Keeber's Kolumn

Library News by Pamela Comello, Youth Services Librarian, for David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: August 1, 2008

It is hard to believe the month of August is here, and school will start for most children in the area in the next days and weeks. Another Summer Reading Program is about to end. Friday, August 8 is the last day to report reading and for pick up prizes from either the VOC Service Center or Sedona Public Library As I review the accomplishments of the summer, I am again amazed at the difference books and libraries can make in children's lives. Over 30 programs were offered this summer of which pre-schoolers, school-age children, and teens could learn new information and develop skills using writing and art exercises to create glitter tattoos or have their handwriting analyzed, handling live or dead insects, moving and listening to musical performers 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 not only through the performers and artists conducting these program but also the books that were displayed about the various subjects related to each program.

The number of participants in the 2008 Summer Reading program this year was 204 compared to 270 participants last year! This is a 34% decrease in participants compared to last year! Despite the fact that the library offers this program opportunity free as are the majority of the workshops and programs we offer weekly, the library does compete with many opportunities and other programs the area offers for kids. From the Humane Society summer camp to the College for Kids classes at Yavapai College, there seem to be more choices and options for kids to learn and gain information from each summer. This summer was particularly challenging because of the Hwy 179 road construction. To make it easier for families in the Village of Oak Creek, summer reading participants were able to register, report their activities and reading and even pick up prizes at the Village Service Center on Cortez Drive.

The participants included 18 pre-schoolers, 14 home-schooled youth, 10 students from Desert Star School, 17 students from Sedona Charter School, 50 students from West Sedona School, and 71 students from Big Park School. There were even 23 participants who live part-time in Sedona and were in town for the summer months or were visiting from out of state who chose to participate. Participants included siblings who registered to read to their siblings and parents who planned to read to and with their children this summer. 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 and writing descriptive paragraphs, or composing poetry or stories whether it is at home or on vacation, to each other or by themselves. “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 are earned upon completion of activities or minutes read and reported to staff at the Library.

Over the years, some have questioned the need for children's programming. They have asked “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 hold activities for children, much like what they would receive at summer camp or pay to see for entertainment?

A survey of questions in English and Spanish developed by a representative group of Children’s librarians across the State of Arizona are being asked to a percentage of six to twelve-year-old participants at our Library again this year to determine if children enjoy reading and have a good time at libraries. From those surveyed last year, 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 love seeing the enthusiasm kids showed when they came to the Library to report their reading progress. It is so much fun to hear the creative songs, read the stories and see the wonderful bugs made out of recycled materials, 50^th anniversary bookmarks, and book covers children created. It is thrilling to hear kids express their feelings about what excites them about reading. Some comments kids share tell how reading cures boredom and makes them feel better and happier, helps them with spelling, makes them feel good, helps them read faster, and helps them get smarter.

Many people have involved in the execution of the summer program this year. Thanks to all the staff; especially my assistant Mrs. Lusher and my summer assistant Ms. Wilkinson and all my teen volunteers who took phone calls, registered kids, and helped patrons find what they were looking for. Finally, I want to extend a big thank you to all the parents and grandparents who assisted children’s participation in this program, despite road construction and travel delays.

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber

Red Rock News

Date: July 25, 2008

This summer hasn't been the hottest on record, but the Sedona Public Library knows a thing or two about hot. Whenever an author of repute puts out a new book, things get hot here. People want to read it and they rush into the Library to find the book. Sometimes, the book has already been checked out, so they get into the Holds queue, and if they wait too long, they get hot. But, we have a new solution to cooling off these temperatures – our new Popular Collection.

Located next to the Checkout Desk is a wooden shelf unit that previously held the Playaway units. Now, we offer you all the latest bestsellers in book form, or DVD, or audio format. You can check these HOT new titles out just like the New Books section selections, but with a few caveats.

Our goal is to encourage people to come into the Library. Folks are getting better and better at searching the catalog online and placing holds on items they want. But, sometimes the queues can get long and that frustrates people. So, the Popular Collection offers the same titles, but without the ability to place a hold on them. Instead, by coming into the Library, you will find a shelf chock-full of the newest titles on a first come, first served basis. Given the newness of this collection, for now we are limiting the number of books you can check out at one time to one item, but only until the collection grows. The other "rules" for their use are the same as all of our other items – three week check out.

By doing this, we are offering a "reward" for those who have braved the current traffic challenges. You will certainly find lots more to do and read while you are here, so plan to spend a few hours in the Library's cool environs, but stop at the Popular Collection shelves first!

Another solution to the traffic delays we are all experiencing lately is to make the very best use of your time in the car. As you sit in the line of cars learning to negotiate the roundabouts, rather than fretting and getting your blood pressure up, "read" a book!

I am not suggesting that you pour over pages of text while driving. Instead, how about a book on tape or CD? The Library offers hundreds of titles, both fiction and nonfiction, that you can pop into your player and spend your time in the car more productively. We even offer the previously mentioned Playaways, an MP3 player with a book preloaded. You can listen to your favorite book anywhere, anytime. So easy, and so much better than "going postal" while waiting in lines of traffic.

Be sure to keep your calendars marked for Friday's here at the Library as we offer our 50^th Anniversary Authors series, weekly. Every Friday, we offer a local, regional, national or youth author as they present their work and sign copies you may have. It is a great opportunity to meet the author you are interested in. Last Friday, we had Wayne Ranney, geologist, as he presented his theories and those of others regarding how the Grand Canyon was formed. That big old hole in the ground to the north of us is in no way a settle issue as to how it was formed and when. Wayne's presentation was fascinating and well worth the time to attend. Our other authors are also well worth your time.

On Friday, August 1^st at 6 PM, local author Kris Neri will sit in the moderator's seat with a panel of mystery writers to discuss the work of writing about the darker side of human nature and the challenges of making these stories entertaining. Sitting the panel will be Doris Casey, Kerrie Droban, Ben Small, and Betty Webb. A departure from our usual one author event, this is sure to be a fascinating trip into the minds of the people who delve into the minds of murders and their pursuers. Don't miss this one!

Sedona often empties out during the summer and folks think that there is nothing to do here in the hottest months. Contrary to that idea is the Sedona Public Library's many programs, services and of course, our great collection of materials. Come and spend time here and you will see how to take the hottest months and spend a cool time! Visit us today!

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber

Red Rock News

Date: July 18, 2008

It's a new world. So much has gone electronic nowadays and at Sedona Public Library, we have gone electronic in spades. Whether it is the computer-based catalog, or the Library's website, there are myriad ways that we have taken advantage of computers. For some, the new technologies present a challenge, for others it is much easier. Let's look at the many ways we have incorporated technology at the Library.

First and foremost is the computer-based catalog that replaced the old card catalog. Here is where the real strength of computers has been brought to bear on the search for information. Whether the catalog is paper-based or computer-based, it is still a database. Searching a database, whether paper or electronic, can be either simple or complex. The paper version in the old maple cabinets always yielded a simple search – you plugged along one topic at a time – and that tended to be pretty time consuming.

The computer catalog always searches for the most information when you hit the button. That is why you get a list of similar spellings, similar topics, and so on. Quite often, a search term is misspelled, but with the computer's power, you can easily see a list that will show you the correct spelling, thereby reducing your time spent "hunting and pecking." With the many ways things have related links, computers make those "side searches," such as different authors who have written about the same topic.

Other ways in which the Library has gone electronic is in the form of books on tape, CD, Playaways and now, downloadable books. There has been, and will continue to be lengthy debates about the death of printed books. While I used other columns to discuss this topic, for now, consider the fact that by having books in a myriad of formats allows the "reader" to enjoy them in places you simply cannot read. Can you use your long commute to read a book in print, or can you simply pop a tape or CD into your car's player and still enjoy your reading time?

A number of years back, librarians debated whether to allow books on tape into the collection as they weren't really books. I am glad that we have concluded that debate in favor of their addition because we now have even more ways to offer our users access to the information they seek. Playaways and downloadable books are simply the next incarnation of the earlier formats.

We have all seen kids walking around with the Walkman players and iPods. We may mutter about how they are ignoring the world around them, but they are onto something – the ability to go anywhere and enjoy their music. Few adults have made the transition to owning an iPod or a similar device, and have considered a book on tape or CD something you only enjoy in your car or in front of your stereo system. With the advent of the Playaway, you can now enjoy your favorite book while taking a walk, or gardening, or doing your hobby.

The Playaway is an MP3 player, the equivalent of an iPod that has a single book loaded on it that you can easily carry around with you. Now, you don't even need to own your own player, but can simply use one of these to "read" a book on the go.

Once you get accustomed to reading on the go, you may well decide that you want other titles than the ones we offer on the Playaways. Now, the Library offers downloadable books that you can place on your own device. The offer the same convenience as Playaways, but you will find even more selection. These titles are available on our website by clicking on the link to "ebooks" under the Find Books and More heading.

And speaking of the website, any and all of our services are available on that electronic resource. Do you want to browse the catalog? Go to the website. Do you want to see what books you have checked out and maybe even renew them? Go to the website. Do you want to learn about the programs we are offering? Go to the website. It is the electronic doorway to Sedona Public Library. By the way, the address for the website is www.sedonalibrary.org

One can certainly be a book lover and still take advantage of the many electronic resources that the Library offers. But, if you find that some of them present a hurdle for you as you attempt to learn how to use them, simply seek help for the Library staff. We are happy to show all the features of our catalog, or how to download a book, or where you can find the information you need on our website. Just because we have many new electronic resources doesn't mean that we have abandoned our commitment to service to our users.

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: July 11, 2008


Whenever you visit the Sedona Public Library, you are sure to find something new. Whether it is a book, an audiotape or book on CD, a Playaway audio book, a new movie on VHS or DVD, magazines, or whatever, if you are into new things you can pretty much find something here every day. But, there are also new displays all the time, each of which offers intriguing information on a subject. We have lots to look at here, and right now there are some fascinating displays.

First and foremost, there are always books on display. Sometimes the books are brand new to our collection, or if you are out in the stacks, you can find great titles you might otherwise overlook simply displayed on the shelves. The staff is always putting "new" old titles, books that have been on the shelves for awhile onto the display racks throughout the Library. So often folks go directly to the newest items on the shelves and pass by the older, but really wonderful titles. Spend a few minutes in the stacks noticing the recommended titles there. I'll bet you can easily find something interesting to read.

Also, just to the right of the front door as you enter is another display of books on topics that may be seasonal, current news, or just plain fun. Right now, we are displaying books on "summer fun," but recent ones have been on pets, Father's Day and so on. Check out the display and then check out the books!

On a table outside my office window is a display of pop-up books. These charming and fun books are for children and adults. We don't add pop-ups to the collection because they are so fragile and never last long. So, whenever we find or someone donates a good one, we keep it for just such a display as this. Take a look at the Book of Nightmares, or the bible story books. Or try flipping through the variety of ways that pop-ups are made. There are some real tricks to getting them to do what the author envisions. Give yourself about 20 minutes, though, to look at them because we have a lot!

Another way we provide displays is to ask the community to bring in things they wish to show off. Examples of course include the annual quilt display, as well as the local photography club's truly creative work. There is the Sustainability Resource Center that offers ideas on how to go green and conserve precious resources like our air, water and petroleum.

Right now, though, we have a really fascinating display of maps produced by local cartographer Alex DiNatale. He produced six maps, each with a unique story to tell. Maps come in all forms and each tells a different tale. Look in any atlas of quality and you will see maps that inform about borders, locations of geographical and political features, and highways. But, you will also find maps that describe the spread of populations, resources, historical information and more. Maps can tell all sorts of stories, limited only by the cartographer's imagination.

Mr. DiNatale has created six maps of local interest. These show horse trails and homesteads in Oak Creek Canyon, the Navajo Nation, Mormon Lake area, the San Francisco Peaks, and Bill Williams Mountain, as well as trans-canyon corridor trails in Grand Canyon. All drawn by hand, they show fascinating historic and geographic information that no other maps that I have seen offer.

They are on display around the main desk at the front of the Library where you check your books in and out. Take a few minutes to study these by picking up the guide sheets located at that desk that offer in depth explanations of each.

Lastly, take a look at Sakina's doll display which she changes quite often. She has a huge collection of dolls and a smart sense of what she is trying to say with her displays. You'll find it located near the fireplace area.

If you have an idea for a display that you would like to share with the rest of the community, please let us know by contacting us for a display proposal form. We would love to find ways to show your interesting ideas here.

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: July 4, 2008



I have just returned from a trip to fish along the US/Canadian border and was casting around for a topic to write about for this column. When I get into that sort of predicament, I often go the shelves and find some interesting books that deserve special mention. In addition to fishing, I enjoy woodworking and so this week, I gravitated towards books on the subject that are among our newest additions.

First and foremost, readers of this column may recall that I often tout our magazines as the most up to date sources of information on a topic. Delivered weekly, monthly or quarterly, they tend to be "fresher" than a book that takes much longer to write and publish. If you are seeking the most recent information, start with the magazines. While woodworking may not seem to be a topic that requires really, really new information, we do carry two publications that come to us monthly – "Fine Woodworking" and "Fine Homebuilding." Both are published by Taunton Press, a company out of Connecticut that produces numerous titles focusing on crafts.

Their names describe their focus and they do an excellent job of offering tips, tricks, solutions, and very clearly rendered plans that can serve to untangle the thorniest problems that someone might face as they build a home or furniture. Published in color, they are a pleasure to look at and extremely useful for the reader.

You cannot do excellent work without good tools or a good work space. That's why Wood Magazine's How to Build a Great Home Workshop is such a treat. It offers excellent advise on customizing your work space, dust removal, shop heating systems, workshop safety and security, workbenches, storage for lumber, tools and parts, and even offers advise on stands, stools and supports. Also published in color and with simple and clear plans, you will want to gut your existing space and start over entirely after reading this valuable tome.

Black and Decker's Complete Guide to Windows & Entryways is another excellent reference manual as well as an idea book that is chock full of things your can do to improve these crucial points of any home. The most common points for leaks into your home, whether of rain water in or of heat escaping are your windows and doors, so building them correctly, installing them securely and tightly and doing so in a manner that is pleasing to the eye and absolutely functional makes them on a par with building chairs – much tougher than they appear. While not a comprehensive textbook, the book offers sufficient information that your next such project will turn out better for reading the information contained within its covers.

Author Doug Stowe has written a very handy book entitled, Basic Box Making. There is no end to the clever ways one can create this most basic of shapes and Stowe offers many basic tips and tricks to ensure that you produce an eye-catching item every time. His contention is that by learning the basics of a number of forms and features, you will have the solid foundation you need to create your own designs. He offers step-by-step instructions for a number of versions of boxes and you hardly know you are learning something useful when you are simply following along.

Many is the home that has a valued and valuable piece of furniture that has some flaw or problem that could use repair. Repairing the piece is one challenge, but ensuring a matching finish and even maintaining a valuable piece's worth is much more so. Ina Brosseau Marx and Allen Marx have written Furniture Restoration: Step-by-Step Tips and Techniques for Professional Results, a treasure trove of great ways to bring a worn or broken piece of furniture back to life and to refinish that piece expertly. Obviously, expert work requires years of efforts based on trial and error, but this book offers a savings of many years in its well written and sound advice on the subject. Even if you don't plan on doing the work yourself, you would do well to glance through it before taking your family heirloom to a workshop that does this work. At least you will know whereof you speak!

If you enjoy any craft or hobby, you are likely to find plenty of materials on the shelves or through the Network loan system that will improve your knowledge, advance your skills and ensure a better end product by reading the numerous titles we can offer you. Check out your hobby at the Sedona Public Library!

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by Andrea Lhotka for David Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: June 27, 2008

"The computers are winning." I saw these simple words scrawled on cardboard in permanent ink hanging in the window of an abandoned building in Tucson, AZ. If you've seen the movie "The Terminator" then images of Arnold Schwarzenegger, cyborg metal endoskeletons, and total world annihilation are appearing before your eyes. I say "disregard" all that. Prophesy is certainly not our business at the Sedona Public Library. We deal in books and information at a smoking bargain. What I'm talking about is the conflict between digital and analog resources or more expressly the tension amongst their respective users.

The opening was intended to catch your attention, but in a matter of speaking the computers have attained great success in this endeavor, though not in any dystopic futuristic sense. The evidence is pervasive: spellbound coffee shop inhabitants clacking away at their laptops and cell phone users willfully rewriting the codes of social interaction. The inexorable march into the future is without pity, but for some the beat is a bit muffled.

This is in fact an alarming topic for many librarians: the digital divide which is essentially an obstacle to accessing information from a lack in training or deficit in resources. Since the World Wide Web was created in the early 90's and its subsequent proliferation, information has been repositioned and now inhabits a seemingly inexplicable, shadowy electronic environment. Frequently the information and services that we need once available in hardcover, on a microfiche reel, by telephone, and so on are now only obtainable with a computer and an Internet connection.

For many, gaining the requisite knowledge to operate a computer is a terrifying concept, and this phenomenon most acutely impacts those who attended schools before the explosion of computer labs, computer instruction and the Internet. It is this audience specifically that I address, in hopes that a feeling of comfort with information technologies can be realized.

As a librarian working with the public and information technology on a daily basis, my suggestion is that before you chastise yourself and make a payment in the service of self-doubt, identify the cause of your fear. In this regard I submit that uncertainty, and lack of experience and training are the major reasons. Humans do not achieve new proficiencies by virtue of charisma or magic without the advantage of training, study and hard-work. They do so out of personal curiosity or necessity. Gaining new skills can start out ever so slowly. Be patient with yourself. Talk to people. Sign up for a class. By all means, ask your local librarian. We love to help!

The advantages of electronic media are difficult to dispute, and the flaws cannot be left out. Contrasting Wikipedia with twenty substantial and burdensome volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica is like comparing a walk down the street with a ride on an $8,000 road bike. For those that do not know, Wikipedia is an online multi-lingual encyclopedia updated continuously by volunteers like you and me. It is a highly successful, collaborative website providing an infinite supply of irritation and admiration to librarians and educators everywhere. Though it is given to vandalism, disorganization, and poor citation from time to time, it is free of charge and unconstrained by the practicalities of time and space on the scale of its physical predecessors. Of course the Encyclopedia Britannica set the standard for authoritative research, and has a reputation constructed on two hundred years of experience.

But it depends which librarian you ask. Ask one of my senior and fabulous colleagues a reference question and you may find yourself in the reference or nonfiction section, and this is a fine place to be! My experience and training do not lend themselves to the reference section as much as they do to databases and online resources. I am merely a product of my generation and I have some catching up to do. Don't we all.

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: June 20, 2008



Whew! Our surprisingly cool Spring has suddenly made the transition from "darned nice" to "x*!&# hot!" Aside for the usual methods of survival like getting up at the very crack of dawn and using the late afternoons and early evenings to get things done outside, what can the Sedona Public Library do to help you through these summer months?

One can always spend a number of hours here in the cool Library reading, attending programs or just sitting. We have lots of new books and magazines, a large array of daily newspapers and you can even watch a movie on DVD or VHS. Discussion groups like the Socrates Café and the Detective Club, or the 50th Anniversary Author series every Friday are also available. Do you have children? Bring them here to participate in the Summer Reading Program events, read to them, or spend time actually on the computers with them. Not only will you help them learn, but is there a better gift to give to your child than your time and attention?

Is your AC system at home giving your trouble? Maybe you can learn a thing or two about keeping it in top condition by checking out a book from the section on air conditioning in the 697s of the collection. I know it seems antithetical, but there are even books on solar air conditioning!

Maybe, getting up in the morning means gardening. Our collection of gardening books is extensive. We have books that will help you with the many challenges of gardening in this dry climate and the sandy soils we find here. Do you want to learn about how to install a low-water use drip irrigation system? We can help with the many titles on our shelves.

Do you use the cool hours to hike to keep yourself fit? Getting tired of the same old beaten paths? Check out a hiking book or two to learn of the hundreds of trails in this area, some of which you may not have known about.

As a parent, the Summer Reading Program, annually offered to children from pre-reading age to high school, presents programs and reading opportunities and incentives that will maintain your child's reading skills during the summer months in a fun and inspiring way. Our computers offer access to the Internet via controlled sites that are safe and we have links to activity sites you can share with your child. Again, time spent reading to and interacting with your children is the best gift you can give them.

If you are planning on vacationing this summer, our many travel books and titles on how to camp, where to stay (resort or campground), and things to do will give you the information you need to have a memorable vacation.

Then, of course, there is the simple summer pleasure of reading a good book. We are very proud of the fact that our collection here in the Sedona Public Library offers the newest and most talked about titles on the best seller lists. Our membership in the Yavapai Library Network give you access to 1.4 million titles throughout the county and access to them via our transit system means you can get them for free! Looking for something a bit more esoteric? Our Interlibrary Loan system gives access to libraries throughout the nation and the cost for obtaining an item from elsewhere is free if from a library within Arizona or $3 for postage for libraries beyond the state. A marked reduction in the cost of purchasing the title!

Over the years, I have spoken in this column of the fact that this Library has become a community center. Time spent within our four walls is an opportunity to meet your fellow community members and visitors to Sedona. More and more, people are seeking a "third place," not their home and not their place of work, but another place to meet others, be exposed to new ideas and make contact beyond themselves. The Library can be that third place. Come and spend time here enjoying the ambiance, the displays, the large collection, the people and the access to so much information and entertainment. You'll get away from the heat, learn new things that make the summers here more enjoyable and even give yourself that precious gift of slowing down when the hottest days are upon us.