Happy Black Friday! Chances are, you are relaxing with family and friends, enjoying leftovers after a strenuous hike, or maybe out shopping or putting your holiday list in order. However you spend this weekend, and the beginning of the holiday season, it is a perfect time to consider the many nonprofit organizations that make this community the wonderful place that it is, especially your library.
 
Sedona Public Library seeks your support at this generous time of year, and we will not ask without answering that ever-important question: “What’s the return on investment?” Here at the Library, it’s impressive. We promise!
 
The Library is a cornerstone of the Sedona community, and we are proud of that role. We are called the heart of the community because everyone is welcome to all that we offer. And we offer a lot. For free.
 
Looking for computers or Wi-Fi? We have them. Can’t get in to look up a book?  No worries, use the YLN App on your phone to access over a million movies, books, magazines, eBooks, and audiobooks, place your hold, and we’ll let you know when it’s in. Not enough? We’ve got more.
 
The library is at your fingertips with RBDigital where you can find hundreds of magazines and Ebooks; with Kanopy where you can stream thousands of films; and with Libby (Overdrive) where you’ll find thousands of Ebooks and audio books. We never stop improving and growing with you and working to make our services and resources meet your needs.
 
If you need help learning English, or want to refresh your French or Spanish, we’re the place. Are you looking for an outdoor library? Visit our Storywalk at Sunset Park. If you want to discuss a new book or join a local writers’ salon, if you want to learn Microsoft Word or basic computer skills, if you want to view local quilts, geology, photos and other artwork, come on by!
 
We have librarians that can lead you where you want to go. To a new trail or an old friend. To a guitar class or a terrific pie. Whether you’re checking social media, or looking for a hotel, we can get you to the right websites. Need a poem, a template, or to visit a museum? Beginning the long overdue genealogy search? We have answers to your questions, and if we don’t know the answers, we know how to find them.
 
We are here to help you find what you need. A place to charge your phone? Done. The new musical with that special song? Done. An obscure novel from a faraway library? Done. Storytelling to inspire young readers? In Spanish or English? Done!
 
Planning a vacation? Worried about sustainability? Starting a garden? Printing an astrology chart? Making a plan for early release day? Or maybe you want to relax and read a new bestseller? It’s all here at Sedona Public Library. We even have photo ops for a fun holiday card: Consider a selfie with Sedona Schnebly, namesake of our fair city.

We offer the community a myriad of possibilities. We have a vast array of diverse programs, a robust collection, fun and knowledgeable staff, a beautiful building, and some of the most accommodating and affordable room rentals in the area. When you make a gift to the Library, you invest in the entire community and Sedona’s future. The return on your investment? Excellent. Just wait to see what we’ll do next.
 
So this holiday season, enjoy the food, the festivities, the fun, and most importantly your family and friends, and please consider giving to the heart of your community, Sedona Public Library.

Giving is easy at sedonalibrary.org/donate. Thanks, happy holidays, and happy reading!

Sedona Public Library
Column for November 29, 2019
Written by Anne Marie Mackler, Development Director

The days leading up to Thanksgiving have been busy for Sedona Public Library, and we have much to be thankful for. 
 
For over 50 years we have depended on annual support from Friends of the Sedona Library. Thank you to all who support the Library through membership in the Friends group and who shop at the Friends used book store, located next door to the Library on White Bear Road. 
 
The Friends kicked off the holiday season at the book store with half-price specials on different categories between now and Christmas. Featured categories change weekly, so drop by often. There are also book-themed decorative gift baskets and gift certificates for your favorite reader.
 
The store is also featuring special ornaments made from recycled book pages and handcrafted by bookstore volunteers. It’s another way to appreciate literature as well as outstanding creativity and craftsmanship. However you celebrate and decorate, the ornaments are meant to bring a bit of joy to any occasion. More ornaments will be crafted as the season progresses.
 
Special thanks to members of the Friends Board: Mary Snyder, President; Anne Smith, Vice President; Ellen White, Secretary; Donna Hawk, Treasurer; Patricia Burdick, Trustee; and Richard Sauck, Trustee.
 
The Library is a shining example of collaboration, and we have a long history of partnerships with numerous community organizations and businesses. We could not succeed as your public library without your involvement and commitment.
 
Your library was built with locally donated funds. It’s the community’s investment of their own time and money that makes this library the unique institution that it is.  
 
Volunteers work 17,000 hours a year to maintain service at both the main library, SPL in the Village and also at the Friends book store. That’s the equivalent of eight full-time staff members. Many volunteers work a regular schedule, while others drop in as their schedules allow. We are thankful for the time that volunteers give throughout the year.
 
We appreciate the service of our board of trustees:  President, Joel DeTar; Sheila Hoffmeyer, Past President; Daniel Gallagher, President-Elect; Scott Bradley, Treasurer; Stephanie Geisbrecht, Secretary; and trustees Avrum Cohen, Mary Kay DePoe, Tom Martin, and Peter Wolf.
 
We are very grateful for support from the City of Sedona, the property tax dollars we receive from Yavapai and Coconino Counties and the many individuals who make generous donations to the Library.
 
As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we offer our sincere thank you for your support and patronage, and if you haven’t been by for a while, stop in and see what’s new. On behalf of the Sedona Public Library Board of Trustees and staff, we wish you a happy Thanksgiving!
 
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We are grateful for your gifts. Please support your library at www.sedonalibrary.org.

​Sedona Public Library
Column for November 22, 2019
Written by Virginia Volkman, Library Director

Sedona Public Library is proud to announce that Karen Mack, Director of Youth Services, was recently named the recipient of the Arizona Library Association Youth Services Librarian Award for 2019.  This prestigious award recognizes an individual who serves as a model for the important role youth services plays in public libraries. 
 
Karen was nominated for the Youth Services Award by her colleagues and library patrons. She was recognized during an awards luncheon at the Arizona Library Association Conference recently held in Tucson.
 
Thanks to Karen’s efforts, the children’s room at Sedona Public Library is a place of joy.  Story times, which are fun and engaging for children and parents/caregivers, focus on family learning and include action rhymes, sign language, dancing, and music.  Karen and her staff also provide a bilingual story time once a month and a craft activity on Saturdays.
 
In addition to organizing story times, author visits, STEAM activities, book club, chess club, and Pokemon club at the Library, Karen promotes youth services through community outreach.  She works with Head Start, shares story time at preschools, and reaches out to homeschoolers. She provides teachers with tools to enhance curriculum.  When the librarian at West Sedona School needed assistance organizing the school library, Karen recruited volunteers to help with the project. She coordinated a poetry event for 300 local schoolchildren and homeschoolers.
 
Karen Mack is passionate about the Library, youth services, and the community.  She was instrumental in creating a partnership with the City of Sedona to install StoryWalk at Sunset Park. She worked with the Rotary Club of Sedona in 2012 to launch Imagination Library. The program has successfully grown to serve the entire Verde Valley.
 
Karen has contributed her time and expertise in many areas. She helped coordinate the local AZ SciTech Festival; mentored the Camp Verde Community Library’s youth services librarian; participated in Sedona’s St. Patrick’s Day parade dressed as Mother Goose; raised funds for the Library through pledges for running in the local 5K event; and organized a solar eclipse event for over 300 community participants.
 
Before joining the staff at Sedona Public Library in 2010, Karen worked for 8 years in a rural public library in Ontario, Canada, and for 12 years at Flagstaff Public Library. In December 2009, she completed a Master’s Degree in Information Resources and Library Science from the University of Arizona.
 
The next time you see Karen, please congratulate her on her award and tell her how much you appreciate her efforts, not only for the Library but for our community and the Verde Valley. We are most fortunate to have Karen as part of our dynamic team at Sedona Public Library.
 
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Please support your library by making a gift at www.sedonalibrary.org

​Sedona Public Library
Column for November 15, 2019
Written by:  Cheryl L. Yeatts, Manager of Sedona Public Library in the Village

On Veterans Day, Americans take time to give special recognition to our veterans and to honor their service to our country. Thank you!
 
Sedona Public Library is an official partner with the Library of Congress Veterans History Project, which collects and preserves the personal oral histories of our nation’s war veterans. Imagine how fascinating it would be if you could see and hear veterans of the Revolutionary War or the Civil War telling their stories in their own words and voices!  What a wonderful depth of understanding that would add to the historical account of the conflict! 
 
Specially trained volunteers conduct the interviews of US military veterans who served in conflicts from World War II to the present.  We have heard some remarkable stories of personal sacrifice and endurance; humor and sadness; loneliness and adventure; travel and education; friendships made and careers influenced and enhanced. Some served stateside. Some served overseas. Some served distinguished careers without ever firing a shot at an adversary.  Some survived the most horrific battles of these wars and have shared stories of how they were able to cope with these experiences.  Some quietly did their duty without much official recognition or appreciation, still knowing that their job was an essential part of the war effort. 
 
For every soldier on the front lines of conflict, there were nine others whose jobs assured that the one could do his job, including civilians who actively supported war efforts as defense industry workers, flight instructors, medical volunteers, etc., and the stories of those who served behind the scenes are also an important part of the record.
 
The volunteer members of the local project group have collected the personal stories of 275 area veterans.  We hope to reach all of our veterans so that these memories are preserved as part of our national and local history and for the individual veteran’s family.
 
Interviews are conducted privately in the Quiet Study Room of Sedona Public Library.  Completed interviews are transferred to DVDs, one of which is given to the participating veteran and can become a priceless family legacy.  One copy is sent to the Library of Congress where it will be carefully preserved as part of our nation’s history.  Two copies are retained in Sedona Public Library.  Although these copies cannot be checked out, copied, or viewed on a personal computer, they are available at the reference desk and may be viewed on the Library’s computer.  
 
If you are a veteran, if you know a veteran who should be invited to participate in this project, or if you are interested in volunteering, please contact Jolene Pierson at 282-7999 or sedonajcp@hotmail.com to learn more about our local project.  You can also pick up a brochure at the Reference Desk for more information.  To learn more about the national Veterans History Project, visit the website of the Library of Congress at www.loc.gov/vets/

Funding for this project is provided locally through tax-deductible donations by individuals and by the generous support of local businesses and organizations.  Donations may be sent to Sedona Public Library, specifying that the donation is restricted to the Veterans History Project.
 
We invite everyone to join us for our “Coffee with a Veteran” program, held on the second Friday of each month, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the Library’s Si Birch Community Room.  Please join us to meet local veterans, and to enjoy free coffee and donuts and a short program. Members of SedonaKind will be providing brunch at our November 8 event. The speaker will be Spence Peterson, of the Prescott Veterans Administration, who will talk about services available through the VA.  We look forward to seeing you!

Sedona Public Library
Column for November 8, 2019
Written by Jolene Pierson, Veterans History Project Coordinator

Andrew Carnegie said “A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people. It is a never failing spring in the desert.” This week, Sedona Public Library brings the community a series of discussions that tackle both serious and timely topics important on local and national levels.

On Monday, November 4 at 1 p.m., the Library partners with Northern Arizona Chapter of Compassion & Choices to present the first of four book discussions focused on the book Finish Strong: Putting Your Priorities First at Life’s End by Barbara Coombes Lee, National President of Compassion & Choices. While the topic of death has been studied forever, it is not always a comfortable subject for casual conversation. Coombs has written an important book full of candid and helpful advice for people navigating the final stages of their own or loved ones’ lives. If you’re interested in talking about the final stages of life and issues such as morality, religion, legislation, medicine, family dynamics, hospice, and palliative care, please join us! This first discussion will focus on chapters one through three, with subsequent discussions taking place November 18, December 2 and 16.

Later that day (11/4/19) at 3:30 p.m., Phoenix author Sue Lefebvre will read from and discuss her 2019 book No More Deaths: Humanitarian Aid is Never a Crime, Saving Lives of Migrants. This book chronicles the response of humanitarians in Southern Arizona to the massive influx of Mexicans and others into Arizona following the passage of NAFTA in 1994. Since 2004, volunteers for the No More Deaths/No Mas Muertes organization have taken life-saving water, food, and first aid to migrants traversing the desert, as well as providing money-exchange, haircuts, phone calls and other important services to deportees at ports of entry. These humanitarian efforts take place while the organization faces down government agencies, endures federal trials, and presses for comprehensive immigration reform. Through narrative stories, emails, meeting notes, and other means, many volunteers have helped Sue Lefebvre tell their story in this important book.

Wednesday evening, November 6 at 6:30 p.m., Sedona’s own Honorable Judge Charles B. Schudson will read from, discuss, and answer questions about his latest book Independence Corrupted: How America’s Judges Make their Decisions. Independence Corrupted reveals the mounting pressures on very human judges and exposes the new and powerful political corrosion of America’s judicial independence. It’s sure to be a fascinating discussion. Judge Schudson is a former trial and appellate judge, law professor, and Fulbright scholar.  As an expert on the American judicial system, he has appeared on PBS, NPR, and Oprah, and before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

On Thursday, November 7, we are excited to partner with OLLI Sedona-Verde Valley and the League of Women Voters of the Greater Verde Valley to present the PBS documentary film American Creed along with Community Conversations facilitated by Dr. Paul Friedman of OLLI.  The documentary explores whether a unifying set of beliefs, an American creed, can prove more powerful than the issues that divide us. The first screening begins at 11 a.m. in Sedona Public Library’s Si Birch Community Room. A second screening takes place later the same day at 6 p.m. at OLLI of Sedona’s location, in Sedona Center at Yavapai College, Room 34.  Dr. Friedman will host both events.

American Creed Community conversations are film screenings and scholar-facilitated discussions that mirror the type of conversation former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David M. Kennedy have in the film; one designed to engage Americans in reflection and dialogue about their own part in the American story, and in acting to shape that story for the better.

Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We are grateful for the support of the Friends of the Sedona Library, 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/donate.

Sedona Public Library
Column for November 1, 2019
Written by Judy Poe, Assistant Library Director