Time to tee it up for the 4^th Annual Phoenix Public Library Foundation Golf Challenge!  Last year, we set a record with participants and money raised for the library and with our new exciting central location – Papago Golf Course – I can’t imagine what an amazing event we will have this year.  There will be mulligan grab bags, contests, awards and prizes.  The weather should be beautiful, the views are spectacular, and let’s admit it, driving around a golf cart is fun in and of itself.  I don’t even know how to play golf and this is one of the best fundraisers I attend all year!  For more information and to sign up, please visit our website at www.phxlibrary.dojiggy.com.   This great event takes place on Saturday, April 30, 2011….mark your calendars!

This Thanksgiving there are many things for which to be thankful.  My family, my friends and my opportunities are just a few to name.  I also give thanks for my Library.  My Library reaches each of these in a meaningful way.  I share fun, enriching learning experiences with my family at the Library when we explore the books on the shelves and the areas in which they are kept.  I enjoy good commodore with my friends in helping raise funds for the Library as a member of the Phoenix Public Library Foundation.  I can visit the Library to take advantage of the amazing opportunities it holds – computer literacy classes, ESL classes, art exhibits, free Internet access, books, music, movies and so much more.  The Library is a pillar in the community, enhancing each community with its beautifully crafted architecture and standing strong for its patrons.   We should all be thankful for the services that the Library brings to the community every day.

Once again, this  annual event was a smashing success.  Guests mingled over cocktails while browsing and bidding on a number of spectacular items ranging from artwork to jewelry and autographed books.  Proceeds from this event will benefit the new Digital Studio at the Burton Barr Library – just one more way in which the Phoenix Public Library contributes to our community.  If you’ve not attended this event before, you’ll want to get on the guest list for 2011.  This is an event you’ll not want to miss!

It is a typically hot summer day in Tatum Ranch as I approach the metal walkway to the Desert Broom Branch of the Phoenix Public Library.  Like many libraries, the architecture has a modern feel to it and the metal walkway clangs under my feet like a gong announcing my arrival.  My husband and I have only lived here for a short time, but this library branch already induces feelings of familiarity and home.

Upon entering the library, I go about my regular tasks.  I return books, and hit the hold shelf for anything my husband and I have requested from another branch. I will peruse the DVD selection and the new books that have been set out on eye-catching displays.  I might also hit the online catalog even though I probably already did this from home.  I love to see all the parents and children entering and the piles of children’s books being lugged in and out of the building.  It is a sure sign to me that print books will continue to stay with us for a long time to come.

The automated checkout center is my last stop before leaving, I love the ease of use and the almost magical way the machines can checkout multiple items at once with the RFID tags that grace each item.  I can’t help but smile when other patrons around me are amazed by the technology.  The air is always filled with a special kind of busy, quiet energy that is unique to this special place.

Individually, and since we married, my husband and I have lived in many different places, but no matter where we go, the library always becomes part of home.  We know we can rely on the library to serve our reading, education, and entertainment needs and we take pride in the fact that public libraries everywhere help patrons learn computer skills, search for jobs, and even provide  tax forms.  The myriad of books, DVDs, and other materials  are always there to help introduce our children to the wonderful world o reading, and provide hours of entertainment for nothing more than the tax dollars they already spent by the community and the gracious hearts of those individuals who donate their time and money to groups like the Phoenix Library Foundation.

As I walk back down that metal walkway toward my car, I am always excited to use the materials I have checked out and my heart is filled with appreciation for the Desert Broom Branch.  I know the librarians, staff, and volunteers at Desert Broom will faithfully serve their patrons for years to come and continue be a quiet and humble blessing to all who walk through the doors.  Consider visiting your local library branch soon and experience the magic.