The goal of the Sedona Public Library, as the community library for Sedona and the Village of Oak Creek, is to provide access to library services, programs, and information to as many diverse communities as possible.
On any given day, our library has a myriad of programs going on, as well as non-profit, community groups in our main lobby doing outreach, notifying the public of what services they provide. Outreach is a big proponent when working at a library. It can be the library hosting those non-profits to help them get their word out to the public, or it can be librarians heading out to events to reach people who may not know all the amazing things that are going on at the library. Either way, it’s all about everyone knowing what’s going on in town and what services there are in the community for them to utilize.
I’ve known Roxana Cardiel since I started at this library, almost 3 years ago. As a member of the Northern Arizona Interfaith Council (NAICL), a group that works to build leadership for civic participation across lines of race, class, age, and religion, and organize for issues that advance the common good, she was meeting at the library regularly with members of the Hispanic Community to hear their comments and concerns.
Her dedication to community is commendable, and it’s been wonderful having her now on staff at the library as our Hispanic Community Outreach Librarian. As the roles of libraries grow and evolve, it’s people like Roxana who make working at this library a great place to be at for staff and a pleasure for patrons too!
Do say hello when you see her, and please take a moment to get to know Roxana Cardiel!
Where were you born? Phoenix, AZ
What was your first job? I was a tween for my first job. I would wake up around 4 am during the summers to be in the Phoenix fields by sunrise to help my parents. They did all the arduous work of crouching down and kneeling, tying up bunches of parsley, for example, as fast as they could, since they received payment per box. I followed with rubber bands to fill their rubber band holder as needed, to prepare boxes and other things to make their work a little easier. Our days were usually over by 1 pm since the heat was unbearable by that hour.
What book most influenced you and why? I am an avid reader, and dozens of books have influenced me. As a little girl, I spent the afternoons reading book after book. As an adult and a practicing Catholic, the Bible, with all its complexities, is what I regularly read, examine, reflect on, cite, and lean on for guidance in this incredible human experience. I am not an expert, yet the Bible, especially the stories of Jesus Christ and Moses, guides my understanding of loving one another and regularly challenges me to apply this commandment.
Are you on Team Dog or Team Cat and why? I am mostly Team Dog. I did not grow up connecting with animals, although I had the privilege of being around my grandparents’ farm in Mexico, where cows, chickens, pigs, cats, dogs, and mules lived. It is hard to believe that place no longer exists.
As I became a mother of four, my babies wanted a dog, and their wish was my command. We started with a feisty Chihuahua named Cacahuate, and now have two Shi Tzus, Tessa, and Ellie. These dogs show me unconditional love when I come home, momentarily erasing all my worries. The presence of these living, loving beings is a blessing.
Have you ever seen a ghost or a UFO? I do not think I have although I have dreamed about both, and I am glad I have not seen them in real life- I would have fainted! Yet, other living things have stronger senses than we do… something to ponder.
Any other information you’d like to share about yourself or what you do at the library? What did you do before you joined the library?
I am here to help strengthen the library’s ability to fulfill its mission, by being responsive to the community, helping the community to see the library as theirs, to gather, to connect, to learn, to grow, including the Spanish-speaking community. Please let me know how I can help make that happen by emailing me at rcardiel@sedonalibrary.org.
Spanish:
¿Dónde naciste? Phoenix, AZ
¿Cuál fue tu primer trabajo? Para mi primer trabajo me despertaba a las 4 de la mañana durante los veranos para estar en los campos de Phoenix al amanecer para ayudar a mis padres. Ellos hacían todo el trabajo duro de agacharse y arrodillarse, atar manojos de perejil, por ejemplo, lo más rápido que podían, ya que se les pagaba por caja. Yo los seguía con el gancho de ligas y llenaba el gancho como fuera necesario, preparaba cajas y lo que pudiera hacer para ayudarles. Nuestros días solían terminar a la 1 de la tarde por el calor insoportable a esa hora.
¿Qué libro te influyó más y por qué?
Me gusta leer y docenas de libros me han influido. Cuando era niña, pasaba las tardes leyendo libro tras libro. Como adulto y católica practicante, la Biblia, con todas sus complejidades, es lo que leo, examino, cito, sobre lo que reflexiono, y en lo que me apoyo regularmente para guiarme en esta increíble experiencia humana. No soy experta, sin embargo, la Biblia, especialmente las historias de Jesucristo y Moisés, guía mi comprensión de amarnos unos a otros y a diario me desafía a vivir este mandamiento.
¿Estás en el Equipo Perro o en el Equipo Gato y por qué?
Soy principalmente Equipo Perro. No crecí rodeada de mascotas, aunque tuve el privilegio de ir al rancho de mis abuelos en México, donde vivían vacas, pollos, puercos, gatos, perros y mulas. Es difícil creer que ese lugar ya no exista.
Cuando me convertí en madre de cuatro hijos, mis bebés querían un perro, y su deseo era mi voluntad. Comenzamos con un chihuahua tremendo llamado Cacahuate, y ahora tenemos dos Shi Tzu, Tessa y Ellie. Estos perros me muestran amor incondicional cuando llego a casa, borrando momentáneamente todas mis preocupaciones. La presencia de estos seres vivientes y amorosos es una bendición.
¿Alguna vez has visto un fantasma o un OVNI? No creo, aunque he soñado con ambos, y me alegro de no haberlos visto en la vida real, ¡me habría desmayado! Sin embargo, otros seres vivos tienen sentidos más fuertes que nosotros… algo para pensarse.
¿Alguna otra información que te gustaría compartir sobre ti o sobre lo que haces en la biblioteca? ¿A qué te dedicabas antes ser parte de la biblioteca?
Estoy aquí para ayudar a fortalecer la capacidad de la biblioteca de cumplir su misión, responder a la comunidad, y ayudar a la comunidad a ver la biblioteca como suya, para reunirse, para conectarse, para aprender, para crecer, y eso incluye a la comunidad de habla hispana. Por favor, hágame saber cómo puedo ayudar, envíeme un correo electrónico a rcardiel@sedonalibrary.org.
Sedona Public Library is an independently run, 501(c)(3), privately owned, debt-free, non-profit organization providing public services. Support comes from the City of Sedona; your property tax dollars from Coconino County; diminishing property tax dollars from Yavapai County, and businesses, foundations, and individuals like you, and the amazing Friends of the Sedona Library who have supported the Library for more than 55 years. Please visit us at sedonalibrary.org.
As published by Red Rock News
Library News Column for August 30, 2024
Written by Jan Marc Quisumbing, Scheduling Coordinator