Journey along historic Route 66 with Marshall Shore on Monday, November 7, at 1:30 p.m. at the Church of the Nazarene, 55 Rojo Drive in the Village of Oak Creek. During this Arizona Humanities program, “Arizona Kicks on Route 66,” the speaker will share the history of Route 66 and tell about the impact it had on the state during its prime.
 
Shore will also share what happened when the interstate ultimately bypassed some of the towns that drew life from the road. This multimedia presentation includes music, video clips, still photos, and Shore’s storytelling magic. The program, generously funded by Arizona Humanities and Friends of the Sedona Library, is free and open to the public.  Donations are always welcome.
 
Route 66, one of the original U.S. highways, was established November 11, 1926. During the Great Depression, it became the major path by which people migrated west seeking work, warm weather, and new opportunities.  Over the years it has earned many nicknames: “The Great Diagonal Way” because the Chicago to Oklahoma City stretch ran northeast to southwest, “The Main Street of America,” and “The Will Rogers Highway.” Today, portions of the road that passed through Illinois, Missouri, New Mexico, and Arizona are designated as Historic Route 66 National Scenic Byways.
 
How long has it been since you read the American classic “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck?  Steinbeck referred to Route 66 as “the Mother Road,” a name that has endured. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1940, this epic of the Great Depression chronicles the Dust Bowl migrations of the 1930s. Steinbeck tells the story of the Joads, an Oklahoma farm family, driven from their homestead and forced to travel west to the promised land of California. 
 
In his book “Route 66: The Mother Road 75th Anniversary Edition,” Michael Wallis hits the road revisiting people and places that made the Mother Road an American icon.  This book is a tribute to Route 66 that takes readers on an unforgettable journey on America’s most famous and beloved highway.
 
To get a little closer to home, consider watching “Route 66 Arizona.”  This DVD features stories and interviews with those who make Route 66 what it is. 
 
The Yavapai Library Network also offers a few cookbooks about Route 66: “The Route 66 Cookbook,” “Main Street of America Cookbook: A Culinary Journey down Route 66,” and “Dine in Route 66: Flavors of Route 66 in the Comfort of Your Own Home!”
 
You might want to also consider checking out a three-in-one Culture Pass from the main Library in West Sedona for free admission to 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.
 
Visit Sedona Public Library in the Village at Suite 51 A in Bell Rock Plaza. Library hours are 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The Village library is closed Sunday and Monday. For more information call the library at 928-284-1603 or visit Sedona Public Library’s website at www.sedonalibrary.org.

Sedona Public Library
Column for October 28, 2016
Written by Cheryl Yeatts, Manager of Sedona Public Library in the Village

This year, October 16–22 is the annual celebration of National Friends of Libraries Week.  Sedona Public Library takes this time to thank the Friends of the Sedona Library, who contribute so much of their time and expertise to significantly enhance our services. 
 
Our Friends group was started in 1964 and officially became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation in November 1967.  Donations and memberships are deductible to the full extent allowable by law.
 
The mission of the Friends of the Sedona Library is to support the Sedona Public Library as it strives to encourage literacy, lifelong learning, and the love of reading throughout our diverse community; to enhance the Library’s resources, increase the community’s access to information and knowledge; to provide for a vibrant cultural gathering place, and cultivate a sense of public involvement through volunteering for the community.
 
The Friends hold semiannual books sales that help fund collection expansion as well as children’s and other community programs during the year. The books that are offered through these sales come from the existing library collection when they are no longer needed by the Library and by ongoing donations from the community.
 
The schedule for this year’s Fall Book Sale is as follows:
Preview Night: Monday, October 24, 6:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m.  for Friends of the Library, invited guests, staff, and volunteers.
Sale: October 25–30
Sale open to the public during regular library hours Tuesday through Saturday and also on Sunday, October 30 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
 
The Friends also sell books online through Amazon.com. Take a peek at their inventory by going to http://www.amazon.com/shops/sedonafossilz.
 
You can also support the Friends of the Library by purchasing a Bashas’ Community Card at the Library’s reference desk for $10 (they are not available for purchase at the grocery store).  By purchasing a card, you can donate six percent of your regular grocery expenses to the Friends group, at no additional cost to you.
 
To support the goals of the Friends, you are cordially invited to join. To do so, please pick up a membership form at the Library or visit the library website:  www.sedonalibrary.org.
 
Members of the Friends Board are Charlene Lipka, President; Anne Smith, First Vice President; Mary Snyder, Second Vice President; Donna Hawk, Treasurer; Jawn McKinley, Trustee; and Brenda Holland, Trustee.  A special thank you to the Board and all who support the Library through membership in the Friends group. 
 
I know that the Sedona Public Library is a source of pride for our community.  Our Friends group is a source of pride as well.  I hope this week everyone will support this outstanding group.

Sedona Public Library
Column for October 21, 2016
Written by Virginia Volkman, Library Director

It’s a real treat when a new book is published in a series that you’ve been following.  For fans of Louise Penny, the fall release of “A Great Reckoning” is a cause for celebrating. 

Penny’s Armand Gamache novels have a loyal following and they are most often described as mysteries; in fact BookPage named the newest in the series the Top Pick Mystery in its September issue.  However, Maureen Corrigan, who teaches literature at Georgetown University and is the book critic for the NPR program “Fresh Air,” has another opinion.

In her August 31, 2016, Washington Post review, Corrigan said:  “The Gamache novels are sui generis; they can only be described in adjectives, not categories. The series is deep and grand and altogether extraordinary. Although individual novels have featured plots about mass murderers and serial killers, they’re always infused with wit and compassion; they’re as much spiritual investigations into the nature of evil and divine mercy as they are ‘entertainments.’”

This excerpt from the BookPage review will give you a feel for “A Great Reckoning” and the series:  “Three Pines, Québec, is a town straight out of a Currier & Ives lithograph, a town where everyone knows one another as intimately as extended family, a town where secrets do not remain secrets for long. Think Bedford Falls of It’s a Wonderful Life, modernized and Frenchified un petite peu. It’s the home of Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of Sûreté du Québec, now back to work as head of the notoriously corrupt Sûreté Academy after a foiled attempt at retirement.”

If you’re new to the series, you may be wondering if the books should be read in order.  According to the author herself:  “At the risk of appearing to want you to buy more books let me say that while it's not necessary to read them in any particular order (they’re designed to be self-standing) there is quite a strong character development arc. I think you’d enjoy the books even more if read in order.”

I listened to the Library’s copy of “A Great Reckoning “on a Playaway – a self-contained MP3 player that can fit in your pocket or plug into your car radio. The recording artist, Robert Bathurst, is a wonderful narrator.  If you’re not already a fan, I encourage you to start the series.  You can enjoy Penny’s exquisite writing by reading or listening to her words, which at times sound like poetry. 

Start your reading with “Still Life.”  All the books in the series are available at Sedona Public Library.  In addition to the print edition, most books are also available through the Yavapai Library Network in audiobook and electronic versions—log into the catalog from home or visit the Library to place a hold.

I’m so grateful that I was introduced to the books by our deceased Reference Librarian Patricia Lowell. The message of Penny’s current book is hopeful and reassuring.  We could all use that kind of encouragement, n’est-ce pas?

Need more ideas for your next great read? BookPage, available in print at Sedona Public Library and online at http://bookpage.com, contains great recommendations for reads in fiction, nonfiction, mystery, lifestyles, and more. Pick up this free monthly publication the next time you are at the Library.

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 made online through our website or sent to: Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ 86336.

​Sedona Public Library
Column for October 14, 2016
Written by Virginia Volkman, Library Director

You have your choice of two fascinating Arizona Humanities speaker programs next week, with convenient locations in West Sedona and the Village of Oak Creek. These upcoming events are part of the Arizona Humanities speaker series sponsored regularly by Sedona Public Library. Each program highlights an aspect of history or culture, often with an Arizona or Southwest focus. Speakers use a variety of techniques to present their topics, including costumes, props, music, and photographs. Take advantage of these entertaining, informative, and free programs to learn something new.
 
On Wednesday, October 12, Ken Zoll will present “The Billingsley Hopi Dancers.” The presentation will take place from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at the Church of the Nazarene, 55 Rojo Drive in the Village of Oak Creek. Zoll, who is the Executive Director of the Verde Valley Archaeology Center, will discuss a remarkable effort by the Hopi to educate the public about the cultural significance of their traditional dances. In the 1920s, the Hopi Snake Dance was viewed by some as pagan worship that should be banned. To dispel this idea, the Hopi, with the help of teacher Milo Billingsley, formed a dance troupe and performed around the country for many years, culminating in a dance at Carnegie Hall. This presentation provides background on the history of the Hopi dances and shows portions of a rare film of the dancers from 1957.
 
On the following evening, Thursday, October 13, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Si Birch Community Room at the main library in West Sedona, Hugh Grinnell will present “The Explorations and Discoveries of George Bird Grinnell, The Father of Glacier National Park.” George Bird Grinnell was an explorer who worked for the preservation of America’s wild lands and animals. The great West that he first encountered in 1870 as a 21-year-old man was shortly to disappear before his eyes due to exploitation of natural resources. Nobody was quicker to sense the desecration or was more eloquent in crusading for conservation. Grinnell founded the first Audubon Society, cofounded the Boone and Crockett Club with Teddy Roosevelt, and led the effort to establish Glacier National Park. During this living-history presentation, the audience will travel back in time to the 19th century, listening to Grinnell’s own words as taken from his field journals, memoirs, personal correspondence, and newspaper editorials.
 
These speaker programs at the Library, which are free and open to the public, are generously funded by Arizona Humanities. Speaker programs in the Village of Oak Creek are also funded by Friends of the Sedona Library. Donations are always welcome.
 
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations and grants allow us to continue to offer free and innovative services to residents and visitors. Your tax-deductible donation is appreciated and may be sent to: Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ 86336.

​Sedona Public Library
Column for October 7, 2016
Written by Elizabeth Cate, Collection Development Librarian