the Library’s array of 56 diverse programs attracted 1,100 participants throughout June and July. The variety of programs was based on this year’s theme, “A Universe of Stories.”
 
This theme, chosen by library professionals across the nation, was designed to help inspire children of all ages to dream big, believe in themselves, and create their own story. We dove into the lively theme with a diverse array of activities and presentations based on space exploration, storytelling, and much more.
 
For many families with elementary-aged children, the public library is the only community space available during the summer months where they can access free educational and cultural enrichment activities and programs. We’re always happy to see our Youth Services area busy with readers and explorers all summer long.
 
It’s fun to bring people together for literature and literacy, and the Summer Reading Program offerings received rave reviews. Families were mesmerized by Magical Michael Steele, who is a yo-yo wizard as well as juggler and impressive illusionist. Everyone loved Wildman Phil’s presentation: he makes the wildest of creatures seem like they could be your best friends.
 
Adults enjoyed their own summer reading program, and participants were encouraged to consider reading books outside their normal genre, to discuss books with others, and compete for prizes. The adult programs were also well attended, and favorites included an afternoon with Sedona’s Jesse Kalu, who blends storytelling with music from his handmade bamboo flutes, as well as Kehau Chrisman, an expert on traditional Hawaiian hula.
 
Sedona Public Library is grateful to the members of our community who were instrumental in the success of the Summer Reading Program. We sought to keep kids cool and engaged in the warm summer months, and so many helped us do just that.
 
Individuals and organizations alike donated their time and expertise. Many donated exciting prizes that enticed reluctant readers into having so much fun that they didn’t even know they were maintaining scholastic skills!
 
When you are out shopping or visiting, please keep the following library supporters in mind, mention their generosity to your friends and family, and if you see them, offer a thank you!
 
Annette and Felicia Foldes; Arizona State Parks; City of Sedona Parks and Recreation; Cold Stone Creamery; Dahl Restaurant Group; Famous Pizza; Friends of the Sedona Library; Sedona Kids Company; Steakhouse 89; The Literate Lizard; and Tlaquepaque Toy Town. Thanks to you all.
 
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization, and your support is welcome and encouraged. Please visit sedonalibrary.org to learn more, and to make your online gift. Thank you.

​Sedona Public Library
Column for August 16, 2019
Written by:  Anne Marie Mackler, Development Director

If you’re looking for something fun to do that won’t strain your budget, check out a Culture Pass from Sedona Public Library.
 
In order to take advantage of the Culture Pass program you’ll need to have a library card.  Passes are available on a first-come, first-served basis, with a limit of one pass per cardholder at a time. On our website you’ll find a link to the website for each participating institution.
 
When you check out a Culture Pass you’ll receive a receipt admitting two people for one visit to that participating institution during the following seven days.  Here in Northern Arizona, library cardholders can choose from Arcosanti, the Arboretum at Flagstaff, Route 66 Museum, Mohave Museum, Bonelli House, or the Sedona Heritage Museum. 
 
Arcosanti is located 70 miles north of Phoenix, and is the brainchild of architect Paolo Soleri. The town has been under construction since 1970 and incorporates principles of ecological urban design. 
 
The Arboretum at Flagstaff is 7,150 feet in elevation and is a beautiful place to relax and escape the heat.  Pack your picnic and a blanket and learn about the native plants of this high-desert environment. Guests can enjoy the butterfly house, wildflower walks, and garden tours. The Arboretum is closed in the winter (beginning November 1), so be sure to put this on your summer to-do list.  Note that it’s closed on Tuesdays.
 
Take a ride along historic Route 66 in Kingman with the three-in-one Culture Pass.  You can visit the Route 66 Museum, the Mohave Museum, and the Bonelli House. These museums explore the diverse history of Northern Arizona, from the artwork and history of the Hopi, Hohokam, Hualapai, and Navajo tribes to the history of the early settlers and ranchers.  Whether you make it a day trip or a special stop on your way west, there is a lot in store for you in Kingman.
 
If you want to stay close to home, stop at the Sedona Heritage Museum. This local gem of a museum was once a homestead for the Jordan family and is focused on the lifestyles and works of the people who pioneered this community from 1876 to the present, including Sedona Schnebly, the town’s namesake. You’ll also learn about the former orchard industry and movies made in Sedona. 
 
In addition to the Northern Arizona Culture Passes, Sedona Library offers Culture Passes to these venues in the Phoenix area:
Cave Creek Museum (Open October through May)
Desert Caballeros Western Museum
Desert Botanical Garden
Heard Museum
Phoenix Art Museum
Pueblo Grande Museum & Archaeological Park
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
 
Please visit the Sedona Library website, www.sedonalibrary.org, for complete Culture Pass program details and restrictions, to see which passes are currently available, and for links to participating locations.
 
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.  Programs like the Culture Pass are made possible thanks to the generous donations of individuals and foundations. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit our website or send to Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, Arizona 86336.

Sedona Public Library
Column for August 9, 2019
Written by:  Virginia Volkman, Library Director

“The richest person in the world—in fact, all the riches in the world—couldn’t provide you with anything like the endless, incredible loot available at your local library.” Malcolm Forbes
 
At the second annual International Public Library Fundraising Conference, a question was posed to an impressive panel of library directors from Seattle, Denver, Brooklyn, and beyond: “Why fund libraries?” The answers have served as inspiration for Sedona Public Library’s giving program, and they have offered perspective to the powerful work that libraries do locally, and what they do nationally as part of an enormous network.
 
Each of the nearly 100 libraries represented at that conference does some type of fundraising. Libraries have an array of organization models to structure that fundraising. They may have internal Friends groups like Flagstaff City-Coconino County Public Library, or Friends groups that are individual and separate nonprofit organizations like Friends of the Sedona Library.
 
They may have foundations that fundraise for them or volunteer committees who do this work. No matter the model, and whether the library is municipally administered or an independent 501(c)(3) like we are, behind the books and programs, fundraising happens.
 
So how a library raises funds is one thing, but why is the more crucial consideration. And the answers provided by the prestigious panel at the library fundraising conference was memorable. Their responses were smart, poignant, and certainly worth sharing. Here’s a sample of responses to the question, “Why fund libraries?”
 

• Libraries are the most inclusive and democratic organizations in the nation
• Libraries are the last best hope of a safety net for literacy and homeless
• Libraries provide cultural preservation, skill building, and special collections
• Libraries help individual lives, which strengthens our democracy
• Libraries transform lives and communities
• Libraries provide the bootstraps necessary to pull yourself up
• Giving to libraries is not for current problems but for future solutions
• Private support takes a library from good to great
• A library is simply a venue of opportunities

 
It was pointed out by this group that non-governmental support is “aspirational.” Sedona Public Library is generously supported by the City of Sedona, both Coconino and Yavapai Counties, and the Friends, and we are grateful. It must be noted, however, that it is the aspirational, hopeful, intentional, and dedicated support of individuals that we rely on, not only for sustaining the work that we do and securing our future, but for the resounding, or aspiring if you will, vote of confidence that we need from the community.
 
If you are a tourist and reading this, by all means, come by Sedona Public Library and learn all that we offer for folks visiting our beautiful city. If you are a new resident, welcome! There is no better way to get to know your new home than at the Library. Everyone is encouraged to come in and see what’s new, what’s current, and what we’ve got planned for our patrons and community. Learn what we do to improve lives and strengthen democracy.
 
Of course, your support is welcome and necessary. Help your public library keep its “great” status. You can give online, make a recurring gift, or drop several dollars in one of our donation boxes. You can write a check, make a legacy gift, or talk to your tax advisor and make a qualified charitable distribution. The possibilities for giving are many, and the “endless, incredible loot” we offer is here for the asking, and checking out. Come on in, we’re always happy to see you.
 
Please visit sedonalibrary.org to learn more about all that we do and how you can support us. Thank you!

​Sedona Public Library
Column for August 2, 2019
Written by: Anne Marie Mackler, Development Director