I am delighted to share this brief article of services and activities that the Page Public Library, located in Page, Arizona, provides to the residents in the surrounding area. Debbie Winlock, Library Manager, was gracious in providing a summary of how the library has engaged its community members and organizations so effectively. Though small in size, the Page Public Library has mighty aspirations and is a winning example for other libraries!
Debbie Winlock, Library Manager, Page Public Library, Page, Arizona
The Page Public Library is honored to receive Library Journal’s Best Small Library in America 2023 Award; it’s an even greater honor to be chosen out of so many other small libraries that also play a vital role in their community. The Page Public Library has raised the profile of the library as a community hub in the Page-Lake Powell area by actively reaching out to library users as well as potential users through both on-site and off-site innovative outreach programs.
Page, Arizona, is located in a remote area on the border of Northern Arizona and Southern Utah, adjacent to the Navajo Reservation. The library serves a variety of regional and rural patrons from Page, Bitter Springs, Marble Canyon, LeChee, Greenehaven, Kaibito, Arizona, and Big Water, Utah. The nearest city close to Page is located over 132 miles away. Despite the rural location of the Page Public Library, staff and volunteers have worked hard to create cooperative partnerships with local and nonlocal libraries, businesses, and organizations to provide the most up-to-date and utilizable resources possible.
The library has also developed several programs to reach out to the neighboring Navajo Reservation patrons, many of whom do not have access to computers, internet, or other forms of modern technology. The library serves a high percentage of Native American students who benefit from programming. The Page Public School District, an active Library partner, reports that its current student population is comprised of over 70% of Navajo students. Programs that directly benefit this otherwise underserved minority audience include the Library’s Mobile Laptop Program, Computer Training Classes, Literacy Program, Classes, and Summer Reading Program.
Events and activities are scheduled every day of the year to inspire and involve the community. A Teen Advisory Group helps plan and coordinate many of the afterschool and community outreach programs, and The Friends of the Page Public Library group helps coordinate volunteers as well as providing financial assistance for many of the programs. The Library’s events and activities included a Glen Canyon Lecture Series lecture, Movies and Family Games in the Park, Internet Safety Class for Parents, after-school crafts, Baby/Toddler Story Time, Classic Movie and popcorn, Teen after-school games, Family Night, Basic Email Class, Oculus activity, Friends of the Library Book Sale, Teen “Shaking the Stacks” Dance, adult weekly Craft, Scrapbooking Workshop, Pumpkin Carving, Teen, child, and adult After Hours Nerf Wars, and a Trunk or Treat. This list of activities, implemented by a staff of only nine, reflects the types and variety of programs provided for the community throughout the year.
A continuous outreach program directly benefiting the Page-Lake Powell community includes an offsite book loan program. Books are rotated frequently and are located throughout the community in places such as the Page Senior Center and local businesses to encourage reading, develop new Library users, and provide books to people who may not be able to get to the library. Indigenous Day Celebration is celebrated every year in the city park; it includes Native American dancing and singing: Native American Unity School Clubs from across Arizona participate, guest speakers, Native American Crafts and Jewelry vendors make this event a huge success.
The library also reaches out to new users through school open houses, teacher conferences, various community events, radio/newspaper advertising, a tutoring program, computer, and technology classes, resumé writing and job application workshops, an annual job fair sponsored by the library, Coconino Community College, over 400 people attend the Job fair and 40+ businesses from around the County participate. Staff are encouraged and required to take professional development training classes regularly to keep up-to-date knowledge on new technologies and services for their community.
The library partners with local nonprofit organizations such as the Powell Museum and Glen Canyon Conservancy on several major outreach programs including the Lake Powell Oral History Project, Page Newspaper Project, Glen Canyon Lecture Series, and in the past the annual Powell Symposium. The library has been crucial in providing leadership and financial support, as well as providing volunteers and staff for these important community programs. The Lake Powell Oral History Project was started in the 1970s to collect and preserve oral histories from local Page residents and important people of the Page-Lake Powell community. Approximately, 90 interviews have been collected by the Library and Powell Museum staff. In conjunction with this project, the Museum and Library are also partnered to bring together a complete collection of Page newspapers from 1958 through the present day.
The Glen Canyon Lecture Series and Powell Symposium allow the Page-Lake Powell community the opportunity to explore a wide variety of topics in a social setting and learn from professional presenters who are experts in their field. These programs serve a broad audience of all ages and backgrounds, including members of the Utah, Arizona, and nearby Navajo Reservation communities, and visitors to the Page-Lake Powell area. The Lecture Series attracts an average audience of approximately 55 people to each of our monthly programs.
Because Page is in a remote area, it can be difficult for community members to travel long distances to do research or receive professional training. The library works with other organizations to bring in Parenting classes for adult and Teen parents, CPR and First Aide training, etc. During tax season, it provides free tax preparation for anyone needing assistance on filing their taxes.
Not only does the Page Public Library work hard to develop and implement these important community outreach programs but they also help secure the necessary funding to make programs a reality. The library’s innovative approach to traditional problems includes a basic philosophy that “everyone’s job at the library is as important as the next.” The library cross-trains its small staff to improve productivity and provide the best possible public service. The Page Public Library reaches out to every audience member it can, developing interesting, current, and appropriate programs to engage the regional community daily.