Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: April 4, 2008
As spring blooms into such glorious days, disaster is pretty far from our minds. But, the fact of the matter is that we seldom can foresee disaster. Being prepared for whatever happens is our best and maybe our only defense. How, then, does one prepare for a disaster? Is it fire, flood, pandemic or terrorist attack we need to prepare for? Difficult as it may seem, we need to be prepared for any and all such events. Sedona Public Library has some resources for you that can guide you with such preparations, giving you the best options should something go awry.
The Library's website, www.sedonalibrary.org, offers many resources for accessing our collection and other services we provide, but we are also working to add value to the site by adding links to important and relevant sites, such as Disaster Preparedness sites. We have recently added a page under the Community section of our site that is well worth visiting, reading thoroughly and using to prepare yourself and your family. We are adding to this, and all of our pages all the time, so be sure you visit our site for more than just checking book titles.
On the far right side of our home page, run your mouse over the Community link to see the drop down menu noting Community Links, Veterans History Project and Emergency Preparedness. Click on that last one for our offerings. The pages states, "Sedona Public Library maintains this information, in cooperation with the City of Sedona, Sedona Police Department and the Sedona Fire District to assist the community with personal preparations for emergency situations. This site will also be a location you can turn to in order to stay informed in the event of actual emergencies."
The first three links are to US government sites, including two sites presented by the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA), the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and one from the City of San Francisco. The last is the State of Arizona's Emergency 2-1-1 site that features state and locally relevant information. There is plenty of guidance for creating emergency kits, called Go Bags that you should put together IN ADVANCE, just in case.
In the event of a forest fire, do you know what to do for you, your family and your pets? If there is a flood, what evacuation route would be best to take? What do you need to do to keep pertinent and important records together for medical, insurance and personal needs? These sites offer a great deal of that information IN ADVANCE so you can be prepared.
The Sedona Public Library is working with the local emergency response departments to assist in providing information in the event of a disaster. As we further develop this web page, I will keep you informed of the new resources therein. Check back often!
Below that same Community link, you will notice a page for the Veterans History Project that the Sedona Public Library is working on in conjunction with the Library of Congress. We are conducting interviews, with the help of a number of great volunteers, of veterans from all US military branches to preserve at the national level, the experiences of those who have served. Be sure to read the information on the web site page, both that of the Sedona Public Library and the Veterans History Project site, to learn more. A future column will deal in greater detail on this project.
Finally, as part of the Water Awareness Month events, produced in cooperation between the Library, Sustainable Arizona, and the Greater Sedona Community Foundation, we will host author Greg Childs as he speaks on water and civilizations in Arizona. This author presentation will be held on Saturday, April 12th at 6:30 PM in the Si Birch Community Room at the Library. You will have the opportunity to meet and discuss with Childs his explorations of how are past and future is determined by the availability of water. Don't miss this great opportunity!
