The Library Needs Leaders for Promising Future

As published in the Red Rock News

Sedona Public Library is seeking new members for our Board of Trustees. As you know, the Library is under new leadership, and the Board of Trustees views this as a perfect opportunity to bring new energy and voices to the table. They are ready for a team that will ask big questions, launch big ideas, and help us guide our 63-year-old library into the future.
 
Nonprofit organizations, unlike humans, have the luxury of defying the effects of age and gravity. In fact, with the right leadership, foresight, and strategic planning, organizations—and the facilities that house them—can be revitalized and make themselves new again. Our Board of Trustees is committed to doing just that, and they’re looking for fresh perspectives.
 
What can Sedona Public Library do better? How can we attract and accommodate new users? How can we meet the evolving needs of our patrons? Can we make our communication more effective by better using available technology? How can we improve our building, our services, and our programs for the future needs of the community? The current pandemic has taught us much about the services we offer and how we offer them. We continue to grow, and we want to do even more.
 
The Library Board is looking for new leaders who will ask, contemplate, and answer these and many more questions. We need a team of assertive and available community members. We need people who are unafraid of suggesting and implementing change, perceptive enough to determine when it might be time to let go of some time-honored traditions, and full of passion and awareness for all things community. We’re ready to guide this institution toward becoming a modern community library—would you like to join us?
 
Familiarity with libraries, dedication to the larger Sedona community, and an understanding of the challenges and benefits of advocating for a vital nonprofit organization all make for a tremendous candidate. Sedona Public Library is not just any nonprofit 501(c)(3)—we are easily the most impactful nonprofit organization to residents of Sedona and the Village of Oak Creek because we reach so broadly across the community to all ages, lifestyles, education levels, and interests.
 
We do much more than check out books, tell stories to children, file tax returns, or set up chairs for the next program. We have recently strengthened our status as a 24/7 library meeting a variety of needs for, literally, thousands of people who come through our doors or log on to our website. Our services are as diverse as our collection is broad; our expertise is as reliable as the building trusses are strong.
 
Results of a recent Community Needs Assessment lead us to believe that the community is ready for Sedona Public Library to be the community connector—connecting people, neighborhoods, organizations, information, and technology.
 
For years, you’ve highly praised the Library, but you have also encouraged better communication, upgraded and modernized space, and confident adaption to the new century. We’ve listened, we’ve got our marching orders, and we are moving forward.
 
In fact, we have just launched a new project and we will be building a multi-use patio that will join our main library with the Friends of the Sedona Library Book Store. We will soon begin a long-awaited renovation of the Library’s internal space to provide more private meeting spaces, better lighting, and an overall more welcoming community-centric atmosphere.
 
With all of this, we need a diverse board, a team that represents all the different walks of life in our community. If you are someone who personally knows and loves a library, you are especially encouraged to consider this opportunity.
 
We’d like to see candidates who are familiar with fundraising, financials, budgets, and policy, as well as setting and implementing strategic plans. One of a trustee’s most important jobs is to serve as a steward of our assets, reputation, and mission. The most important job is to be a leader and an advocate for the Library’s role in building community.

 Beyond that, a candidate must be willing to work hard, listen carefully, and share honestly. Regular attendance at monthly and committee meetings is expected, and with the right team, the work can be a whole lot of fun. We put our heart and soul into our work, and we’re looking for others with a passion for this community to do the same.

 If you’d like to apply, please visit sedonalibrary.org, scroll down to the bottom of our home page, and click on “Board Application,” and you’ll find everything you need. We can’t wait to hear from you. 

Sedona Public Library
Column for March 12, 2021
Written by Judy Poe, Library Director