Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: December 28, 2007


Fifteen hundred each day – that is the number of World War II veterans that are passing away each day. During the week prior to Christmas, one of three surviving World War I vets, aged 109 years, passed on leaving only two such vets alive. This irreplaceable trove of knowledge of America’s history at war deserves preservation. Sedona Public Library is participating in the Veterans History Project, a national effort to collect this history and preserve it at the Library of Congress and the American Folklife Center, but we need help to do this important work.

The mission of the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress is to collect the memories, accounts, and documents of war veterans from World War I, World War II, and the Korean, Vietnam, and Persian Gulf Wars, and to preserve these stories of experience and service for future generations.

By “veterans,” that means all veterans, men and women, those who served in war and in support of combat operations, all ranks in all branches of service – the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. That also includes the Merchant Marine, those involved in home front activities and citizens who supported the armed services. The first priority is to focus on the most senior veterans and those who served in support of them, especially those from World Wars I and II, and the Korean War.

James Billington, Librarian of Congress said, “We owe our wartime veterans a profound appreciation for their sacrifice and service to our nation and its future. We also owe all our citizens an opportunity to appreciate and honor those men and women who have protected our nation in the gravest of times. Together, with the help of all Americans, we can honor our war veterans and create a lasting body of documentary materials that will inform and educate our citizens in the decades ahead.”

The Sedona Public Library’s Board of Trustees have determined that Sedona Public Library shall serve as a participating partner in the Veterans History Project, whose intent is to honor our nation’s war veterans and those who served in support of them. This is done by collecting their stories. In so doing, we will assist in creating a lasting legacy of recorded interviews and other documents chronicling veterans’and other citizens’ wartime experiences and how those experiences affected their lives and America itself.

Your Library has assembled a cadre of volunteers who regularly meet to interview veterans, videotaping them and then passing the information on to the Library of Congress. The veteran receives a copy of the interview and a copy goes on to the American Folklife Center for archiving. These interviews are the personal testimonies of the war experience of the vets and their families.

The material is to be made available to anyone who cares to research it via the Library of Congress. If you have access to the Internet, visit the Veterans History Project site at www.loc.gov/folklife/vets. By searching that site, you can learn more about the project itself, search for individual interviewees and even read their interviews and see documents and photographs.

To date, the Sedona Library’s volunteer team has gathered more than 30 interviews, and there are at least 50 more interviewees waiting their turn. They are a dedicated and active cadre, but they are shorthanded. That’s where you come in.

We need the help of people who see this work as vital. Help is needed to do the actual interviews (there is training for this portion, in case you think you would have no idea how to proceed), running the video and audio equipment during the interviews, assisting with completion of the necessary forms, and other tasks. The time necessary to do these tasks is adjustable, ranging from a few hours per week to whatever you care to provide. The need is great based on the rate of loss of our World War II veterans and the number of new veterans arriving home each day.

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Anthony J. Principi says, “I urge all Americans to participate in the Veterans History Project. Capturing stories of those who served in uniform in their own words will provide the inspiration future generations will need when it is their turn to defend the nation Abraham Lincoln once called ‘the last best hope on earth.’”

If you are a veteran, or know a veteran, or anyone who fits the description above, encourage them to tell their story by contacting your Sedona Public Library.

Please consider giving your time to this vital national archiving project. You can experience the extreme gratification of helping preserve history, as well as the gratitude of the soldiers who are finally able to tell and preserve their stories. Call the Sedona Public Library to sign up. Make it your New Years resolution to help!

Keeber;s Kolumn

Library News, by Carla Felsted for David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: December 21, 2007


Searchin,’ I been searchin’ every whi-i-ich a way… since I wrote an earlier column on Google, a favorite tool for navigating the Internet. If you spend time with another media tool, television, you probably know by now that you no longer AskJeeves, you just Ask.com for information. Or shout Yahoo! when that search engine finds what you want. And like Northwest Mounties, we’ll help you bring that information in with more searching tools and tips in this and future columns.

Yahoo claims to be the most visited web site of all and wants to knock Google off its top perch. (Because I don’t like to “shout” with exclamation marks I will leave off the ! that punctuates its brand name.) Yahoo has a number of strengths, from entertainment to shopping and traveling. And its free email service is very popular worldwide.

A library colleague recently tipped me off to Yahoo ’s Movies search, which is quite impressive. It allows you to watch trailers (formerly called “previews”), get reviews from critics such as Roger Ebert, check local show times, and even link to a site where to purchase advance tickets, If your ideal “theatre” environment is your own living room, you can add films currently in release to a Netflix account for rental when they are released on DVD.

Music lovers will find what’s at the top of the charts and clips of performances such as Celine Dion’s farewell Las Vegas concert. For $6 month you can legally download music (over 2 million choices) and listen guilt-free from Yahoo’s Music Unlimited site. You can even create your own “radio station,” with a favorite genre, including a feature that allows you to ban certain artists and songs that grate on your nerves. Although pre- and baby-boomers may find material of value, the site is definitely oriented to youthful tastes. One has to search for any evidence of Jazz, Classical, Opera or Big Band music, but it is there.

Be sure to turn your speakers down before venturing to Yahoo’s Games section, where you will likely be subjected to whatever video game is being currently promoted such as Grand Auto Theft IV. If nothing else, you can educate yourself on what games your children or grandchildren have been clamoring for. There are less violent ones, such as Cake Mania, with “45 levels of baking fun.” You will find board, card and word games, and even escape into alternate reality with Sims. Or into our unfortunate cultural reality with another section of Yahoo Entertainment labeled “omg” for its news of “pop tart” celebrities like Britney Spears. I think I’ll skip that one.

In the Sports section you can follow your favorite teams, check out the stats, find out how highly paid players and coaches are, and try your hand at “fantasy” football and other sports. If you missed the Davis Cup earlier this month, there are video clips. Track your golf game and calculate your handicap.

There is a serious side to Yahoo, not that sports aren’t for many of us. Its Finance section is not just for stock market watching, although there is plenty of that. You can read articles about when to start taking Social Security payments, get advice about workplace issues, find current mortgage rates, and view calculators on college costs, household budgets, and saving for retirement.

Now that you’ve figured out your budget or retirement income, it’s time to go shopping. If you are pondering New Year resolutions, you may look into fitness and sports equipment. There’s a new type of bicycle called the “comfort bike,” for those who no longer need mountain bikes for rugged terrains or touring bikes for long road trips. Prices from well-established high-end retailers to discounters are displayed, with prices from $99-999. Some look like the bicycles of our youth, with medium width tires and comfortable seats for riding in an upright position.

Yahoo helps you do online shopping as well as find local retailers (if you live in a larger city). It sent me to Flagstaff for bicycles and accessories although we have local stores with both. Their link to ShopLocal.com only yielded a total of 5 retailers of all types in Sedona and the VOC. I also noted that some product review links led to articles from Consumer Reports for which you have to pay, Please note you can get these articles for free from the Library, and not just from our shelves, but our online databases, which you can access from the comfort of your own home. You’ll hear more about our databases in a future article.

As for resources on traveling, there are many on Yahoo and Google as well as other places. As a former travel writer, I’ll have lots to say about these later, too. In the meantime watch this column for news of library exhibits—the quilts are coming at the end of the month—and programs, one-time and ongoing, as well as new library services and products.

Carla Felsted works as Reference Librarian at Sedona Public Library.





This column is also presented on: Gateway to Sedona and Sedona Biz

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: December 14, 2007


When people walk into the Sedona Library, they typically are doing the same things each time. They go to the Circulation desk to drop off their books to be checked in, or to an Internet computer, they look up a book, read one of the many periodicals, attending a program, or ask a question at the Reference desk. They are familiar with the place and know what they want to do.

The Library’s newly redesigned website, www.sedonalibrary.org, was created to afford users the same ease of access to all the services we offer. Just as one does when one walks into the Library physically, someone using the Library’s website can easily find what he or she is looking for.

Imagine going to the computer catalog to find a book. The website offers that same window into all1.4 million items in the Yavapai Library Network collection. There is an advantage to using the website, though – you can do this 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, even when the Library is closed, right from your home. Go ahead and search the catalog in your thread bare bathrobe and fuzzy bunny slippers. Who is going to know?

Do you want to find out when a program is scheduled? The website gives you all the same information as when you ask one of the staff or volunteers in the Library. How about checking to see if you have a fine on your library card? You can do that too from the website.

Kids and teenagers often need homework help. They can follow the links on our web to literally hundreds of great resources that will meet their needs. The links are all highly recommended by librarians from all over the country. Our teen section, the newest part of our updated web, is full of great links on books, music, comics, sports and computer and video games. We are is especially proud of this section as we worked very hard to provide links that teens will find useful.

Another feature with which we are very pleased is the Dear Reader online book clubs and newsletters. Are you a fan of fiction, or mysteries, teen books or romance, business or even audio books? Are you looking for the newest books coming out? By signing up online, you will receive a monthly newsletter to your email detailing the new books in each genre with a direct link to our catalog so you can place a hold.

Are you the type that wants to flip through a book and read a bit before checking it out? By signing up for the book clubs, also in a variety of genres, you can get a five-minute excerpt from the first chapter of a book to read to decide if it is what you want. These quick reads also have a direct link by which you can order the item from the Library!

Ten percent of our community population is Hispanic and the new website offers a page of information about the services we offer to those folks. Our goal is to assist new arrivals in Sedona to become fully fledged citizens that participate in the local culture as fully as do Anglos. We have materials to assist in learning English, how to apply for citizenship, plus fiction and nonfiction, adult and youth materials. If you know someone who would benefit from such reading materials, please direct them to the Sedona Library.

The new website provides information on the history of the Library, the Friends of the Library, our policies, how to volunteer, and much more. There are even links to community organizations and helpful websites that have been checked by our professional staff for their accuracy and currency of information.

More and more, people are accessing information from wherever the need occurs to them, and at all hours of the day or night. By designing our website to mirror the Library’s array of services, plus offering many resources that are among our most requested points of information, you can have professional library help for your information needs any time you want or need them.

Be sure to check out the site at www.sedonalibrary.org. If you would like to be shown what we have with the assistance of a staff member, you can always just ask for a “tour” the next time you are in the building. Sometimes, the personal touch is best after all and it is our strong suit!

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: December 7, 2007



By now, readers may probably have heard the news of the death of Stephen Nahmanson. Steve, a personal friend of mine, was active in Sedona for a number of years since he arrived here from the East coast. In his time as a resident and community member and community builder, he was a member of the Sedona Midday Rotary Club for which he served in a number of capacities. But, it was his time here at the Sedona Public Library that deserves mention in this column.

Steve served on the Board of Trustees for a two year term and worked with others on Strategic Planning, Finances, and Technology issues. His input and advice was always considered, and I held him in high regard. He retired from the Board last year to pursue other interests, but it should be noted that the proper and effective administration of the Library was very important to him. His efforts in that regard were highly valued.

On a more visible level, Steve was responsible for the creation of the Monday night film series called “Flicker Shack Reruns.” He originally came to me suggesting that such a film series would be worthwhile and enjoyed by many in the community. I am sure his original intention was that I do such a series, but when I explained to him that neither I nor staff had the time to do this, he quickly stepped forward to organize, staff and administer it.

He created a really interesting film series that earned high marks from those who attended. He ran if for almost three years and is that time, it became the most regularly well attended program we offer at the Library. While his original intention of discussions after each film did not materialize, it was clear that people enjoyed his selections and insights at the start of each evening.

When he “retired” from managing the series a few months ago, he assisted Forrest Parnell in getting organized and made sure the transition was seamless. His efforts, whether as a Board member or as curator of the Flicker Shack films was always quiet, effective and well-thought-through. Every library should enjoy a volunteer of such effectiveness and caliber. Again, he will be missed.

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: November 30, 2007


Much like the turkey leftovers from this Thanksgiving, I have lots of tidbits to offer this week. Let’s hope that they don’t put you to sleep like the big bird does!
First, some passings. One recent and one awhile ago, but both worthy of mention. Long-time Sedonan Robert Eggert left us a week or so ago and his absence will be felt, especially by me. Bob is known for his work as an economist, his role at Ford Motor Company, his teaching and his publishing of important economic forecasting newsletters. But, he also served on the Sedona Public Library’s Investment Advisory Committee assisting us in managing and preserving the wonderful donations entrusted to us over the years. He also served as a mentor and friend to me and for that loss, I am most saddened. Always a willing sounding board and trusted advisor, I have gained much from him over the many years of our friendship. He will be sorely missed and not quickly forgotten.
In 1998, Si Birch passed away. For the newer residents of Sedona, you may recognize his name on the highway or at the Medical Center. For the older habitués of our community, you may well have had the pleasure of knowing his unflagging efforts on this community’s behalf in its earlier days, working to bring his long range vision for his adopted hometown to fruition. His wife, Lee, recently passed away too, but in addition to her efforts to build community, she also had a passion for ensuring that Si was recognized for the truly amazing work he did to build Sedona. Just before she passed away, Lee and her family made a very generous contribution to the Sedona Public Library and asked that the main meeting room be named the “Si Birch Community Room.”
That that space, one of the most heavily used “common rooms” in our town should bear his name is truly apt. So many forums, debates, community conversations, programs, events, and more happen in that room, all of which add to the character of Sedona. Naming it after a true pillar of Sedona makes perfect sense. A large plaque in the room describes Si’s extensive work to improve his town and hopefully will remind people not only what he did, but how it takes people working hard to build a nice community. So, henceforth, please be sure to attend an event in the Si Birch Community Room and take a minute to read about his life and accomplishments. Thank you to his daughter, Bonnie McWilliams and her children for this wonderful way of supporting the Library and ensuring the memory of their forebear.
On a more prosaic level, the Library needs volunteers to assist us on Sundays at the main desk checking books in and out. The shifts are short, the place is busy and there could hardly be a more fun and exciting place to work in all of Sedona. If you think you would like to work here as a volunteer, please contact Mia Fliers or Karen Greenwood to discuss how you can get on the schedule.
Every week, we get lots and lots of books donated to us. Some get added to the collection, some get sold at our book sales and now some are available for free! If you like to get a free book that is a great read, visit the shelves on the north wall of the Library to see our selection. Not sure of which direction is north? Just ask a staff person or volunteer!
Finally, if you are dealing with legal matters, now or in the future, please remember that the Sedona Public Library has lots and lots of legal forms that you can copy. We also have access to more via our relationship with the Coconino County Law Library and on the web. Come in and let us help you find the form you need. Dealing with the law and the courts can often be challenging, but if you have to do this, why not enjoy getting help from the staff at Sedona Public Library? It may well be the sole bright spot in the experience!
Don’t forget to give the gift of reading this season. Read to a child, help someone learn to read, or just buy books! Happy Holidays!

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: November 23, 2007


Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holiday shopping season. I know, I know, nowadays it begins closer to the 4th of July, but that is not the point of this column. Rather, it is the act of holiday giving that I would like to focus on. In our great nation, we see this season’s gift giving not in its original form, that of the three kings bringing gifts to the baby Jesus, but as a measure of the financial health of our nation. Percentage increases in sales over last year, what those numbers forebode, whether we will survive as a nation with or without sufficient consumption at this time of year – it’s all a bit too much.

I would suggest that the concept of gifting is appropriate, both at this time of year and throughout the rest of the eleven months, but that we consider shifting our focus to more meaningful gifts. How about we consider gifting a skill, our time, our attention and concern for others through actions that speak from the heart, rather than from the wallet?

What I am talking about is the skill of, the love for reading. That would be a gift that would not end up in the landfill, or being re-gifted (unless the reader decided to pass on their love of reading). It is an essential skill for getting ahead, for being successful in life. One could hardly find a more appropriate gift with more meaning.

So how does one give the gift of reading? Aside from buying someone the books they will read, it is rather easy. It won’t break the bank as there is no hard cost to this gift. All you need to do is to read to someone who doesn’t know how to read. Share your skill, your love of reading and you will have passed on this all important tool for life.

Do you have a grandchild, a niece or nephew? Is there a neighborhood child that you might help out? Try volunteering at your local library, or school, or better yet, give some time to an area literacy center. Yes, that means training and time, but such a gift should be something from your heart and your time and talent, freely given, may well be the most precious gift of all.

Simply sit down and offer to read to that young child (although, at the literacy centers, you may well end up with an adult who wants to finally learn to read – so much the better!). Show them how much you enjoy reading. Ask them to read to you. Help them to understand what it is that has just been read. Teach them to be critical readers. Your time, your talents, and your love of reading will provide the very best example for the listener.

Now, I know, it is much easier to simply head to the store and get “something” they would like, using a minimum of one’s valuable time. We are all pretty busy. But, if a gift is to have real meaning, and not just help the economists’ projections, it should reflect some aspect of you. Reading is just exactly that.

Try doing this simple exercise. Ask your grandchild, child, niece or nephew, or an acquaintance if you can read to them. Ask them to select the book they want you to read. Then, as you lead them through the pages and adventures within the book’s covers, catch a glimpse of their face. If they are not sitting in rapt attention, eyes intently focused on the page, well, I’ll eat my hat!

So this holiday season, whether you are gifting for Christmas, Chanukah, Kwaanza, or any other celebration, be a bit subversive and spend your personal capital on the gift of reading. I’ll bet that it will be a gift you see used year after year!

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: November 16, 2007


Wow! Last evening, Sunday the 11th of November, Sedona Public Library and the Friends of the Sedona Library held the Festival of Wreaths Gala and what a night it was! This year was the 9th such event and each successive year brings more wreaths, greater attendance and a more wonderful evening produced by the FOW committee. This year, they surpassed themselves in every way.

First of all, this year the number of wreaths submitted by members of the community totaled 160, including 39 from the third and fourth grade classes at Big Park School. That is a significant increase over years past. It is such a treat to watch the wreaths coming in during the drop off day. People are so proud of their offering and there are some really creative and fun examples of a pretty simple idea – a circle with some stuff on it! There are pretty ones, fun one (look for the wreath with the roundabout theme) and some truly novel ideas. Thank you to all the individuals and businesses that created and donated a wreath.

Second, the support the event received from local restaurateurs and wineries was amazing. The food was delicious and plentiful and the wines, examples of local vintners’ skills, were surprising. No one can say that our local wineries cannot stand with the best examples of this timeless art. We enjoyed wines from Echo Canyon, Javelina Leap, Oak Creek Vineyards and Southern Wine and Spirits Distributing. Restaurants that made the evening a success were Shugrue’s Hillside Grill, Pizza Picazzo, Heartline Café, Dahl & DiLuca Decadent Catering, Mulligans Grille, Wildflower Bread Company, Bashas’, Oak Creek Brewery and Grill and Bistro Bella Terra. If you frequent any of these establishments, please thank them for their support of the Sedona Public Library.

We also received support and donations from many local businesses and individuals in the form of raffle items. That list is so long as to be impossible to include here, but next time you are in the Library, pick up a brochure of that list and then please frequent their businesses as a way of saying thank you for helping out the Library. In fact, many of these businesses and individuals give extensively to many other organizations in Sedona and for that support, the entire community is better off. A very big thank you to all of them.

Lastly, SanDee Kinnen, chair of the committee that presented the Gala deserves many thanks for making the evening such a beautiful and successful one. Few who do not work on such projects can imagine what it really takes to create a successful event such as the Festival of Wreaths, but if suffice to say that it really is a year-long endeavor.

In the end, the entire Festival of Wreaths can be measured a success, both as the Gala evening and the sale of wreaths to the community. The funds from the Festival of Wreaths provides the Friends of the Library the wherewithal to support the Library, whether to purchase books and computers, or in any of a number of ways that organization has helped to make the Library successful. If you are looking for a great group to belong to and with which you can apply your creative skills for a worthwhile group, please consider joining the Friends of the Library. They are a great group and can use your help.

Such consistent support of the Library throughout the years by the community never ceases to amaze me. This place truly is the community’s library. Whether it was the original construction of the building (twice in the Library’s history) or the volunteers who help out every day, or the generous support of such events as the Festival of Wreaths or the book sales, Sedona loves this Library and helps it to succeed. Thank you, one and all, for making this such a great place to be!

On another note, the Library frequently gets requests for contact information for book discussion groups. We would like to build a list of such groups and request that if you have a book discussion club to please contact the Library with information about what sorts of books you like to talk about, how many members in your group, whether it is open, by invitation or a closed group, and whom is willing to serve as a contact person. Then, when people call us to ask, we have an accurate and up to date list. Please contact me directly with this information. Thank you.

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by Amy Gill, Collection Development Librarian
Red Rock News
Date: November 9, 2007



Listening to Books is Cool Entertainment

Audio books saved my life when I commuted long distances in Los Angeles traffic and returned home late at night. There was no chance of my getting impatient or napping behind the wheel because I listened to terrifying, white-knuckle mystery and thriller books on CD or cassette to stay awake. I was scared stiff and, consequently, completely alert! Now, I’m no longer in L.A.; I get to live in beautiful Sedona and work as the Collection Development Librarian at our wonderful Sedona Public Library. As part of my job I have the pleasure of sharing audio books with the Sedona community. You can enjoy a good book while exercising, doing mundane chores or driving in your car. You might find an audio book will keep you awake on the way home from Phoenix.

Many library patrons have discovered audio books. Yesterday a library patron happily told me that they provide “pure entertainment” for her. Another library patron listens to books constantly while he does handyman work. He says he has continued his education and improved his attitude by listening to upbeat books. This hands-free entertainment gives us the theater experience of a book while still allowing our imaginations to roam free. And, once we start listening, we have favorite readers just like we have favorite movie stars. These books also empower us to listen at our own convenience. We can rest our eyes and read more books…what a concept! And, the whole experience is the ultimate for multi-taskers!

At the Sedona Public Library we currently have audio books on CD, cassette and “Playaways.” The thing they all have in common is that we listen to them and choose the format for listening that best suits our personal lifestyles and tastes. We have a large collection of new CD books in our library and can order others through the Yavapai Library Network. Sedona Public Library has also started a new collection of “Playaway” books and downloadable books are coming soon.

“Playaways” are books loaded individually onto battery operated devices, smaller than a cell phone. We can listen with an ear bud, headset or plug them into a speaker system while we go about our daily activities. I view them as a bridge between Walkman-like CD/cassette players and mp3 player/iPod-like devices. The “Playaways” have little buttons for stop, go, forward and rewind with instructions written in large print inside the carrying box. “Playaways” are a huge success in libraries across the country and they rarely stay on the shelf for long. We’ll be happy to help you try this new technology.

The Sedona community has varied tastes and interests, reflected in the wide range of our collection. We have biography/memoir, business, fiction/novels, foreign language learning, health, history, new age/metaphysical/spiritual, politics, relationships, self-help and more.

You can find our audio books near the Reference desk and internet computers. If you do not find them right away, ask for directions at the Reference desk. We will also show you how to find them in our online catalog or look things up for you.

This year we’ve added many thousands of new items to keep the Sedona Public Library current. Please come in and share and enjoy the collection created to enrich, entertain and inform the members of our community. You can check our web catalog from our new homepage at www.sedonalibrary.org.

The Sedona Public Library aims to serve you. We have a suggestion box at the circulation desk. Please let us know what titles and topics you like and what you want us to buy. You can also suggest a title online from the website. When you put your name and library card number on the request, if we order the item we will put on hold for you and you will be the first person to get it!

Amy Gill needs volunteers to help her refine the Library’s collection and displays. For more information please call Karen Greenwood at 282-7714.



This column is also presented on: Gateway to Sedona and Sedona Biz

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: November 2, 2007


A few years back, there was a huge debate in the library profession about adding video tapes of films to our collections of books. Some felt that libraries were about only books, but others reminded the nay sayers that we are supposed to respond to the needs of our users. They also made the case for libraries being providers of information in all forms. In the end, the video proponents won the day. Since then, libraries have expanded their collections to include videos, books on tape, books on CD, DVD’s, and lately, downloadable books.

This last has been a bit slow to start. Many people see portable books such as books on tape or CD as something you listen to in your car, and if they don’t plan on driving a long distance, they just don’t check them out. During the holidays and in the summers, when everyone is traveling distances to vacation or to see family, we check out loads of them. It seems that people see this format as only to be heard in their cars, or occasionally, especially among Sedona’s many artists, they listen to the in their studios while they work.

Everyone has seen the iPod come into wide popularity in the past few years. Many, many teens are perfectly happy to go about their activities with their earbuds in, happily listening to music. Podcasts, downloadable radio shows ranging from music to talk radio, are also starting to gain wider acceptance as more folks get portable music players onto which they load whatever the care to listen to.

Now, books in electronic format are no longer tethered to one’s car stereo system or your home music player. The Sedona Public Library has a great new format for books called the Playaway. These are portable music players that come preloaded with a single book. They are about the size of a matchbook and can be used anywhere, anytime.

Now, you can work in your garden, take long walks, exercise, ride your bike, or do housework while listening to top notch personalities reading your favorite books. The player can be popped into a pocket, hung on a lanyard, tucked into a backpack and you can listen for hours to the latest bestsellers. You don’t need to understand how to download things off of your computer because the books come pre-loaded on the players.

Each player requires a AAA battery to run it for hours. You also need the little earbuds to hear the sounds – no speakers on the players. For sanitary reasons, you will want to have your own earbuds, so the Library will sell you a pair for only $1.00! Keep them safe and you can use them many times, over and over.

Sedona Public Library has invested a fair amount of money to start this project with an excellent collection of titles. There are fiction and nonfiction, bestsellers and standards, adult and children’s books. If there are titles you would like to see us add to this collection, be sure to let us know. You can find these new items on the rolling cart in the main lobby. Staff is ready to show you how these work – very easily, by the way – and you will quickly find that there is nothing to it. In no time at all, you’ll be enjoying a great book, happily untethered from your home or auto stereo system.

Come in to the Sedona Public Library and check out a Playaway book. You’ll enjoy them and pretty soon, you may even want you own portable music player, which would be good because at the turn of the year, the Library will begin to offer downloadable audio books that go onto your own player. But, more on that when that new service is offered! In the meantime, check out a Playaway!

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News
Red Rock News
Date: October 26, 2007



Veterans History Project at the Sedona Public Library


What does the Sedona Public Library have in common with AARP and the Library of Congress? All three are participants in the Veterans History Project, which is honoring our nation’s war veterans and those who supported them by recording their oral histories, and photographing their memoirs and other documents related to their wartime experiences. 

First-hand personal stories from men and women from all branches of service: the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy and Merchant Marine, with emphasis on World War I, World War II, and the Korean, Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars, are being collected and preserved. The project also documents the contributions of civilians such as medical volunteers and war industry workers who served in support of our armed forces.

Trained volunteers are interviewing our local veterans at the Sedona Public Library. The interviews are digitally recorded and then transferred to three DVD’s. One of these goes to the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, where it becomes a permanent part of the nation’s record. One copy becomes a part of the collection at the Sedona Public Library, and the third copy is sent to the veteran, who is welcome to make copies for his friends and family if desired. 

Interviews from across the country can be seen on the Internet at www.loc.gov/vets. The interviews conducted here at our library are also available to the local public. This is an on-going project during which we hope to collect this audio and visual history from all our area veterans.

Veterans who are interested in taking part in this project are urged to contact Laura Bojanowski at the Sedona Public Library by calling 282-7714 ext. 20 or writing to the Veterans History Project, Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ 86336. If you know of a veteran who might be interested in participating and you’d like us to contact him/her, just call Laura or drop her a note and give us the name, address and phone number.

During the week beginning November 12th we will be honoring all veterans and especially those of our Verde Valley veterans who have participated in this project. There will be displays of photographs and other memorabilia at the library all that week. 

On Saturday, November 17, the library will host Meet the Veterans Day at the library Community Room from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Local veterans who have participated in the Veterans History Project have been invited to come to share their stories directly with the public. There will be light refreshments, veterans to meet and lots of interesting tales to be heard. Everyone is invited to come and meet these honored men and women who served in extraordinary times, to learn some history first-hand, and to express appreciation for their service to our nation. 

Remember to honor our veterans by celebrating Veteran’s Day on Sunday, November 11.





This column is also presented on: Gateway to Sedona and Sedona Biz

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by Pamela Comello, Youth Services Librarian
Red Rock News
Date: October 19, 2007


Teens and Libraries

Teens and libraries seemed like an appropriate topic being that the week of October 14-20 is National Teen Read Week at libraries across the country. Teens that check out items from Sedona Public Library this week have the opportunity to put their name in a drawing to win a free book! However, I imagine Teens and Libraries may not be a topic to draw interest from the majority of our community. But, being the Librarian in charge of Youth Services, several articles I read recently definitely caught my interest, and some interesting research and findings that are relative to the present and future state of libraries I felt warranted sharing.

“Tweens” is a term that refers to early teens between the ages of eight and fourteen. In 1999, this age group encompassed approximately twenty-seven million kids and represented the largest number of this age group in twenty years as quoted from Barbara Kantrowitz in the Jan. 18, 1999 article “The Truth about Tweens” written in Newsweek. The article points out that these early teens are generally extremely well –educated, optimistic in their approaches to life, have expectations of going on to college, hold their parents as the most important influencers in terms of morals and life goals, and represent approximately $14 billion per year in spending power. A 1996 study conducted by the Benton and Kellogg foundations examined attitudes of potential patrons of public libraries. Some of their findings were warning signs to public libraries of the dangers of continuing with their current strategies and demonstrated how it is vital that libraries pay attention to the opinions of younger users if libraries want these individuals to become long-term users of library services.

In 1999, Elaine Meyers wrote “The Coolness Factor: Ten Libraries Listen to Youth” published in American Libraries. Described in this article were reports from surveys conducted of young people in an attempt to reveal their views regarding public libraries. Some of the research cited in this study and other studies suggested that many public libraries are perceived negatively by teens. Many of these perceptions were based on stereotypes held by teens or by stereotypes of what librarians think tweens think. Some of these stereotypes included perceptions that libraries are “unwelcoming and uncool” locations that store books, have long tables or dreary physical spaces and the majority of library staff is not helpful or friendly. However, the overall attitudes that early teens hold in terms of their view of the public library system shows libraries meet the needs of the vast majority of teens that responded to the study. Survey project leaders suggested “teens want a multiple-use library space offering both a place for quiet study and space to socialize. The majority of the teens surveyed said they came to the library to study, to do assignments, and to use the Internet.” Surveys also showed teens wanted more welcoming space, more access to higher-end technology, more help with their homework, and better books and magazines. Teens seem to respond positively to libraries that have addressed these negative stereotypes and updated libraries that have created inviting spaces and specialized teen areas and activities with places for teens to have social interaction with their peers or entertainment without disturbing patrons in other parts of the library.

In this digital age that we live in and with technology continuing to change, results showed that technology plays a major role in young people’s lives. Research demonstrated that young teens have not given up on older technologies, such as watching television or using VCR and DVD equipment to view movies or video game equipment, but they have added new technologies as they have come along, such as text messaging and IPODs. This is of particular importance in designing strategies for libraries, because if early teens are currently using technology to locate information, and if they don’t view the public library on their list as an informational source, then librarians must take new approaches and attitudes towards actively marketing their libraries as well as updating their strategies. In fact, the majority of early teen respondents reported that they use the Internet on a daily basis, like to surf the Web, and like to get e-mail. A study in 2004 done by Stephanie Azzarone, president of Child’s Play Communications found that teens in the U.S. spent approximately 16.7 hours a week on the Internet.

At Sedona Public Library, we use teen volunteers to assist with programs, shelve books, read stories to younger children, and design arts and crafts projects for pre-school storytimes. We offer programs for teens, and have fun and informative links on the teen page on the Library’s newly designed website. Last year, we hosted a database workshop for the entire freshman class at Red Rock High School. We have many current teen magazines, anime books, and fiction book series of interest to teens. We continue to strive to meet the needs of our changing and growing youth population, and we welcome new ideas and comments from youth in our community of ways we can better serve the teen population.

On another note, If you haven’t seen the exceptional photography exhibit by the Sedona Camera Club on display in the Library’s center stacks, be sure to come in to see it before the end of the month. There are dozens of outstanding photographs on display that you won’t want to miss!

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by Carla M. Felsted
Red Rock News
Date: October 12, 2007


As anti-hero Michael from The Office concluded in a recent TV episode, “Life and business are about human connections. Computers are about trying to murder you in a lake.” The first I am wholly in agreement with. The second may be overstated but bears a hint of truth. Computers can literally save your life, or at least enhance it, but using them injudiciously can wreck relationships and even cars, as Michael demonstrated by following onboard, computerized driving instructions too literally and hastily.

I don’t think I’ve ever had a computer that wanted to murder me, but have had reverse fantasies about bricks and monitors and even airborne mechanical parts (die fledermaus?) over my 30 years with these machines. Still, one of the greatest enhancements to my life and career has been the Internet search engine. I even like the term, as it conveys the image of something reaching out and grabbing information needed for my personal use or to meet the needs of our many library customers. My librarian colleagues and I do leave our keyboards from time to time and stroll over to just the right section and hand just the right book to a grateful patron, thus being a “human search engine.” For now I will dispense some advice to the readers of this column on using the computerized kind.

Google, of course, comes to mind immediately. In fact the very name of the company has been “verbed,” and is now included in the venerable Oxford English Dictionary denoting the use of that search engine to find a “person, place or thing.” Even the computer-shy are amazed by its utility. Artists looking for pictures have been greatly pleased when we at the Reference Desk have gone to Google Images, a feature on the main search menu, and typed in key words like “male angel” and pulled up dozens of examples to study for inspiration. For a frequently asked question about certain banded snakes, using Google Images and the words “king coral snake” retrieves pictorial representations of coral and king snakes, and some of the “ditties” used to remember the way to distinguish them.

Google Earth, a “virtual globe” program that allows one to view not just rivers and lakes, but the Grand Canyon or Mount Kilimanjaro in three dimensions, has been spoken of in an earlier Library column. A good place to start is choosing “Maps” from Google’s main page, typing your own address and getting a satellite view of your neighborhood, and quick directions and mapping to other places. Detailed information on all your options can be found from earth.google.com, including popularly viewed locations in 360 cities around the world and even “out of this world” wonders such as the Crab Nebula.

You can set up a free email account on gmail, waste countless hours watching Google videos, set up discussion/support groups on any number of topics, utilize a web page builder, start a web log or diary (aka “blog”), set up photo albums on Picasa, track the stock market in real time (even your own portfolio if you are brave) and shop for bargains on the aptly named Froogle. Google Calendar is invaluable for keeping up with the activities of the Felsted household. These treasures may all be found by going to www.google.com. Look for menu options other than simply typing in a search in the box; some are listed under “Other.” Google is the search engine of choice, or default, on many computer browsers now and is included on the SPL web site, www.sedonalibrary.org .

Somewhat lesser known but highly useful features for the researcher are Google Reader, for monitoring one’s favorite news sites and blogs; Google Scholar for articles in medical, scientific and other journals; and Google Book for viewing “snippets” of published works of fiction and nonfiction and, in some cases, front to back content.

In addition to the “900 pound gorilla “ known as Google, other search engines have survived major shakeouts and acquisitions and remain useful. Yahoo comes closest to it in popularity, and is followed by Ask.com (formerly known as Ask Jeeves) and Windows Live. All want to be your portal, or gateway to Internet resources. Each has its strengths and unique offerings, such as Yahoo’s Kelley Blue Book for assessing automobile prices. I found so many new features in Google while researching this article that I will have to deal with the other 3 search engines in a future one. And, in yet a separate piece, you will learn about the “new, improved” package of databases of articles, encyclopedias, images and other gems offered by the Arizona State Library offered via our Library web site.

Speaking of images, don’t miss the annual exhibit of splendid photographs by the Sedona Camera Club in the Library’s center stacks on display through the end of the month.

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by Dr. David R. Black, President,
Sedona Public Library Board of Trustees
Red Rock News
Date: October 5, 2007

Later this month, we will celebrate a group that is vital to your Sedona Public Li-brary – the Friends of the Sedona Library, Inc. The week of October 22 – 28 is National Friends of the Library Week, which gives us a chance to reflect on the contributions this group makes to your Library.
The Friends of the Sedona Library (FOL) was formed in 1967 to support the public library that opened in 1958. At that time, the City of Sedona had not yet been incorporated. The Library was an entirely volunteer effort, and all funding was through donations. The first officers were David W. Stallard, president; Cecil Lockhart-Smith, first vice president; Vera Shultz, second vice president; and Donald H. Rymer, treasurer.
This year, FOL is celebrating its 40th anniversary. The officers are Charlene Lipka, president; Leigh Shafer, first vice president; Mary Snyder, second vice president; Pat Loveless, secretary; and Donna Hawk, treasurer.
Today the Sedona Public Library contracts with the City of Sedona and both Coconino and Yavapai Counties to provide free library services to area residents and visitors. While this public funding covers the costs of salaries for our professional staff, utilities and other operational costs, we look to private sources of funding for a significant portion of our budget each year. The bulk of that annual private funding comes from FOL, through its book sales and special events such as the Festival of the Wreaths. This year, FOL has pledged a minimum of $90,000 that will be used to increase and enhance our collection of books, audio/visual materials, computers and other technological resources; provide special programming such as the Children’s Summer Reading Program; add shelving to house the collection; and meet other needs that may arise.
As with most such groups, a small number of people do the bulk of the work. FOL is always looking for more volunteers to help support the Library. Here are some current opportunities:
• Fall Book Sale – Setup begins on Wednesday, Oct. 10. Volunteers (especially those who can lift boxes of books and set up tables) are needed to arrange the books on tables by subject. The sale opens with a preview for FOL members and invited guests at 5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 15, and is open during Library hours through Saturday, Oct. 27. Volunteers are needed to keep the sales area looking neat and to cashier. Call Charlene Lipka at 203-4808 if you’d like to help.
• Festival of the Wreaths – This popular event offers for sale wreaths and other decorations that have been made and donated by businesses and individuals. Wreaths will be accepted at the Library on Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Festival opens with a gala at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 11. Music will be provided by Frost & Frost and Walt Flory and Friends. In addition to the beautiful wreaths for sale, donated gifts, gift certificates from local restaurants and businesses, and hand-made items and artwork will be raffled. If you’d like to donate a wreath or raffle item or help with the gala, call SanDee Kinnen at 203-4363.
• Internet Book Sales – FOL began selling certain items on eBay and Amazon.com in December 2005 and now averages listings of more than 600 items. Volunteers are needed to research, price and list the items. E-sale volunteers need to be mini-mally computer literate. A sense of humor and the instincts of a detective are help-ful. Hands-on training is provided. Anyone interested should send an email to sedonafossilz@yahoo.com.
• Ongoing Book Sales – Donations for the semi-annual (Fall and Spring) book sales come in throughout the year and have to be processed. Paperbacks and trade pub-lications are offered for sale throughout the year. The shelves are stocked weekly to ensure a good selection. Because we are blessed with so many donations, FOL has begun offering Mini Book Sales of items in specific categories during certain months. For example, the September sale featured Westerns and Arizona History books. The next Mini Book Sale is Dec. 2 – 9 and will feature Holiday, Children’s and Gift books. To volunteer to help with these sales, contact Charlene Lipka at 203-4808.
As you can see, the Friends keep busy. Even if you can’t volunteer for one of the events mentioned, you can help by becoming a member of Friends of the Sedona Library. Applications are available at the Circulation Desk at the Library, or you can mail your tax-deductible membership fee to Friends of the Sedona Library, P.O. Box 268, Sedona, AZ 86339. Membership categories are:
 Member, $15
 Family, $25
 Patron, $100
 Benefactor, $250
 Other, any amount you wish to contribute
Remember, the Sedona Public Library is your library. Be a Friend.

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: September 21, 2007



Books, books, and more books. It is logical that as librarians we are surrounded by books, but sometimes, it can be too much! Not that I am complaining but after awhile, the number and sheer volume can be a challenge. Sedona Public Library receives hundreds and hundreds of books per week. New ones, old ones, purchased and donated – it wouldn’t be excessive to tell you that we can easily receive one or two pickup trucks of books each week.

The ones that are the most interesting, in my view, are the donated books. Whether someone has simply cleared off their shelves to make room for more they intend to purchase, or it’s an estate being dissolved and the Library receives all those that cannot be sold, almost invariably one can find a treasure or three in each odd lot. The challenge is to know the good from the bad – especially whether the good ones are REALLY good and worth some money.

The Friends of the Sedona Library have managed the book sales for years. All proceeds from those sales allow the Friends to support the Library directly. So, even if a book you donate doesn’t end up in the collection, its sale does directly benefit our work here. During the past year, we have changed how we handle some of those donated books. Often, people bring us a book from out of the book sales and state that “This book is worth at least $500. Why are you selling it for $3?” we have decided to delve more deeply into the “real” worth of many of the donated books. Real is a matter of perspective as one person’s treasure is another many trash.

Sometimes, a really obvious example of a rare book comes along and we have been able to sell it for its true worth. But, much of an esoteric book’s value is in the eye of the purchaser. Not all would agree it has real worth. Some collectors specialize in books of certain genre, style, period, author and so many more criteria. Knowing that there is a market for a particular book requires years of experience, or – the Internet!

Nowadays, there are many websites that post the value of collectibles – books or otherwise – from which a reasonable understanding of an item’s worth can be obtained. And that is just what we do. Sites such as alibris, abebooks, biblio, bookfinder, usedbookcentral and allbookstores all provide excellent information on the value of many old, rare, collectible or unusual books. A search gives you the value of the item you hold and then you simply list the title, a description and the price on other sites like eBay. We have found purchasers of many books and actually brought in “real money” to the tune of hundreds of dollars for a book. This has been a good avenue for the Sedona Public Library because we don’t often find those who wish to pay high dollars for a rarity coming into our book sales.

Our big challenge is to find enough people who are interested in learning the searching work and to donate their time to list the many titles that are starting to back up on our shelves. If you are interested in working with computers, searching the Internet, have an interest in old books and want to help the Library in a very direct way, please consider becoming a book searcher.

Each week, books we have listed have gone out the front door and returned to us a goodly sum of money. Please help the Library and the Friends of the Library by donating a few hours each week to this fascinating work. We will show you the ropes and establish a regular schedule with you. Your time spent here will be among interesting and friendly folks, doing work that truly helps us. And I’ll bet you learn something, too!

Please contact Karen Greenwood, our Volunteer Coordinator, to express your interest and schedule. Help the Library, have fun and raise money quickly for us without much effort at all!

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: September 14, 2007



Every once in awhile, I receive a newspaper clipping announcing the end of the book. In the New York Times of September 6th, there was an article entitled “Are Books Passé?” It discussed the advent of two new electronic reader devices that both Google and Amazon were poised to release. Is this the death knell of the printed word? Is the Library on its last legs? Will our grandchildren never enjoy the pleasure of reading a good book while curled up next to a fireplace or in bed? And my answer is always – yes and no.

First, just to ad a bit of context, it is important to remember that reading is really only a couple of hundred years old, as far as a widely held skill, and that may be pushing it. For most of human history, information has been passed along via stories told around the campfire, via cave painting, pictures pecked into rock or some other visual format. Reading books by the majority of the population is a very recent state of affairs.

My view, heretical is it may sound, is that I am more interested in getting information to people and the format is less important to me. Now, I know that will elicit gasps from some of you, but information can come in many forms – not just books. Try viewing a great painting, listening to a beautiful piece of music, or just having a meaningful conversation. Yes, books are wonderful, but they are only one way to get the data across to the “reader.”

The Sedona Public Library is about to release a new form of electronic book called the Playaway. This is a single book on a match box sized device that is essentially an MP3 player. The fun part of this format is that the previous need to listen to your audiobooks sitting in front of your stereo at home or in your car is no longer the restriction. Instead, you can be fully mobile to work in your yard, go for a hike, or any other activity and still listen to the book of your choice. Kids have their iPods or other mobile players. Now, those who have wondered about these things can try a Playaway book and find out how simple and enjoyable being mobile with a book can be.

For a number of years, we have had books on tape, then books on CD. We have had VHS and DVD movies and shows from Discovery, PBS and others. That the item is electronic is already a fact – and the fact is that audio visual items are a hugely popular format.

Yet, books still hold a fascination for me and for millions of others. In spite of the fact that books in electronic formats are beginning to show themselves as more and more viable, I have no doubt that the book as a physical item will remain for many years to come. There certainly are advantages to books delivered electronically. Take for example the many pounds of books that our children lug around in their backpacks? Why not have the texts they use in a single electronic reader? Wouldn’t a slim electronic reader for these be just as good?

Just as there are a range within every form of things we buy, there can just as easily be a number of formats for books and movies. If you decide that one format is better for you at a particular time, you buy that. If another format is better at a different time, you buy that. No problem. Those who wring their hands to bemoan the end of the book simply have forgotten the laws of supply and demand – as long as people want them and we can make them, books as we know them will survive.

Edgar Guest wrote a wonderful homage to books in his “A Book.” “Now,” said a good book unto me, “Open my pages and you shall see, Jewels of wisdom and treasures fine, Gold and silver in every line. And you may claim them if you but will. Open my pages and take your fill.”

“I am just a book on your mantle shelf. But I can be a part of your living self; If only you’ll travel my pages thru, Then, I will travel with world with you. Open my pages and run them o’er. Take what you choose from my golden store.”

“I’ll make you fitter to talk with men. I’ll touch with silver the lines you pen. I’ll lead you nearer the truth you seek. I’ll strengthen you when your faith grows weak. Come, take me, know me, love me well. Let me come into your mind to dwell.”

Whether it is printed, hand written, electronic or aurally delivered, a book will still perform the same magic in your mind and in your heart. Try reading, hearing or viewing one today!

Keeber's Column

Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: September 7, 2007



Sedona Public Library is a very busy place. Last fiscal year, more than 183,000 visits registered on our door counter. That averages out to more than 500 per day that we are open. With so many people coming in and out of the Library each day, it should be expected that the usual array of things that happen when you “entertain” large numbers of folks. In fact, there have been many instances when people have had problems of a medical nature. When that occurs, the staff at the Library is ready.

Call me a bit fanatical, but I now require all staff to have regular CPR training so they can be prepared to meet the problems when they arise. Right now, all staff is being recertified by the excellent professionals at the Sedona Fire Department. Every two years, those who have been certified on this life saving skill must take the classes again to ensure their up to date knowledge. It is a six hour course that we march all paid staff through to not “lose our edge.”

In addition, the Library has further partnered with the Fire Department to station an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) in an easily accessible place within the building to be used in case of emergency. During our classes, we learned that previous to the invention and wide-spread use of AEDs, CPR interventions saved lives about 12% of the time. But, with this wonderful machine, the percentage of lives saved elevated to about 65%! With odds like that, we felt it was important to work with the Fire Department to provide such a machine.

As with any powerful tool, use of the AED is not for the initiated. It actually is powerful enough to kill in the hands of an untrained individual. All staff have been trained in the use of these devises, so we are confident that should the need arise, we are fully prepared.

Occasionally, programs happen here at times when the Library is closed and staff is not available. The AED device is readily accessible near the public restrooms, but again, its use does require some training. I strongly recommend that people take this training so they can be adequately prepared, too.

So, rest assured that when you come to the Sedona Public Library, the staff is capable of handling emergencies. As one of the largest public facilities in the community, we feel it is our responsibility to be prepared.

Right now and until the end of September, there is a wonderful display presented by the Verde Valley Weavers and Spinners in the lobby of the Library. You will find lots of examples of the fabric arts with demonstrations on many days of various techniques used in weaving and spinning. From the simple but effective Navajo looms used to make the colorful rungs, to table and floor models of the more traditional looms that produce material for sewing , you will find lots of interesting things to look at and learn from. Remember, all of our clothing used to come from such equipment and it is very edifying to learn how it has been done for centuries. Take the time to drop by and peruse the work of the many talented folks on the Weavers and Spinners guild.

Finally, I want to put in a word for oversized books. When we get into habits in our reading, we often stick to one genre to the exclusion of all others. Regardless of the genres, though, most people stick to one size book – the novel or paperback. Often overlooked are the truly wonderful books that have been called coffee table books, those items that are filled with glorious pictures and are as big as a coffee table. You will find these on the bottom shelves of almost any row of books and they seldom get taken out. That’s a shame as there are some truly wonderful things to see in these big books. One recent acquisition is Earth from Above, by Yann Arthus-Bertrand that offers stunning pictures of landforms that will take your breath away. Or try Islamic Art and Culture, by Nasser D. Khalili. Revel in the great works of this culture who produced much of our mathematics, the scientific method, and stunning art and architecture. Truly amazing! Don’t overlook the oversized book!





This column is also presented on: Gateway to Sedona and Sedona Biz

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: August 31, 2007



There is a song by the rock group Fleetwood Mac whose refrain is “World’s changing…” and from the news reports of late, it sure seems to be the case. Global climate change is the big topic, and not just at the national level. People everywhere are trying to understand the extent of the changes coming and what they can do to be prepared, and even to maybe exert a change for the better.

Sedona Public Library is in partnership with Sustainable Arizona and the Greater Sedona Community Foundation to present information to the public on this topic. In addition to a constantly rotating display of display panels throughout the Library, we have worked in partnership with Sustainable Arizona to present a series of programs, and even an exposition this past May on the topic of sustainability.

While all the high profile work is proceeding, we are also adding to our collection numerous items that can give the “newbie” to the topic a good grounding in the language and issues surrounding sustainability. New to the Library’s collection are many books you will find interesting and informative. Here are four new books and one old one, profiled for you.

While the titles may well put you off, the “For Dummies” series are solid, informative and easily read books on a range of topics. Michael Grosvenor has written Sustainable Living for Dummies, a well organized and absorbable primer on the topic. The introduction starts with the admonition that “this book is designed to help you adopt a lifestyle that helps heal the planet instead of harming it.” From there is goes on to the overall environment, home practices, recycling, sustainable shopping, sustainability at work, important information the main subject and travel, a chapter on references for further reading. I am sure you have heard conversations on the topics covered in the chapters, but getting them all in one place in an easily understood form makes this book a real solid beginning point in your education on the subject.

Hermann Scheer has written The Solar Economy: Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Global Future. With much in the news about this supposedly endless form of energy, it may sound like the best deal around. The challenge is the front end costs are high and that can well put it beyond the reach of many folks. Scheer’s book examines the problems and long-term costs of the petroleum model and then compares it to the solar model, suggesting that in the long run, solar is the least expensive technology. That being said, those pesky front end costs are still there and the author works to address this question very well.

Other aspects of the sustainability debate is that the conversion costs will be prohibitive to business and forced adherence to these new technologies will damage the economy. David. B. Goldstein, in his book Saving Energy, Growing Jobs: How Environmental Protection Promotes Economic Growth, Profitability, Innovation and Competition, shows that the move to sustainability is actually a money making endeavor. The book profiles the unexpected success of early energy regulations, shows how markets actually work and how they fail, provides a model for well-designed environmental policies, and offers guidelines for transforming the current political debate. You will find this book interesting for sure!

Another title to profile is World Changing: A User’s Guide for the 21st Century, edited by Alex Steffen. It is a “compendium of solutions, some little known but well proven, some innovative and new, some bold but as yet untried” that taken together, “present a picture of a future that is not dark or claustrophobic, but one that if full of hope and within our grasp.” This is a mammoth book with loads of interesting ideas from around the world, both real and only yet on the drawing board. The broad topics written about within cover “stuff,” shelter, cities, community, business, politics and the planet.

Finally, one book that I have been recommending for years is A Pattern Language, by Christopher Alexander, et. al. Whether you are building a home or trying to understand what makes a place, whether city-wide or just a house seem a better place to live, this is the book. The authors have codified a range of “patterns of existence” and written about them in short, easy-to-read and entertaining chapters. They range from city-wide macro level patterns (open market, public transportation, sleeping in public), to small, micro level patterns (couple’s bedroom, children’s play area, breezeway, shaded patio). When you read this book, the overarching sense one gets is that of humane spaces that take into account the real lives of the residents. Not just pretty, sterile buildings, but places you would want to call home.

Pick up any of these books and your interest will be sustained!

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by Pamela Comello, Youth Services Librarian
Red Rock News
Date: AUGUST 24, 2007


It is hard to believe the month of August is more than half over, and school has started for most children in the area. Another Summer Reading Program has ended, and as I review the accomplishments of the summer, I am again amazed at the difference books and libraries can make in children's lives. Some 40 programs were offered this summer in which pre-school students, school-age children, and teens could learn new information and develop skills using common shapes and objects to create cartoon figures, composing and playing music and cooking to name a few. Programs held at the Library this summer gave children the opportunity to not only be enriched and inspired by professionals but to be exposed to new ideas and information through the performers and artists conducting these program as well as the books displayed during the various programs.

I can feel good that we have once again reached more children than previous years. The increase in number of participants may be due to the fact that more children with families now live in the area. As the Red Rock News reported in their August 17 front page article entitled Students head back to school, more than 1,500 kids enrolled in the Sedona-Oak Creek School District and some schools are still enrolling. The final numbers may show a 10-14 percent increase in student population from last year.

The number of participants registered for the 2007 Summer Reading program was 270 compared to 200 participants last year! This is a 35% increase in participants! The participants included 22 pre-school students, 26 home-schooled youth, eight students from Desert Star School, 33 students from Sedona Charter School, 70 students from West Sedona School, 75 students from Big Park School, and 10 students from Red Rock High. There were even 26 participants who live part-time in Sedona, in town for the summer months or visiting from out of state. Participants included children who registered to read to their siblings and parents who planned to read to and with their children. Registered participants chose a reader or a pre-reader log book to keep track of reading they did or a parent/caregiver did with them. Readers had some 50 activities in their reading log to choose to do. Readers were actively reading and doing reading-related activities like creating riddles, writing descriptive paragraphs or composing poetry or stories. “Read-to-me” readers enjoyed listening to books on tape or having stories in magazines or books read to them by a parent or older sibling. Prizes were earned upon completion of activities or minutes read and reported to staff at the Library. Participants also entered their names to win a new Powerlite mountain bike generously donated by Library Resource Managements Systems, Inc. of Sedona. Sedona Public Library very much appreciates their donation. The proud winner of the bike is Xavier Turnbull; a third grader at Sedona Charter School.

Over the years, some have questioned the need for children's programming, asking “Why is it so important for a library to offer a summer reading program and events for kids in the summer?” They have employed the thought that children should automatically visit the library, check out books and read during the summer for enjoyment. Are we wasting our time and money and efforts to attempt to"spoon feed" kids into doing an activity that they should naturally want to do? And is it the Library's job to provide activities for children, much like what they would receive at summer camp or pay to see for entertainment?

A survey in English and Spanish developed by a representative group of Children’s librarians across the State of Arizona was given to a percentage of six to twelve-year-old participants at our Library this year to determine if children enjoy reading and have a good time at libraries. From those surveyed, participation in the Summer Reading Program changed 34% of surveyed participants’ feelings about reading from thinking “reading is OK” to “I love reading”! This survey supports why we offer this type of program each year and shows how reading can change feelings and behavior and can contribute to lifelong learning.

I loved seeing the enthusiasm kids showed when they came to the Library to report their reading progress. It was so much fun to hear the creative poems and riddles and see the wonderful bookmarks and book covers children created. It was thrilling to hear kids express their feelings about what excited them about reading. Some comments they shared told how reading cured boredom and made them feel better and happier, helped them with spelling, made them feel good, helped them read faster, and helped them get smarter.

Many people were involved in the execution of the summer program this year. Thanks to all the staff and volunteers who took phone calls, registered kids, and helped patrons find what they were looking for. Thanks to all the parents and grandparents who assisted children participate in the program. A special thank you to my assistant, Missy Wilkinson, who not only helped make the program go more smoothly but made it possible for me to accomplish so much more in the Youth department than I’ve ever before been able to achieve during a summer.

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: August 17, 2007

When we look at our Library users here at Sedona Public Library, we see at least two types. One type is the person who reads one genre of book and never diverges from that genre. The other type is the person who reads across no end of genres and could never be classified as one type of reader or another. The fact of the matter is that the first type, the single genre reader, is more the rule than the second type. That’s a shame because there are always gems to be found throughout the shelves.

One of our volunteer jobs is that of a shelver – a person who returns the books to their proper place on the shelves after they are returned to the Library. We have carts of fiction and carts of nonfiction books, but each of these carries books from that entire part of our collection. The single most consistent comment I hear from these invaluable folks is that they always seem to find something to read on the carts that they would never have considered reading in the past.

Are you looking for something to read that goes beyond your usual fare? Have you gotten somewhat bored with you have been reading? If you are willing to expand your horizons, one of the best ways to do so is to simply move to a different section of the collection than you normally frequent and browse the shelves. Maybe some news item or tidbit from a recent conversation caught your interest. Why not simply ask where the section is that contains books on that topic and spend some time reading titles and the fly leaf of those books?

If time is of the essence, you might consider doing a miniature version of this exercise by cruising the New Books shelves. It starts with fiction titles, but quickly encompasses all the newest items in every part of the Library. One row to read down and you have a pretty good idea of everything there is in the Library, in survey form!

As librarians, our charge is to ensure not only that we have a broad cross section of materials of interest to our readers, but that we present both sides of any controversial topic. Maybe your interests focus on one side of an issue or the other. You might well find something interesting to read by picking up a title that comes from someone on the other side of the topic. Pick up something you might never otherwise consider reading and you may well be surprised at what you learn and at how your understanding of the topic expands.

Libraries offer so much good material that it can be hard to figure out what you want to read. In such a case, you should ask a librarian! Not only do we have a rather complete knowledge of the collection, but we can also guide you to any number of books that are lists of important and entertaining titles and their descriptions. Nancy Pearl comes to mind with her titles, Book Lust and More Book Lust. Not stories in their own right, these list books by genre, topic and more with descriptions that will pique your interest. Pearl’s books are not the only such ways to find something to read as there are lots of other authors who have compiled such lists of books. There are even similar resources for teens and children!

You could just ask a librarian for a recommendation, just as you might ask a friend. The fact that we are exposed to thousands of books every day does stand us in reasonably good stead to offer a recommendation. Use the knowledge and skills that are so close at hand! You can even do this via telephone if you want to order a book online that you pick up at your next visit to the Library.

Other great tools to learn about what to read next are the newsletters and preview tools that are part of our new website. Use the link on the bottom of our Home page that says, “Online Book Clubs and Newsletters” and you will find a number of great resources. One delivers to your email-box a portion of a chapter of a new book every day that you can read and even order online. There are also newsletters that are broken down into genres you can select that send you a monthly notice of what’s new. Try subscribing to a genre you wouldn’t otherwise read and you may well be surprised at the great titles to which you are suddenly exposed.

Never find yourself in a position of saying, “I have nothing to read!” Just use the great tools this Library offers, or ask a staff member what they would recommend. Expand your horizons at Sedona Public Library, today!

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: August 10, 2007


Well, it was a challenging week, but we not only got through it, we moved this ship of state forward. Last Tuesday, July 31st, we rolled out the Sedona Public Library’s new website after working on it for the better part of a year. Then, the very next day, the Yavapai Library Network went offline for three days, leaving access to many of the site’s pages inaccessible. Things are back up and running on both fronts and so you can see and use the new website and its many features.

In spite of the fact that the Library has had a website for six or seven years already, we have not invested the time and capital in keeping it up to date. All that is different now and the new site should provide you with good, timely information. Visit the site at http://www.sedonalibrary.org/ to see for yourself.

The very first thing you will notice is the new look. Whether it is the great images of our gorgeous environment, or the change in the layout of the pages, the information we provide is much easier to find, to say nothing of better looking!. Having gone through the entire web, we have updated the information on the pages, as well as plan on keeping the data current and fresh.

On the left hand side, you will see a series of “quick links” that take you to entire sections, such as Kids and Teen pages (the Teen pages are still under construction), pages “En Espanol,” and more. Click on these to explore.

At the top left corner of the page, you can quickly search the Yavapai Library Network catalog just as you would from within the Library. As always, you can place a hold on a title, or even use the quick links section to “Suggest a Title” that you would like us to get. The “Find Books and More” tab at the top will take you to the Interlibrary Loan section for those really esoteric titles you just have to have.

Speaking of the tabs at the top of the page, look through these to explore the breadth and depth of the site. You’ll find information on accessing the catalog, finding articles via the databases we provide, lots of stuff on the Library such as our hours and holidays, the policies behind our services, the history of the Library, information on the Village Service Center, and even this column provided weekly.

Considering holding a meeting here at the Library or interested in attending one? You can click on the link to Meeting Rooms below the Services tab or access the events calendar by clicking the quick link to Library Events. There is even an entire tab, Events, that takes you to that same calendar.

The tab titled Community delivers to you links for various services and organizations throughout the community. We would be interested in seeing more organizations listed there, so use the Contact Us links, found in the quick links, the About the Library tab or at the bottom of almost any page on the website.

The Kids pages offer loads of good stuff for school aged children, including access to the calendar for children’s programs, cool sites for kid fun, homework help sites and even sites for pre-schoolers. Our Teen section is still under construction, but coming soon. It promises to offer lots of interesting homework links, access to features most of us won’t use but are good safe sites, and, as we continue to grow the site, maybe even interactive locations for teens to spend time online with one another.

One of the most interesting features is the links to online book clubs and newsletters. By subscribing to these, you can receive in your daily email a five minute read per day form the first chapter of a new title. If you find the story of interest, you can click on the link and order the title easily. There are newsletters, too, that can keep you informed of the newest titles we are offering in a number of genres. These too offer a quick click to place a hold. Subscribe to more than one, if you want!

Lastly, and most importantly, there is a link on the home page among the rotating images to provide your feedback about the site. Good, bad or indifferent, we want to hear from you to know if we have gotten it right or how we can improve the site to meet your needs. Please take a moment to fill in the form on the Contact Us page. We look forward to hearing from you.

We have spent many months doing careful research into users and in designing the site to be colorful, interesting and more importantly, useful. Most of all, we have committed ourselves to making the Sedona Public Library website interactive and dynamic, That means up to date information that serves the user’s needs. We look forward to your comments!

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by Pam Comello and David Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: August 3, 2007

This summer’s reading program, “Get a Clue @ Your Library” is enjoying wonderful participation with over 260 youth ages 3 – 18 reading and reporting activities they are completing for the program. In conjunction with the reading program, children and teens have enjoyed coming to classes, activities and special presentations at the Library. Opportunities for learning to juggle, cook or learning to draw cartoons and Anime’ have been available to kids and teens of all ages.

Ronald McDonald’s magical “Bookin’” show kicked off the summer program in May. Sedona’s own Tom & Shondra performed in their own musical show, “Suzie & Professor Know-It-All”; Jan Sandwich of Phoenix performed as Mother Goose; Norton Family Entertainment from Cave Creek, Arizona presented the “Zinghoppers” show; Prescott’s Sticks and Tones presented a bilingual musical program entitled “Name that Book”; the Sedona Model Railroaders Association club presented a model train exhibit; and Flagstaff’s Chuck Cheesman presented his musical show “Dancing with No Shoes On”.

Many children reading with the Summer Reading program this summer have decided to set personal reading goals and monitor their progress by keeping track of the number of books they read or time they read each day or week. Readers receive a prize after reporting their first 5 hours of reading. Independent readers have reading related activities to complete and record in a reading log they receive upon registration. Every 10 activities they complete earns a prize. Younger children who register for the program as “Read to Me” readers, may read to a parent or older sibling or have them read to the child. Every 15 minutes of reading is recorded, and every 2 hours of reading completed earns the “Read to Me” reader a prize.

The Summer Reading program began on May 23 before most local schools were out for the year and has been enrolling participants since that day. But school will be starting again soon, and the summer reading program is soon to end. Wednesday, August 8 is the final day to report any reading, collect prizes earned and the last day of the reading program.

A final program event and award party to recognize all participants in this summer’s reading program will be held on Saturday, August 18. Funds granted from the Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records under the Library Services and Technology Act will allow the Library to present this program by Out of Africa Wildlife Park of Camp Verde. They will present a program with some of their animals at 10:30 AM. A party with refreshments for all registered participants in the summer reading program will be held shortly after the animal program. Reservations are necessary to attend these events. Register

On another note, the Library’s newly designed website has now gone “live.” After a year of work redesigning the site, we are very pleased to finally roll it out and hope that it serves our users well. There is a new look, new features, opportunities for user feedback, and even online book clubs and newsletters. Please take some time to look it over and next week, I will have a full column on the various features. Also, if you have the time, please reply to our request for your reactions to the site. It is intended to be a dynamic website with information offered therein changing on a regular basis. Further, the Teen pages are still being designed and we will roll those out in about one month. Go to www.sedonalibrary.org to see what we have done! We hope you like it.

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: July 27, 2007

He’s here! After much ballyhoo and waiting, the final volume of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling is here. There has been endles speculation about its outcome, about the quality of the writing, and on and on and on. With so much media attention about what is ostensibly a children’s book, its may be hard to remember that readers of all ages actually do love the books. What is it about this series of tales depicting a young boy wizard growing up and battling evil that has so captured the imagination and hearts of people? I have some suspicions, at least as far as this culture goes. Allow me…

If one goes back to Joseph Campbell and his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, as well as his fascinating video interviews conducted by Bill Moyers, our culture is bereft of myths. For many reasons that would take more than this column to list, we have tended to see them as artifacts of less advanced societies and in so doing we have abandoned them. But, the myths and stories told around the fire served important functions in all societies that created them. They explained how the universe worked and the role each person had to play in that mystery. They offered instructions as to the manner in which to live and the choices each person faces in life. They were guides to life, essentially.

That our culture has abandoned them has lead, in the opinions of greater minds than mine, to many problems in our society - crime, the dissolution of the family, eternally adolescent behaviors, lack of responsibility and more. The Harry Potter series are, for all intents and purposes, myths similar to those told around the campfires of ages past. The stories tell of mysterious forces in conflict in the world and the need by the young protagonists to choose what path they will take as they face that uncertain world.

What has been most rewarding for many of the youngest readers is they can easily identify with the characters, allowing the reader to see him- or herself faced with the same choices between good and evil. Certainly, the spectacle of wizards, magic and sharply defined darkness and light have allowed the series to be more than morality tales. They are rollicking fun and exciting, to boot! But, in the main, they are one of the few guides about the decisions we all make in life for children from all walks of life, for a wide array of beliefs to envision themselves within.

Certainly, some will say that books like the Bible and other religious books do the same thing. Some churches feel that to read these tales is bad for young minds for their being about witches, wizards and magic. But, there are few stories in any of the variety of faith texts that I have read that so fully flesh out the characters in their pages. There are few stories with which children can so easily identify. There are few stories that are so much fun to read.

For many readers, young and old alike, there is an easy sense of personal identification with the challenges and choices Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger must face. That all of them are pouting teenagers only makes them more realistic to the teens who read the books. Their distrust of the adult world and their fears of what the wide world holds for them are no different than the distrust and fear that all children address as they grow up.

For many, the television has replaced the campfire as the focal point of family evenings. The many questionable messages told at that “campfire” have done much to confuse and alienate our children. There is no consistent, positive message at that fire that guides our children as they grow. In fact, the skill of telling the stories that guide us has been all but lost.

The Harry Potter series offers its readers of all ages with well drawn moral choices, made both correctly and incorrectly by the actors, but easily recognized as such. The Potter stories capture the imaginations of readers just as those fireside tales did in ages past and their resolution is such that readers can clearly find a higher sense of purpose for the characters and themselves. There should be, in my opinion, more stories of a similar nature to guide us all. Whether the stories come from the popular press, from religious corners or, (and wouldn’t this be nice) from one’s elders around a campfire under a night’s starry sky, those lessons are needed and sought.