Renewing more than books

Happy Black Friday! Hopefully you are relaxing with family and friends, enjoying yummy leftovers after a strenuous hike along a gorgeous red rock trail, or maybe you’re going out shopping or making your holiday lists. No matter how you spend this weekend and the start of the holiday season, please remember that Giving Tuesday is just around the corner, and Sedona Public Library will launch its end of year campaign with a $40,000 matching gift!

That’s right, starting on Tuesday, November 29, your gifts will be matched dollar for dollar up to $40,000 thanks to several committed library donors. And why would they do this you ask? Because these are folks who know that our return on investment is impressive, and that at Sedona Public Library, we renew so much more than books.

 Perhaps you heard about our new 18,000 square foot courtyard with a 10,000 square foot patio? This outdoor space includes the Friends Fire Circle, a stage, ample comfy seating, then, of course, there’s the views, and last but not least, there’s the quick connection to the best bookstore in town! Come on by, pick up your holds, enjoy reading on the sunny patio, then do some holiday shopping at the bookstore. When you support your library, your library gives back!
 

Maybe you heard about the new Village Library? We just celebrated the first anniversary, and we’re proud to say that we’ve issued 350 new library cards, patrons have checked out over 33,000 items, and hundreds of people have enjoyed our collection, meeting rooms, furnished patios, and the regular children’s programs including Story Time and Toy Potluck. That little service center that we offered in the Village of Oak Creek for decades? It served its purpose for the community, but a bigger, better, full-service library in the Village was long overdue. So, we “renewed” it with a whole new location! Your dollars make it possible for us to do all that we do!

Looking for computers or Wi-Fi? We have them. Can’t get in to look up a title? No worries, use the YLN App on your phone to access over a million movies, books, magazines, eBooks, and audiobooks, place your hold, and we’ll let you know when it’s in. Not enough to wow you? We’ve got more.
 
The Library is at your fingertips with RBDigital where you can find hundreds of magazines and eBooks; with Kanopy where you can stream thousands of films; and with Libby (Overdrive) where you’ll find thousands of eBooks and audio books. We never stop improving and growing with you and working to make our services and resources meet your needs. We renew your items, and we renew all that we offer to keep it up to date, fresh, and easily available.
 
If you need help learning English, or want to refresh your Spanish, we’re the place. Are you looking for an outdoor library? Visit Storywalk at Sunset Park. If you want to discuss a new book or join a local writers’ salon, if you want to learn Microsoft Word or basic computer skills, if you want to view local quilts, geology, artwork, and exhibits, come on by!
 
We have librarians that can lead you where you want to go. To a new trail or an old friend. To a guitar class or a terrific pie. Whether you’re checking social media, or looking for a hotel, we can get you to the right websites. Need a poem, a template, or to refresh your resume? Looking for free tickets to an Arizona museum? Are you beginning a genealogy search? We have answers to your questions, and if we don’t know the answers, we know how to find them.
 
We are here to help you find what you need. A place to charge your phone? Done. The new musical with that special song? Done. An obscure novel from a faraway library? Done. Storytelling to inspire young readers? In Spanish or English? Done!
 
We offer the community a myriad of possibilities. We have a vast array of diverse programs, a robust collection, fun and knowledgeable staff, a beautiful old building, and some of the most accommodating and affordable room rentals in the area. When you make a gift to the Library, you invest in the entire community and Sedona’s future. The return on your investment? Excellent. Just wait to see what we’ll do next.
 
So this holiday season, enjoy the food, the festivities, the fun, and most importantly your family and friends, and please consider giving to the heart of your community, Sedona Public Library, where your gifts will be doubled. Remember, we renew more than books!

Giving is easy at sedonalibrary.org/donate. Feel free to contact me for more information at amackler@sedonalibrary.org. Thanks, happy holidays, and happy reading!

​Sedona Public Library 
Library News Column for Nov 25, 2022 
Written by Anne Marie Mackler, Development Director