Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: May 16, 2008
Spring is here in full force. For most of us, this is a time of rejoicing at the burgeoning signs of life all around us. But, I have seen full grown men and women driven to tears at the sight of what for most of us is the glorious scene of lovely clouds of yellow pollen drifting from the branches of a juniper tree. Yes, spring is here, but so is allergy season, a long period during which normally happy, free-breathing folks stagger from pillar to post gasping, sneezing, and watery-eyed.
This month, Sedona Public Library has a display of books in our collection that offer some possible avenues to remedies. On the shelves just inside the front doors, you will find a representative collection of titles that deal with allergies and hearing loss. While these books won't stop the symptoms by themselves, they offer many ways to make changes in your life that may well reduce or eliminate the suffering.
Take for example, How to Outsmart Your Allergies, by Dr. Art Ulene. It describes how allergies cause symptoms, how to identify and avoid your allergy "triggers," when to see your doctor and what to ask, which drugs can prevent allergy symptoms and when to use them, and when you need to see an allergy specialist.
Dr. William Briner has written a guide to managing exercise and medication to relieve allergy symptoms in his book Action Plan for Allergies. It shows you how to take control of your health, boost your energy, and reduce or eliminate the need for medication with the latest scientific research and proven exercise plans.
Are your pets the cause of your allergy symptoms? Try reading Allergic to Pets? The Breakthrough Guide to Living with the Animals You Love, by Shirlee Kalstone in which she covers what causes an allergic reaction and how to ward off the worst of it, how to care for your hairy, furry and feathered pets to minimize allergens, how to allergy-proof your home, room by room, and when to get professional assistance, medicines for the sufferer and nontoxic allergen-reducing products for animals.
If you love to garden but hate to sneeze, read Allergy-Free Gardening: The Revolutionary Guide to Healthy Landscaping, by Thomas Leo Ogren. Given that in the move to Arizona, many people have brought along the very plants that caused their allergies elsewhere, this guide offers sane information on what to plant and much more.
Our display also offers books on hearing loss and prevention of hearing loss. Sedona's own Dr. Richard Carmen has edited an excellent consumer handbook on the subject entitled Hearing Loss, Hearing Aids: A Bridge to Healing, now in its second edition. There probably isn't a better overall guide to the subject and its remedies than this book.
Even before you lose your hearing, consider Save Your Hearing Now: The Revolutionary Program That Can Prevent and May Even Reverse Hearing Loss, by Michael Seidman, MD. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, they say.
If, though, your hearing loss is acute and permanent, you may wish to read The Joy of Signing, by Lottie L. Riekehof who offers a basic, yet comprehensive guide to learning International Sign Language, including effective communications with the many subtleties that regular verbal communications offer.
No one wants to suffer from allergies or hearing loss. Yet, many of us either suffer ourselves, or know someone who does. This small representation of the books in our collection may well provide you the information you need to overcome what can be truly impairing problems.
Remember, when you look at the Library's catalog, either online from home or while in the building here, you are seeing the titles offered by all of the members of the Yavapai Library Network, a collection of more than 1.4 million items. When you place an item on hold, whether it is available here or at one of the nearly fifty other libraries in the Network, it will be delivered here free of charge for you to pick up. You can order the item to be available for pick up at either the main Library in west Sedona, or at the Village Service Center on Cortez Drive in the Village.
Finally, as the Village community grows and highway construction continues to place impediments in the path of those seeking to visit the main Library, we are working to provide services at that Village Service Center site. During Memorial Day weekend, May 24th, 25th & 26th, there will be a book sale to support that Service Center held at the Weber's IGA shopping plaza in the old Ice Cream Store site. You can donate books to the sale by calling Carolyn Fisher at 284-4683, and by shopping for your summer reading materials at the sale.
I also wish to encourage residents of Sedona proper to support the sale. For many years, the residents of the Village of Oak Creek have supported this Library through their donations of money and volunteer hours. Let's all help them get local Library service in the Village. That's one more way we can show our commitment to this community. Thank you.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: May 9, 2008
As the Book Sale winds down, all of us here at the Sedona Public Library expect things to return to some degree of normalcy. That being said, what is normal here at the Library is not necessarily quite and uneventful. If the truth were told, this vital community center is bustling busy more often than not. One area of heavy activity is that of programs offered here.
Annually, we offer nearly 500 programs! Some are produced by Library staff, such as our Summer Reading Program and children's programs, but we also provide space for local organizations to meet and even rent our rooms when they are not otherwise engaged. Something about rolling stones and moss comes to mind!
Let's take a look at some upcoming programs to be offered here at the Library during the next two weeks. By the way, you need not depend on this column for information of this sort. Simply go to the Library's website (www.sedonalibrary.org) and click on the link for "Library Events" to see the calendar of everything going on here.
During the week of May 11th through the 17th, you will find a program on Successful Brain Aging, a yoga course presented by the Dahn Yoga Center of Sedona. That's at 3:30 PM in the Quiet Study Room. Later that evening, the Flicker Shack Reruns returns after a book sale enforced hiatus at 6:30 PM in the Si Birch Community Room.
Tuesday, May 13th offers the Socrates Café at 10:30 AM in the Quiet Study. Facilitated by Ken Dzugan, this is an open discussion program that begins with a poll of all attending seeking what they wish to discuss that week. Everyone attending has appreciated the chance to hear and share ideas on a range of topics. That same day at 2:00 PM bring the Detective Club in which attendees discuss mystery novels. That evening, Sedonan Chris Anderson will present "Creating Abundance with Rainwater and Greywater Harvesting." As water becomes a more and more crucial issue in the West, this information will be extremely valuable.
Friday, May 16th at 6 PM brings another in the Library's 50th Anniversary Author series when artist Bruce Aiken, who lives in and paints images of Grand Canyon, will present his new book and a discussion on his style, techniques and inspirations.
Saturday the 17th finds the Sedona Integral Life Practice group meeting who key off of the work of Ken Wilber. That's at 10 AM in the Quiet Study. Two PM sees a program on the Psychology of Handwriting Analysis.
The week of the 18th through the 24th again offers Successful Brain Aging Yoga and the Flicker Shack Reruns on Monday. Do you see a pattern developing? Tuesday night at 7:00 PM brings the Sedona Gem and Mineral Society in the Community Room.
Hablamos Espanol and the Sirius Lookers present on Wednesday, the 21st. The first is a conversational Spanish speaking group whose sole interest together is to improve their command of that language. You can learn about our night skies and astronomy in general by attending the Sirius Lookers, whose name refers to the Dog star, not fashion!
Are you fascinated by the fabric arts or archaeology? Then Thursday, the 22nd is your day! From 10:00 AM 'til Noon, you can join with others who Sit and Stitch, enjoying each's company, counted thread and any other form of sewing based crafts. The Archaeology Society of the Verde Valley meets in the Community Room at 6:00 PM to share and learn about our region's rich history.
Finally, on Saturday the 24th at 10 AM, the Integral Life Practice group meets again.
You may be surprised to know that every one of the programs I mention is offered by your fellow citizens, not by Library staff. It is the Sedona Public Library's practice to facilitate the community's use of the building and its resources and all these programs are proof of the success of that approach. If you have an idea and would like to present it to your fellow Sedonans, as a single event or a repeating one, just contact the Library to learn more about how you can make your particular knowledge and skill known to the entire community.
Remember, Sedona Public Library is YOUR library and the staff, volunteers and I work hard to make it so. Enjoy this important community center!
Red Rock News
Date: May 9, 2008
As the Book Sale winds down, all of us here at the Sedona Public Library expect things to return to some degree of normalcy. That being said, what is normal here at the Library is not necessarily quite and uneventful. If the truth were told, this vital community center is bustling busy more often than not. One area of heavy activity is that of programs offered here.
Annually, we offer nearly 500 programs! Some are produced by Library staff, such as our Summer Reading Program and children's programs, but we also provide space for local organizations to meet and even rent our rooms when they are not otherwise engaged. Something about rolling stones and moss comes to mind!
Let's take a look at some upcoming programs to be offered here at the Library during the next two weeks. By the way, you need not depend on this column for information of this sort. Simply go to the Library's website (www.sedonalibrary.org) and click on the link for "Library Events" to see the calendar of everything going on here.
During the week of May 11th through the 17th, you will find a program on Successful Brain Aging, a yoga course presented by the Dahn Yoga Center of Sedona. That's at 3:30 PM in the Quiet Study Room. Later that evening, the Flicker Shack Reruns returns after a book sale enforced hiatus at 6:30 PM in the Si Birch Community Room.
Tuesday, May 13th offers the Socrates Café at 10:30 AM in the Quiet Study. Facilitated by Ken Dzugan, this is an open discussion program that begins with a poll of all attending seeking what they wish to discuss that week. Everyone attending has appreciated the chance to hear and share ideas on a range of topics. That same day at 2:00 PM bring the Detective Club in which attendees discuss mystery novels. That evening, Sedonan Chris Anderson will present "Creating Abundance with Rainwater and Greywater Harvesting." As water becomes a more and more crucial issue in the West, this information will be extremely valuable.
Friday, May 16th at 6 PM brings another in the Library's 50th Anniversary Author series when artist Bruce Aiken, who lives in and paints images of Grand Canyon, will present his new book and a discussion on his style, techniques and inspirations.
Saturday the 17th finds the Sedona Integral Life Practice group meeting who key off of the work of Ken Wilber. That's at 10 AM in the Quiet Study. Two PM sees a program on the Psychology of Handwriting Analysis.
The week of the 18th through the 24th again offers Successful Brain Aging Yoga and the Flicker Shack Reruns on Monday. Do you see a pattern developing? Tuesday night at 7:00 PM brings the Sedona Gem and Mineral Society in the Community Room.
Hablamos Espanol and the Sirius Lookers present on Wednesday, the 21st. The first is a conversational Spanish speaking group whose sole interest together is to improve their command of that language. You can learn about our night skies and astronomy in general by attending the Sirius Lookers, whose name refers to the Dog star, not fashion!
Are you fascinated by the fabric arts or archaeology? Then Thursday, the 22nd is your day! From 10:00 AM 'til Noon, you can join with others who Sit and Stitch, enjoying each's company, counted thread and any other form of sewing based crafts. The Archaeology Society of the Verde Valley meets in the Community Room at 6:00 PM to share and learn about our region's rich history.
Finally, on Saturday the 24th at 10 AM, the Integral Life Practice group meets again.
You may be surprised to know that every one of the programs I mention is offered by your fellow citizens, not by Library staff. It is the Sedona Public Library's practice to facilitate the community's use of the building and its resources and all these programs are proof of the success of that approach. If you have an idea and would like to present it to your fellow Sedonans, as a single event or a repeating one, just contact the Library to learn more about how you can make your particular knowledge and skill known to the entire community.
Remember, Sedona Public Library is YOUR library and the staff, volunteers and I work hard to make it so. Enjoy this important community center!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Keeber's Kolumn
Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: April 18, 2008
The Village Service Center, located on Cortez Drive in the Village of Oak Creek, has been operating for two and a half years now. It serves the Village area as a drop off and pick up location for library books, as well as provideing Internet access via a wireless connection and the dedicated computers there. In keeping with the Sedona Public Library's efforts to improve access to our users as needed, that site is the seed for greater services to that community in the years to come.
One part of library services is providing programs, but if you have been to the Village Service Center it is clear that the small space offers no opportunity that. But, now through the cooperation of the Sedona Winds facility on Jacks Canyon Road we are beginning to offer programs to Village residents.
Beginning on Monday, April 28th, at 1:30 PM, Sedona Public Library, working in partnership with Sedona Winds and the Arizona Humanities Council, presents the first in an ongoing series of speakers and book discussion groups. On that Monday, Associate Professor of English and Women's Studies Judy Nolte will speak on "Family Secrets: The Uneasy Tradition of Diarists and Their Readers." The story of diarists, their devotion to their private books, and the tensions diaries raise in families has a long tradition. This presentation covers ordinary pioneers on the Overland Trail, as well-known diarists and examines how today's blogs tease the line between privacy and publicity.
I also encourage attendees to participate in our first book review program by picking up a copy of These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine 1881-1910, by Arizona author Nancy E. Turner, following the presentation. Inspired by her own family memoirs, Turner has created pioneer Sarah Prine's dramatic tale of survival in the Arizona Territory in the late 1880's.
This book is the subject of the coming book discussion slated for Wednesday, May 28th, also at 1:30 PM at Sedona Winds. Through the Arizona Humanities Council, we anticipate bringing a speaker to the Village every other month and a Community Book Discussion on alternate months. Information on upcoming speakers and book discussions will be available at the Village Service Center, on the Library website (www.sedonalibrary.org), at the Library's main branch, and on flyers distributed at Weber's IGA, other Village businesses and in the "Villager", "Kudos" and the "Red Rock News" publications. Keep your eyes peeled for these announcements and plan on attending. Finally, programs in the Village of Oak Creek from the Sedona Public Library!
Shifting lanes, the Sedona Public Library is implementing a new procedure with our Internet access computers beginning on Friday, April 18th. The new procedure is called "Authentication" and it is the first step in better managing these extremely busy machines. Authentication changes how you signup for time on the computers. Instead of simply typing in a name to reserve a machine, you will now need your SPL Library card number. Visitors will be issued a temporary, one-day use card for this purpose. The strength of this new method is that one person cannot sign up for multiple sessions on the computer by using names such as Keeber1, Keeber2, etc. Users must use their card number and it cannot be entered until the current session is finished. What this means is users who want multiple sessions must get back into the queue to get those extra times. Coming soon, but not this Friday, are limits to the number of times each day one person can sign up for the computers. This means that more users will have access to the machines and wait a shorter length of time to use them. The system will be more fair for all involved.
Further changes in this system will be announced in this column and via signs and handouts at the Internet computers as they are implemented. With so much use of these vitals tools by which we provide information to our users, we are looking forward to this more equitable method of doing so. Users are thanked, in advance, for their cooperation and understanding of the need for these changes.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Keeber's Kolumn
Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: April 11, 2008
National Library Week is April 13 – 19, 2008. It is that self-congratulatory week during which libraries happily tout the many reasons they have earned the trust of and play a key role in the lives of community members. I could spend the next paragraphs listing the many services we at Sedona Public Library offer, or describe the lives we impact, young and old, every day. I would rather, though, discuss the idea of libraries as places of "civic imagination," as democratic spaces in the community.
Citizenship has many meanings. There is the civics view that is based on the person adhering to the rule of law, operating within the functions of government and the like. Citizenship also can be seen as shared values within a group, and it can also be seen as the work of public problem solving, co-creating the commons and common values, in the sense that people create society and democracy.
Of late, the commons have come under assault. There seems to be a shift from the concept of the commons as an inherent right of all people to that of public spaces owned by private individuals or business. This shift has moved authority away from us as citizens towards a top down approach to creating the set of values that guide us as a society.
Whenever people come together to meet and greet, they bring their personal experiences to the fore, comparing and contrasting a mix of ideas, creating new meanings, broadening their understandings and in the end building new societies and cultures. This is the work of the public in its broadest sense – work, both paid and unpaid, by a mix of ordinary people that builds and sustains public goods and resources. It is cooperative, visible, civic work done by a diverse mix of people.
To do this, though, more and more we need spaces that are not commercial, not aligned with one idea or belief, not determined to be for a specific use. Access to democratic space means that people have an open, inclusive commons where a diverse mix of people can interact, engage in dialogue, solve problems, and exercise civic imagination. Such spaces give encouragement to the work of envisioning what our society can and should be. Libraries are one of the very few places left in our society where that can occur.
In an age where our ideas, values and meanings are increasingly handed down by those at the top of the authority structure of our nation, the exercise of civic imagination has fallen on hard times. More spaces need to be created that allow for open discussion, the exchange of ideas and the comparing, contrasting, mixing and formation of new ideas, new culture, new forms of democracy.
That has been the charge and function of libraries all along - non-agendized public spaces with access to information of all sorts, a place where one can delve as deeply as desired into an idea with an encouraging atmosphere in which to imagine new ways of being, both personally and at the societal level. Libraries allow people to partake of civic imagination in an unorganized manner, reversing the creation and delivery of ideas from top down to bottom up. Such is the nature of true democracy. As such, libraries are truly democratic spaces.
Sedona Public Library has been the democratic space in our community for its entire 50 year history. The fact that it has twice been built by community members' own money and efforts has cemented its place in their hearts and minds as "their" library. And the belief by the Board of Trustees, the Director, the staff and volunteers that it is our charge to facilitate the community's use of this space is the result.
Sedona Public Library has served this community for half a century. We are proud of our tradition of services that can be seen as regular and traditional library services. We do them well. But, in a time where there is a great need to re-imagine our nation, our society and our way of life, this Library looks forward to serving as the ground in which many new ideas can germinate and grow. If ever there was a reason to celebrate libraries, encouraging our civic imagination is maybe one of the better ones.
Come to your Sedona Public Library and plant some seeds during National Library Week and throughout the year!
Please be sure to come to the Library between April 9th and the 23rd for our "Practically Annual Wildflower Display." With the weather so perfect, the wildflowers are in riotous profusion. If you have question about what that particular flower is, or need to learn a bit more about the plants of this region, visit us to see these sometimes-residents. Volunteers are gathering specimens from private gardens (none are picked from the wild) and you will see a wonderful selection here on display.
Red Rock News
Date: April 11, 2008
National Library Week is April 13 – 19, 2008. It is that self-congratulatory week during which libraries happily tout the many reasons they have earned the trust of and play a key role in the lives of community members. I could spend the next paragraphs listing the many services we at Sedona Public Library offer, or describe the lives we impact, young and old, every day. I would rather, though, discuss the idea of libraries as places of "civic imagination," as democratic spaces in the community.
Citizenship has many meanings. There is the civics view that is based on the person adhering to the rule of law, operating within the functions of government and the like. Citizenship also can be seen as shared values within a group, and it can also be seen as the work of public problem solving, co-creating the commons and common values, in the sense that people create society and democracy.
Of late, the commons have come under assault. There seems to be a shift from the concept of the commons as an inherent right of all people to that of public spaces owned by private individuals or business. This shift has moved authority away from us as citizens towards a top down approach to creating the set of values that guide us as a society.
Whenever people come together to meet and greet, they bring their personal experiences to the fore, comparing and contrasting a mix of ideas, creating new meanings, broadening their understandings and in the end building new societies and cultures. This is the work of the public in its broadest sense – work, both paid and unpaid, by a mix of ordinary people that builds and sustains public goods and resources. It is cooperative, visible, civic work done by a diverse mix of people.
To do this, though, more and more we need spaces that are not commercial, not aligned with one idea or belief, not determined to be for a specific use. Access to democratic space means that people have an open, inclusive commons where a diverse mix of people can interact, engage in dialogue, solve problems, and exercise civic imagination. Such spaces give encouragement to the work of envisioning what our society can and should be. Libraries are one of the very few places left in our society where that can occur.
In an age where our ideas, values and meanings are increasingly handed down by those at the top of the authority structure of our nation, the exercise of civic imagination has fallen on hard times. More spaces need to be created that allow for open discussion, the exchange of ideas and the comparing, contrasting, mixing and formation of new ideas, new culture, new forms of democracy.
That has been the charge and function of libraries all along - non-agendized public spaces with access to information of all sorts, a place where one can delve as deeply as desired into an idea with an encouraging atmosphere in which to imagine new ways of being, both personally and at the societal level. Libraries allow people to partake of civic imagination in an unorganized manner, reversing the creation and delivery of ideas from top down to bottom up. Such is the nature of true democracy. As such, libraries are truly democratic spaces.
Sedona Public Library has been the democratic space in our community for its entire 50 year history. The fact that it has twice been built by community members' own money and efforts has cemented its place in their hearts and minds as "their" library. And the belief by the Board of Trustees, the Director, the staff and volunteers that it is our charge to facilitate the community's use of this space is the result.
Sedona Public Library has served this community for half a century. We are proud of our tradition of services that can be seen as regular and traditional library services. We do them well. But, in a time where there is a great need to re-imagine our nation, our society and our way of life, this Library looks forward to serving as the ground in which many new ideas can germinate and grow. If ever there was a reason to celebrate libraries, encouraging our civic imagination is maybe one of the better ones.
Come to your Sedona Public Library and plant some seeds during National Library Week and throughout the year!
Please be sure to come to the Library between April 9th and the 23rd for our "Practically Annual Wildflower Display." With the weather so perfect, the wildflowers are in riotous profusion. If you have question about what that particular flower is, or need to learn a bit more about the plants of this region, visit us to see these sometimes-residents. Volunteers are gathering specimens from private gardens (none are picked from the wild) and you will see a wonderful selection here on display.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Keeber's Kolumn
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!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Keeber's Kolumn
Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: March 28, 2008
Spring in Arizona is just about the perfect season. Temperatures are cool but enjoyable, it's breezy and sunny, and everything growing is showing its potential for the coming summer months. I spent much of this past weekend in my vegetable garden, planting, getting watering systems back online, and generally having the time of my life.
If you are of a mind to delve into the soil here in Sedona, you can find plenty of help with the challenges you will face by checking out some of the books on the topic here in the Sedona Public Library. A complete list in this column would be impossible, but let me tell you about a few that are exceptional and locally relevant.
Doing a simple "topic" search using the terms gardening and Arizona will bring up a list that includes Mary Irish's Arizona Gardener's Guide and Gardening in the Desert: A Guide to Plant Selection and Care. Much of the information in these books covers decorative gardens, versus vegetables. Another very helpful book is George Brookbank"s The Desert Gardener's Calendar: Your Month-by-Month Guide. This one does cover vegetables as well as flowers, and includes ways to manage pests, soil conditions and the all-important "when to plant and when to harvest."
Zen of Gardening In the High and Arid West by David Wann offers loads of ideas on soil, water conservation, fruit trees and more. While I doubt you will attain enlightenment with this one, you certainly can improve your garden and that might lead to enlightenment.
My focus has been on vegetables, so I use the Rodale Press books with which one can hardly go wrong. But, Peter V. Fossel has written Organic Farming: Everything You Need to Know. This book covers particulars for larger farming operations, but there are plenty of tips that the small garden gardener can use.
Sometimes, the more basic questions need to be answered, such as what to plant in the first place. Three titles bear mentioning to help as you determine what and where to plant. Native Plants for the Southwestern Landscape, by JulieMielke has a strong slant towards environments further south than Sedona, but she does give lots of great information on native plants for the entire region that includes a description of the plant, its distribution, culture and good suggestions for landscape use. Accompanied by clear pictures, it is a treasure trove as you plan.
Plants for Natural Gardens, by Judith Phillips, is handily divided into climate regions. The Upland and Shrub-Desert and Grassland sections are just the ticket for where we live. This one also has good pictures and descriptions that will ensure you select the right plant for your needs.
Allergies are a problem at this time of year as things bloom, so consider Thomas Ogren's Allergy-Free Gardening: The Revolutionary Guide to Healthy Landscaping. This invaluable guide provides A to Z listings of plants that rate each plant's allergy potential and is zoned for all climates of this region. Now, you can garden and not hate yourself for planting the wrong thing!
Finally, given the fact that we are in a desert, pick up the books we offer about low-water gardening, xeriscape gardening, and drip irrigations systems. Pick up Drip Irrigation For Every Landscape and All Climates, by Robert Kourik. It covers basics on watering systems of every type and is sure to reduce your use of this precious resource. Xeriscape Handbook, by Gayle Weinstein offers ways to make better use of the water that naturally flows across your property, and Johnson and Millard's The Low-Water Flower Gardener is a guide to over 270 unthirsty colorful plants.
Spending time in your garden is one of the best antidotes to life's stresses, but if your work produces little, than it is hardly a help. If you spend a bit of time checking out the many titles the Library offers on local gardening techniques, your chances are much better. Then, your garden will give you the peace and satisfaction you deserve.
Red Rock News
Date: March 28, 2008
Spring in Arizona is just about the perfect season. Temperatures are cool but enjoyable, it's breezy and sunny, and everything growing is showing its potential for the coming summer months. I spent much of this past weekend in my vegetable garden, planting, getting watering systems back online, and generally having the time of my life.
If you are of a mind to delve into the soil here in Sedona, you can find plenty of help with the challenges you will face by checking out some of the books on the topic here in the Sedona Public Library. A complete list in this column would be impossible, but let me tell you about a few that are exceptional and locally relevant.
Doing a simple "topic" search using the terms gardening and Arizona will bring up a list that includes Mary Irish's Arizona Gardener's Guide and Gardening in the Desert: A Guide to Plant Selection and Care. Much of the information in these books covers decorative gardens, versus vegetables. Another very helpful book is George Brookbank"s The Desert Gardener's Calendar: Your Month-by-Month Guide. This one does cover vegetables as well as flowers, and includes ways to manage pests, soil conditions and the all-important "when to plant and when to harvest."
Zen of Gardening In the High and Arid West by David Wann offers loads of ideas on soil, water conservation, fruit trees and more. While I doubt you will attain enlightenment with this one, you certainly can improve your garden and that might lead to enlightenment.
My focus has been on vegetables, so I use the Rodale Press books with which one can hardly go wrong. But, Peter V. Fossel has written Organic Farming: Everything You Need to Know. This book covers particulars for larger farming operations, but there are plenty of tips that the small garden gardener can use.
Sometimes, the more basic questions need to be answered, such as what to plant in the first place. Three titles bear mentioning to help as you determine what and where to plant. Native Plants for the Southwestern Landscape, by JulieMielke has a strong slant towards environments further south than Sedona, but she does give lots of great information on native plants for the entire region that includes a description of the plant, its distribution, culture and good suggestions for landscape use. Accompanied by clear pictures, it is a treasure trove as you plan.
Plants for Natural Gardens, by Judith Phillips, is handily divided into climate regions. The Upland and Shrub-Desert and Grassland sections are just the ticket for where we live. This one also has good pictures and descriptions that will ensure you select the right plant for your needs.
Allergies are a problem at this time of year as things bloom, so consider Thomas Ogren's Allergy-Free Gardening: The Revolutionary Guide to Healthy Landscaping. This invaluable guide provides A to Z listings of plants that rate each plant's allergy potential and is zoned for all climates of this region. Now, you can garden and not hate yourself for planting the wrong thing!
Finally, given the fact that we are in a desert, pick up the books we offer about low-water gardening, xeriscape gardening, and drip irrigations systems. Pick up Drip Irrigation For Every Landscape and All Climates, by Robert Kourik. It covers basics on watering systems of every type and is sure to reduce your use of this precious resource. Xeriscape Handbook, by Gayle Weinstein offers ways to make better use of the water that naturally flows across your property, and Johnson and Millard's The Low-Water Flower Gardener is a guide to over 270 unthirsty colorful plants.
Spending time in your garden is one of the best antidotes to life's stresses, but if your work produces little, than it is hardly a help. If you spend a bit of time checking out the many titles the Library offers on local gardening techniques, your chances are much better. Then, your garden will give you the peace and satisfaction you deserve.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Keeber's Kolumn
Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: March 21, 2008
There are many ways that the Sedona Public Library is unusual. It is a private library open to the public. It has been built entirely from donations two times in its history. We have upwards of 180 volunteers who contribute nearly half the labor needed to conduct our work. And we have an administrative Board of Trustees that is looking for those who may wish to assist in the Library's administration.
So, what is an administrative Board of Trustees, you may ask? Well, in most communities, the library is a department of the city or town in which it resides. As such, the Mayor, or City Manager, or even the entire City Council serves as the final word on what gets done or doesn't get done at the library. The Board of such libraries is an advisory board, advising the person or persons ultimately responsible for providing library services to the community. That advice may or may not be taken heed of.
But, Sedona Public Library has an administrative Board, one that makes decisions, decides overall direction, determines how the money will be spent and has an employee, the Library Director. It is a position that carries greater weight as those people who serve on the Board are responsible for its overall success or failure. Given that the Sedona Public Library enjoys considerable success, the Board of Trustees can be seen as having dutifully administered the public's trust in their oversight of the Library.
The Board of Trustees of the Sedona Public Library is currently seeking new members. There is a need for people with a true love of libraries, who understand the place the Library holds in the community, and who are willing and eager to work with others ensuring the long-term survival of this vital community center.
If you are interested in becoming part of a dynamic group of individuals who obtain satisfaction from this sort of work, please consider becoming a member of the Board of Trustee at the Sedona Public Library. All you need to do is pick up a packet containing the application, fill it out and participate in the interview process held by the existing Board. If selected, you can help ensure that the community continues to receive the very best library services.
Please consider serving on the Board of Trustees. It is active, rewarding and busy work and you get to work with lots of great people, ranging from the other Board members to staff and on through the volunteers. We are sure you will enjoy your time here. Pick up a packet today.
Shifting gears a bit, now, if you are a user of the Internet computers, when you come into the Library you will see that we are in the middle of a major revamping of those machines. Some of the changes are noticeable, such as the new computers and screens that we are replacing. Other changes, like new servers and a new connection to the web via cable, are not so obvious. Combined though, the improvements will permit users to access the web on new and faster machines, enjoy better and reliable connections, and even find jump drive connections on all the computers (not always the case with the old batch of machines).
We have been working on the new system for months now and it is finally coming together. No more internet computers that don't work, no more missing computers in the children's room. No slow downs as more and more people view high bandwidth sites. We think you will enjoy it.
And finally, don't forget the Weekly Author Series celebrating the Library's 50th Anniversary year. Held every Friday, sometimes at Noon, sometimes at 4 PM and sometimes at 6 PM, these presentations feature local, regional, national and children's authors speaking about their work and the process of writing they employ. The one's already held have been very popular. Check the Library's events calendar online or pick up a bookmark for the series when you visit the Library next.
Red Rock News
Date: March 21, 2008
There are many ways that the Sedona Public Library is unusual. It is a private library open to the public. It has been built entirely from donations two times in its history. We have upwards of 180 volunteers who contribute nearly half the labor needed to conduct our work. And we have an administrative Board of Trustees that is looking for those who may wish to assist in the Library's administration.
So, what is an administrative Board of Trustees, you may ask? Well, in most communities, the library is a department of the city or town in which it resides. As such, the Mayor, or City Manager, or even the entire City Council serves as the final word on what gets done or doesn't get done at the library. The Board of such libraries is an advisory board, advising the person or persons ultimately responsible for providing library services to the community. That advice may or may not be taken heed of.
But, Sedona Public Library has an administrative Board, one that makes decisions, decides overall direction, determines how the money will be spent and has an employee, the Library Director. It is a position that carries greater weight as those people who serve on the Board are responsible for its overall success or failure. Given that the Sedona Public Library enjoys considerable success, the Board of Trustees can be seen as having dutifully administered the public's trust in their oversight of the Library.
The Board of Trustees of the Sedona Public Library is currently seeking new members. There is a need for people with a true love of libraries, who understand the place the Library holds in the community, and who are willing and eager to work with others ensuring the long-term survival of this vital community center.
If you are interested in becoming part of a dynamic group of individuals who obtain satisfaction from this sort of work, please consider becoming a member of the Board of Trustee at the Sedona Public Library. All you need to do is pick up a packet containing the application, fill it out and participate in the interview process held by the existing Board. If selected, you can help ensure that the community continues to receive the very best library services.
Please consider serving on the Board of Trustees. It is active, rewarding and busy work and you get to work with lots of great people, ranging from the other Board members to staff and on through the volunteers. We are sure you will enjoy your time here. Pick up a packet today.
Shifting gears a bit, now, if you are a user of the Internet computers, when you come into the Library you will see that we are in the middle of a major revamping of those machines. Some of the changes are noticeable, such as the new computers and screens that we are replacing. Other changes, like new servers and a new connection to the web via cable, are not so obvious. Combined though, the improvements will permit users to access the web on new and faster machines, enjoy better and reliable connections, and even find jump drive connections on all the computers (not always the case with the old batch of machines).
We have been working on the new system for months now and it is finally coming together. No more internet computers that don't work, no more missing computers in the children's room. No slow downs as more and more people view high bandwidth sites. We think you will enjoy it.
And finally, don't forget the Weekly Author Series celebrating the Library's 50th Anniversary year. Held every Friday, sometimes at Noon, sometimes at 4 PM and sometimes at 6 PM, these presentations feature local, regional, national and children's authors speaking about their work and the process of writing they employ. The one's already held have been very popular. Check the Library's events calendar online or pick up a bookmark for the series when you visit the Library next.
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