Sustainability is the concept of making things last, Sedona Public Library Director David Keeber said.

Sustainability is the concept of making things last, Sedona Public Library Director David Keeber said.

“It’s an important topic,” Keeber said.

Which, according to Keeber, is why the library and Sustainable Arizona created the Sustainability Resource Center.

“The library, being an information center, makes it a logical choice [location],” Keeber said.

In mid-December, the library opened the new area of reference for Sedona residents.

Now, the library’s search engines produce hundreds of titles when the keyword “sustainable” is typed into the system.

“We’ve put an awful lot of energy into building the collection,” Keeber told residents who gathered for a sustainability presentation at the library Dec. 13.

Keeber worked with Sustainable Arizona — a group dedicated to conservation of resources — to develop the center.

The center includes books and information boards on sustainability topics such as water and energy conservation.

Funding came from Greater Sedona Community Foundation and Yavapai Community Foundation grants.

Sustainability faces two challenges, according to Keeber. One, sustainability is a huge topic. Two, it’s a relatively new concept in the United States.

The center addresses these issues by providing a vast array of resources on sustainability topics to educate Sedona residents, according to Keeber.

In addition to the collection of books and information boards, Sustainable Arizona created a Web site — www.sustainablearizona.org.

According to John Neville, Sustainable Arizona president, the site’s purpose is to engage the community in dialogue about sustainability issues.

The site is set up so registered users can post comments and read those posted by others.

“We want to get input from you on what’s of interest,” Neville said at the Dec. 13 meeting.

Sustainable Arizona’s Web site also links users to other informational and sponsor sites while offering tutorials on sustainability issues.

Keeber said the library intends to offer regular community events and displays on sustainability.

Sedona’s library is striving to create a model partnership with Sustainable Arizona, Keeber said.

Which, he said, will hopefully encourage other libraries in the state to do the same.