The Sedona Public Library is well on its way to being even more of a community gathering space as renovations continue at their West Sedona branch and the expansion of its Village of Oak Creek branch into its own building.
SPL has been a staple in the community for decades but now they hope to serve even more residents.
Expanding Campus
“We are projecting that the courtyard/patio will be completed in late August. We hope to have a grand opening for the completed patio in the fall,” Sedona Public Library Director Judy Poe said. “The courtyard will be an expanded space for much of what happens inside the library. It will be a place for people to read, study, work online, have a meeting, or simply meet a friend and share a brown bag lunch. We’re creating a library campus.”
After these renovations at the West Sedona location, the 18,500-square-foot area will be complete with 10,000 square feet of pavement for concerts, events and of course, reading.
The patio will also include a fire pit, a strong Wi-Fi signal and ample seating with shade. With this expansion, indoor programming will have the option for outdoor components, especially for events like Entomology for Kids or the Sedona Car Club.
Inside the West Sedona library, updates are going on for more seating, charging stations and state-of-the-art technology in the community rooms.
“Updates inside the library so far are small, but meaningful, as the board of trustees continues to negotiate contracts with contractors, consultants, etc., for bigger renovation endeavors,” Poe said.
Branching Off
Last fall, the SPL location in the Village of Oak Creek hosted its grand opening. Since then, SPL has seen a rise in excitement for the library all over the Village.
“Sedona Public Library in the Village has been fantastically successful. There has been lots of continued positive feedback from Villagers and people who live in West Sedona,” Poe said. “We have seen a lot of new users each month, and checkouts and computer usage is definitely way up.”
After acquiring rented space in the Big Park Community School from the Sedona Oak-Creek School District, the 4,000-square-foot building provided a space for SPL to serve the VOC community better with a larger collection of books, computers and extended hours. This summer, SPL will complete its Javelina Room which will have the capacity to hold 80 guests for theater-style events.
Specifically, nongovernmental nonprofit groups like Sedona Village Partnership and Big Park Regional Coordinating Council look forward to using this room for their regular meetings. Movie nights, live music events and author talks will also be possible with this addition.
Although SPL had a service center in the VOC, the library rented smaller spaces in the area. With their own space, the full-time staff can provide more services and programming to the VOC.
New Programs
It’s not just the buildings that are changing for SPL.
“Strengthening a sense of community is reflected in all that we have done and are doing, not only in the bricks and mortar changes but in our programs,” Poe said. “We are in the process of developing a community-wide collaboration to bring facilitated conversations into the library and give the public an opportunity to discuss tough, local topics in a safe and guided environment.”
Some of these programs include more kids and teen activities and events, like Story Time for Families with Miss Marcia. Adults programs are also reaching more in the community with English as a Second Language class, technology assistance by appointment and scheduled notary appointments.
