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!

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.

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.

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: March 7, 2008



Libraries certainly are not what they used to be. Formerly, they were sanctuaries of learning, shushy places that focused solely on the printed word. There was an air of studiousness overcapped with something of an elitist quality, reserved for the learned. And while some may rue the changes, it is rare to find such a place any longer. Certainly, university libraries may tend more towards that description, but public libraries have become active community centers that focus on information (expanding well beyond the book). Has Sedona Public Library changed with the times? Let's see.

First and foremost, we no longer concentrate on books alone. With the advent of entire ranges of audiovisual materials, we have added to our collection to include videos in VHS and DVD format. Recently, this has extended to also include books on tape, books on CD and most recently, books that are on their own MP3 player (called Playaways) and downloadable books in both text and audio format. This alone moves us well beyond the traditional library's collection.

While past libraries were places for solitary study, now they are both that and centers of community activities. If you wander around the Sedona Public Library, you are sure to find folks in the far corners reading books and magazines, working on their laptops, or even personal projects (a couple of years ago, a fellow came in every day and set up a mini-office at a table!). But, there is also a buzz of activities other than study.

The front porch is often the site of a great deal of activity as people of all ages chat out there, eat their lunch, read, work at their laptops, or just enjoy the view. Mind you, since a recent edict of mine many of the youthful shenanigans have ceased, but that does not mean that the children are no longer welcome here – only that they should use the Library as it was intended.

Meetings, programs, community forums, discussion groups, displays, openings for exhibits, debate – all of these activities can be seen at almost any moment you visit the Library. Did you know that our programs number nearly 500 in a single year, and that all takes place during our regular 355 days of service each year!

Another thing that is being transformed is the books themselves. Between March 8th and 27 th, the Sedona Visual Artists Coalition is presenting their second exhibition entitled "The Book Transformed 2." Artists and craftspeople have submitted 26 truly novel examples of art based on books. Some of the pieces are actual books recreated, while others simply use the concept of books as a point of departure. Last year's exhibition was a great success and offered some very exciting works of art, including a house made of books!

When you have the opportunity to visit the Sedona Public Library, you will see books in the bound form and books in other forms. You will find a vibrant community center that is home to the ready exchange of ideas. You will be able to attend programs and events that stimulate your eye, your mind and your heart. In many ways, the Library is one of the best ways to come to know the community of Sedona because so many of the residents of our town come here and use the facility, resources and services.

Often, there are articles in magazines and newspapers decrying the end of libraries. You need only visit your community library to see that the news of our demise is more than a bit premature (apologies to Mark Twain). Come to see the Books Transformed exhibition between March 8 and 27, and then enjoy your Library!

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: February 29, 2008

Often, as readers we find a genre or author and stick to reading books in that area. Yet, this and all libraries offer so much more than a single type of book that, given sufficient impetus, if you were to wander into another area you would find so much more to read. Sedona Public Library's Arizona Collection is just such an area with the added advantage that an armchair traveler can rather easily go from shelf to real life without much trouble. Take a few moments to "tour" the collection there to learn what we have to offer.

First, the Arizona Collection is located in the center stacks right behind the Reference Collection shelves. On the very first shelves, you will find the City of Sedona collection that offers such things as the City Code, the General Management Plan and even the text of each year's Resolutions and Ordinances. If you have business with the City and need to review the documents pertinent to your matter, we probably have them here.

There is also a Reference section in the Arizona Collection that offers really fascinating things. Take for example the bibliography of the Grand Canyon. Who would have imaged that a hole in the ground could be the subject of reams of writing? We have information on Arizona population growth, business directories for the state, the complete Arizona Revised Statutes, the code of laws for the state, data on geology and the flora and fauna of this place and even County documents for both Yavapai and Coconino.

There are fiction titles and nonfiction, too. Just as there is a complete set of call numbers according to the Dewey Decimal Classification System in the rest of the Library, there is a similar system of numbering in the Arizona Collection. Are you a gardener? We have books specifically about gardening in Arizona. Do you like to cook? Try Arizona cooking books featuring recipes from the settler years or by state celebrities. Architecture? We've got books on that topic, specific to styles prevalent in our state. Art, history, whatever, you can find a book on the topic as it relates to Arizona.

Are you an outdoorsy type? Do you hike or even do driving trips through the state? You might try Susan Makov's guide to the trading posts of Arizona or pick up a guidebook to the different architectural styles of Tucson.

Do you need a killer barbeque recipe for a gathering of friends prone to sporting cowboy hats and boots? Pick up a recipe for chili that will only taste right when stirred with a mesquite stick!

The history of our great state is well represented in myriad titles that examine the native population, the emigrants who have been flooding into Arizona for the past 150 years, or where we might be heading given current trends.

One very interesting item in the Arizona Collection is the Journal of Arizona History, a product of the University of Arizona Press. If you are interested in the individual and personal stories of our state's history, take a gander at this fascinating journal. There is so much there that is beyond the capacity of this column to explain. Take a look!

In addition to the Arizona Collection, we have recently made some changes to how we present a number of heavily used areas of the collection. We have moved the New Books, the most frequently visited section of what we offer to be right next to the magazines, much easier to access. We have move all the videotapes to be beneath the front windows and then shifted the DVD collection to give it room to grow. Finally, the previously over-stuffed shelves of Large Type books have been extended to make them easier to read and less crowded. All of these shifts in location are intended to make finding items quicker and easier. Come into the Sedona Public Library and see what we have to offer. It never gets boring here!

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: Friday, February 22, 2008


A blue funk has settled over the Sedona Public Library. The annual Quilt Show has been taken down and the staff and volunteers are all missing the great colors, designs and craftsmanship. This happens every year when they come down and we never seem to be able to anticipate it. I want to say a special thank you to Patty Krause and the staff of the Quilters Store in Sedona and all those who produced the gorgeous quilts. We are already anticipating next year's show.

Never fear, though, if you come to the Library there are sure to be plenty of other things to engage you as you look around. February is Black History Month and we have an exciting display of items in our collection pertaining to history of the Black experience in America, as well as plenty of biographies of notable African-Americans who have contributed to making this such a great nation. You will find these on display on the shelves above the newspaper rack.
Keep Sedona Beautiful has a wonderful showing of photographs of scenes here in Sedona. Contest winners all, take a peek to remind yourself of this stunning place in which we live. Another part of keeping Sedona beautiful is keeping the litter in check and as part of that effort, come and view the contest winners of the KSB Anti-Litter Poster Competition. All grades of students are represented among the entries. When you view these, you get the distinct impression that our children expect us to keep the red rock country clean for all generations to enjoy.

The Reading on the Rocks Weekly Author Series continues this week with Lynnell Diamond, author of Let's Discover the Petrified Forest National Park. Ms. Diamond is a children's book author of numerous other titles focusing on our nation's Park system. This book examines the history, nature and wildlife in the Petrified Forest Park in ways that entertain and intrigue her young readers. The program is free, slated for the Si Birch Community Room and during the program, you will be able to purchase copies of the books for signature by the author. This program series has been a great success, so even though you might not think a children's book would interest you, come and see and be surprised. I'll bet you have either kids or grandkids…

Now that the weather is starting to cooperate and the "get outside bug" is starting to bite, be sure to look at two sections of our collection here at Sedona Public Library. First, if you are a hiker or a biker, the Arizona Collection offers numerous titles detailing local trails for both sets of outdoors enthusiasts. Tried and true, Flagstaff authors Richard and Sherry Mangum's revised 8th edition of Sedona Hikes probably has some trails even the most avid hoofer has never been on. With 130 hikes and 5 vortex sites around Sedona, this book will keep you busy for awhile. Once you get you legs back in shape, consider the Mangum's Flagstaff Hikes if you want to get cooler temperatures and equally grand vistas. That book offer 134 hikes, so both books should keep you outside and enjoying our grand countryside.

If you're a little more adventuresome, you might consider the book Canyoneering Arizona, by Tyler Williams, in which he guides you in hiking and exploring the streambeds, gorges and slots of Arizona. Not for the faint of heart, but well worth the effort of such a trek, you will find lots of detailed routes, as well as clear instructions on how to prepare, how to trek and how to stay safe.

Interested in traveling a bit faster? Try mountain biking Sedona truly impressive trails. People from all over the world come here expressly to do just that and they often turn to Cosmic Ray's Fat Tire Tales and Trails: Arizona Mountain Bike Trail Guide. Ranging from the easy to the truly heroic (occasionally idiotic!), this pocket guide will keep you thrashin' and hopefully not crashin' as you explore the Red Rock country and beyond.

If you are more the stay at home type, take a look at our gardening section with titles that will make your vegetable gardening more productive or your xeroscaping less water expensive. More on those titles in a future column.

Sedona Public Library is truly a place for all seasons as we keep you warm and cozy with the Quilt Show and now as the weather improves, books to help you as you get outside. Is this a great place or what?!

Keeber's Kolumn

Library News, by David W. Keeber
Red Rock News
Date: February 15, 2008

When you read, are you a "one-at-a-timer" or a "scatter shot reader?" Do you sit in one favorite chair to read, or do you have a book with you wherever you go and read wherever you are? Do you stick with one genre or are your tastes eclectic? Is reading how you escape from life or what you do to engage with the world by gathering information? Readers come in all styles, types, and habits. But, whatever way you read, you probably recognize that were it not for reading, life would be much poorer for the lack.

A friend of mine refers to the television as the haunted fish tank and at times, it seems such an apt title - not much to see but the same old stuff and very little to get out of the experience. For myself, I watch TV almost out of necessity and would prefer the experience of reading, whether the written page or information I find on the Internet. Of course, the Internet has its own dangers, but if you know how to find pages that offer accurate and timely information, you can avoid much of the same sort of mind rot you find on the television.

National Public Radio has a frequent contributor named Nancy Pearl, librarian, action figure and book "luster." She touts books, some whose theme is travel. Her descriptions can tickle the fancy of any avid reader, and hopefully, set nonreaders on the path to becoming hooked on the book. Monthly, we receive a publication called Book Page, a book review paper in tabloid format. You can see the readers pouring over the pages of each new edition as soon as it comes in. The New York Times Book Review, their Best Seller List, and a host of other sources provide opinions and insights into one book or another, all in an effort to get you to read whatever it is they are hawking. The din and clamor of those that love books is almost so deafening as to make reading impossible.

What is this fascination for the words of others? Why are readers so intent on their immersion into the worlds, real or otherwise, within the printed pages? Is there a cure for this, or is a cure even needed?

I believe it comes from the primeval experience of hearing stories around the fire, when an elder would attempt to explain the world around the listener with the mythic tales of a tribe's forebears. Or maybe it is simply a matter of our trying to recall the wonderful moments in our youth when a parent would read to us and we would disappear into the stories they would impart. Of course, there are probably plenty of other theories for why people read – as many as there are readers, I daresay.

My home is becoming a clutter of books, piled willy nilly on shelves, bedside tables, coffee tables, and counters. In my world, all horizontal surfaces are there simply to stock with books. My wife wonders why I don't just use my library card, rather than bringing home more to add to the heaps. In spite of my doing just that, the stacks continue to grow – thank goodness I am a woodworker and am now building more bookcases! Cold comfort to my wife who fears an avalanche!

Both of my sons read, and if I only impart that skill to them, I can consider myself a good father, at least in my own mind! I have gone to homes that don't have books lying around and those places creep me out. I am starting to see that same reaction in my boys – more evidence of good parenting, eh?

In the end, for readers reading is second nature. For non-readers, it is an exercise that simply escapes them. I am not even sure that you can turn an inveterate non-reader into an avid reader – it seems that it is something you are trained to from an early age. Certainly, many of my library colleagues will disagree, but I have my suspicions. It is a real concern on the part of librarians that the future may bring fewer readers and libraries as we know them will disappear. I doubt it, myself. Just look at a true reader. One might suspect that even after they die, they will find a way to have a small light and a book in the grave with them. Imagine the overdue fines, though!