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Happy Black Friday! Hopefully you are relaxing with family and friends, enjoying yummy leftovers after a strenuous hike along a gorgeous red rock trail, or maybe you’re going out shopping or making your holiday lists. No matter how you spend this weekend and the start of the holiday season, please remember that Giving Tuesday is just around the corner, and Sedona Public Library will launch its end of year campaign with a $40,000 matching gift!
That’s right, starting on Tuesday, November 29, your gifts will be matched dollar for dollar up to $40,000 thanks to several committed library donors. And why would they do this you ask? Because these are folks who know that our return on investment is impressive, and that at Sedona Public Library, we renew so much more than books. Perhaps you heard about our new 18,000 square foot courtyard with a 10,000 square foot patio? This outdoor space includes the Friends Fire Circle, a stage, ample comfy seating, then, of course, there’s the views, and last but not least, there’s the quick connection to the best bookstore in town! Come on by, pick up your holds, enjoy reading on the sunny patio, then do some holiday shopping at the bookstore. When you support your library, your library gives back! Maybe you heard about the new Village Library? We just celebrated the first anniversary, and we’re proud to say that we’ve issued 350 new library cards, patrons have checked out over 33,000 items, and hundreds of people have enjoyed our collection, meeting rooms, furnished patios, and the regular children’s programs including Story Time and Toy Potluck. That little service center that we offered in the Village of Oak Creek for decades? It served its purpose for the community, but a bigger, better, full-service library in the Village was long overdue. So, we “renewed” it with a whole new location! Your dollars make it possible for us to do all that we do! Looking for computers or Wi-Fi? We have them. Can’t get in to look up a title? 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 to wow you? 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. We renew your items, and we renew all that we offer to keep it up to date, fresh, and easily available. If you need help learning English, or want to refresh your Spanish, we’re the place. Are you looking for an outdoor library? Visit 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, artwork, and exhibits, 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 refresh your resume? Looking for free tickets to an Arizona museum? Are you beginning a 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! 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 old 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, where your gifts will be doubled. Remember, we renew more than books! Giving is easy at sedonalibrary.org/donate. Feel free to contact me for more information at amackler@sedonalibrary.org. Thanks, happy holidays, and happy reading! Sedona Public Library Library News Column for Nov 25, 2022 Written by Anne Marie Mackler, Development Director  As published in the Red Rock News
If you saw adults in town last Sunday with sticky marshmallow on their faces, and wondered where they’d been, you needn’t have looked any further than the new Friends of Sedona Library Fire Circle in Sedona Public Library’s Courtyard. Residents, friends, neighbors, and even a few out-of-town guests toasting the new community space and enjoying giant roasted marshmallows on the gorgeous autumn afternoon. “Will you be serving marshmallows again?” one patron asked as she left, a bit sticky. If not marshmallows, the Library will surely host plenty of programs and events on this huge outdoor patio designed specifically with the community in mind. “What a wonderful addition to our City,” said Mayor-Elect Scott Jablow, looking around in awe at the 10,000 square foot patio. It’s just down the road from the City of Sedona offices, Library Director Judy Poe pointed out. “We hope City employees, as well as neighbors and patrons will use this beautiful place for meetings over coffee or lunch, reading or studying, programs or movies, or just to admire the view.” More than 400 people attended the event and ribbon cutting on November 13, including special guests former library directors Ginny Volkman and David Keeber who was our M.C. He introduced city council member Jessica Williams and Donna Michaels, Yavapai County Supervisor, who both offered insights and congratulations, and City Manager Karen Osborne, who echoed her soon-to-be-boss’s sentiment. “My career has been in managing and developing cities,” Osborne began. “This courtyard is a thing that cities do. But Sedona Public Library is a small, private, non-profit, organization with a mission to serve the community. And this accessible Courtyard is proof that when the residents express their needs, this Library listens. Congratulations!” Such jubilance was shared and not just over the marshmallows, although it was a blast to see adults walking away with a few marshmallows on sticks over their shoulders. Visitors also enjoyed the Library’s award-winning chili and Overdue Brew provided by Sedona Beer Co. Additionally, everyone enjoyed the music. First up was acoustic guitar by Brian David who noted after his opening set, “I can’t wait to come back and play here again.” We can’t wait either. David was followed by Silent Treatment, a Cottonwood rock band headed up by the Library Facility Maintenance Manager Jim Thomas. The afternoon grew suddenly cold and windy as they played, but that didn’t scare people away from the fun afternoon. Instead, several people took the opportunity to dance to the great music and stay warm. In addition to the music, food, and camaraderie, many went on a search for the paver(s) they had purchased. We placed 275 pavers among the literally thousands on the patio, and we heard shouts of glee when someone found theirs. There were also many teary eyes as donors discovered a paver in memory of a loved relative or pet. And, of course, we heard laughter, too, as many of the pavers are funny, including “You are Unique, Just Like Everyone, Else – Margaret Mead.” We were also asked, “Where’s the map?” There isn’t one, but Library Director Judy Poe urged visitors to walk around and find their paver. “It’s a treasure hunt,” she said. “And we want you to enjoy the patio. You’ll find yours,” she assured everyone. And she’s right. They’re out there! I promise, in fact, only a couple that were ordered through September are left to be etched, and the opportunity is not over. We will continue to place your pavers over the months to come. Walking around yesterday was inspirational for everyone, and new orders are being processed as I write. Visit our website to order one, or maybe another one! This Courtyard could not have happened without the continued support we receive from the community. We are especially grateful to our Courtyard Sponsors including Gordon Reiter, the Carroll Family Charitable Fund, the Friends of the Sedona Library, and DeTar Construction, Inc. Additionally we are grateful to the more than 240 people who have purchased pavers. Thank you! Just as our City Manager mentioned, we listen to you. Libraries are no longer a place just for books (or marshmallows as it were), but for the community to gather, to meet, to learn, and to share. You told us in a community needs assessment two years ago that you needed outdoor space that you could call your own. This Courtyard is the direct result of what you told us. Yes, we listened, and we can’t wait to see you. Please visit the Courtyard, and if you can’t find your paver, come on in and ask for me. We’ll walk together to find your paver when there are not more than 400 people on the patio along with food and beverage tables. And if by any chance your paver is not yet etched, it will be, and I owe you a giant marshmallow! Sedona Public Library is a private non-profit organization with the charter to serve the public. Gifts can be made by cash or check, or online at sedonalibrary.org/donate. Sedona Public Library Library News Column for Nov 18, 2022 Written by Anne Marie Mackler, Development Director As Published in the Red Rock News
Hello Red Rock News readers! We’re celebrating! Just a year ago, on November 4, Sedona Public Library opened its new branch in the Village of Oak Creek. Happy Anniversary! Nearly 200 community members joined us that day to celebrate this addition to the Big Park community. It’s been a great year, and we’re grateful to everyone who helped make it happen. With the new location, expanded size, expanded hours (we’re open 28 hours each week) and services, Sedona Public Library in the Village has been busy. We’ve welcomed over 23,000 visitors to the library – an average of 100 people a day – all the while offering the best service to our grateful patrons. Many come in just to marvel at the spectacular view of Castle Rock, let alone the spacious comfortable setting. We offer both a full adult and children’s collection of books, movies and other digital media, all resulting in over 33,000 checkouts in our first year! And we’ve registered over 350 new library cards to patrons at our new location. Do you have yours yet? It’s free and opens your world to so much! For instance, consider getting an Act One Culture pass that grants free admission for two to many museums and cultural places of interest in Arizona. And that’s just the beginning. But what makes a library a library isn’t just the free books, Wi-Fi, computer use, and access to the newest literature or Hollywood blockbusters, it’s the programs and the meeting space. Programs at a library are a great way for people to connect with others who may share their interests or a way to open themselves up to new ideas. And we’ve got the space for you to do it! Your Village Library has ample space including the children’s area for families to gather, small meeting rooms for individuals to study, and our new large Javelina Room. In May of this year, we broadened our renewable lease to include this large meeting room, which is a malleable space for up to 80 with great technology that can be used for anything from an HOA monthly meeting room to a place where we host Arizona Humanities talks. The possibilities are endless. We couldn’t have achieved this expansion, or hosted our grand opening a year ago, without the help of so many in the community. A big THANK YOU goes out to Clark’s Market, whose Nonprofit Mondays and support from their customers and staff has resulted in nearly $12,000 in support for the Village Library. And there are the room sponsors including Donna Hawk, Patti Reski, Gordon Reiter, and an anonymous donor who donated a total of $17,000 to help make our meeting rooms hi-tech and available for you and your groups. And thanks to another few hundred donors who give regularly to the Village Library to make it all that it can be for the community. It's growing, and thriving, and just like our main branch in West Sedona, it provides many services. We have Technology Tuesdays with Marcy, our Information and Technology Librarian, offering free assistance for your technology questions. We also have Notary Public service for free on Wednesdays with Andrea, our Reference Librarian. There is Toy Potluck on Thursdays with Cindy, our newest library team member in Youth Services. And on Fridays we have Beginner Spanish Class with Jami, our Bilingual Outreach Librarian. Visit sedonalibrary.org and click the EVENTS tab and the SPL in the Village Calendar tab for more information about what’s going on at Sedona Public Library in the Village. From hosting over 25 children this past summer in the Arizona Science Center’s Science Camp to hosting Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) classes in partnership with Yavapai College to providing our popular weekly story time session on Tuesdays with Miss Marcia and Drumming with Harta (for families) on Thursdays, we’re busy! And then there was our successful Novel Night fundraiser this past October 1! We’d pat ourselves on the back for a job well-done, but our work isn’t finished yet! As the song goes, we’ve only just begun. Residents agree that the new expanded Library in the Village is one of the best things to happen in Big Park in a long time. It’s no longer a place just to pick up your library holds. Come on in and see for yourself. We’re in the Big Park Community School at 25 W. Saddlehorn Road. We’re open Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is YOUR community library, and we’re here to serve. And if you want to plan a program or meeting, contact me today to see what we can do for you! Janmarc@lsedonalibrary.org Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit sedonalibrary.org/donate or send your check to Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ 86336. And remember, you can direct your gift to the Village Library as well. Thank you! Sedona Public Library Library News Column for Nov 11, 2022 Written by Jan Marc Quisumbing, Program & Marketing Coordinator  As published in the Red Rock News Don't miss the Grand Opening of the Courtyard! It will be loads of fun with a ribbon cutting and remarks, music, chili and chips, marshmallows for roasting around the fire, beverages, bubbles, and more. See you Sunday, November 13 at 3 p.m. until dusk! If you are a regular reader of this column, you remember the Library’s 2020/21 Community Needs Assessment (CNA) with the goal of determining what Sedona and Verde Valley residents needed. That study, and the pandemic, showed us that Sedona wanted a place they could call their own, that would capture the beauty of the landscape, and help build a sense of community that many feared they had lost. It taught us just how hard it is for locals to find the quiet and beauty they cherish in Sedona because of the often-crowded trailheads and streets. We knew we could meet these needs, and we promised we would. In fact, in our CNA Report: The Next Chapter, we laid out the steps for how we would make community space a reality. We provided the details in our 2021-2024 Strategic Plan, and we have made good on our word. First by opening a full-service library in the Village of Oak Creek which opened a year ago today, and now it is my honor to present to you Chapter One: The Courtyard at Sedona Public Library! This new beautiful, convenient, safe, and easily accessible courtyard and patio is a gorgeous extension to the Library that has served this community for 65 years. It includes the Friends Fire Circle (think music and stories around the fire), a stage (think drumming, poetry, speakers, plays), and comfortable seating areas, umbrellaed tables, Wi-Fi, and a water station—think meetings and presentations, reading a book or studying, bringing coffee or lunch and hanging out with a friend, or watching the annular solar 2023 eclipse. The Courtyard connects to the Friends Bookstore, so you can easily shop, too! The options are endless, and we can’t wait to share this beautiful space with you. In his book The Great Good Place, Ray Oldenburg introduced the idea of the “third place” or “great good place.” A “third place” is the anchor and heart of community life—it is an important place to hang out, enjoy lively conversation and good company; it is a place where community is built. A third place is the spot between your “first place” (home) and your “second place” (workspace); it is a social place where people meet, congregate, relax, engage, and make new and meet old friends. We are proud, and honored, to bring Sedona its long overdue “third place.” Chapter One is waiting for you! Please join us for the Grand Opening of the Courtyard! Spend an afternoon with friends and neighbors and enjoy the ribbon cutting with a great line up of speakers to welcome you; acoustic guitar by Brian David; acoustic classic rock by Silent Treatment; the Library’s winning chili from the 2022 Rotary Club of Sedona's Annual Chili Cook-Off; marshmallows for roasting around the Friends Fire Circle; beer from Sedona Beer Co., wine, and much more. See you Sunday, November 13, 3 p.m. until dusk! Thanks to our supporters who helped make this project possible especially the Carroll Family Foundation, Gordon Reiter, and the Friends of Sedona Public Library for whom the Fire Circle was named. And to everyone who has purchased a paver, please come see it on the patio beginning at the grand opening on November 13. If you haven’t bought one yet, you still can! We have three sizes of pavers available: 12”x12” with four lines of text, 18 characters per line for $400; 6”x9” with three lines and 12 characters per line for $175; and 6”x6” with two lines of text, 9 characters per line for $100. Visit sedonalibrary.org to order yours today, or stop by either library location and pick up an order form. At Sedona Public Library, we believe that libraries should be thriving, vibrant places that offer materials, programs, services, and spaces designed specifically for their communities. We know our community deserves a library like that, and that’s why we can’t wait to see you on the Courtyard beginning on November 13 at the Grand Opening. Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. To make a tax-deductible donation, please visit sedonalibrary.org/donate or send your check to Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ 86336. Sedona Public Library Library News Column for Nov. 4, 2022 Written by Judy Poe, Library Director |
