Carnegie libraries visited: Phoenix (AZ), Yuma, Calexico
At the Camp Verde Community library in Arizona I ran into a librarian named Wendy. Although I began by asking her about the library, most of our conversation turned to alcoholism. I’m not sure how we got on this topic – it’s not usually a conversation starter, so I’m guessing that one of us noticed something about the other that opened up the this subject – yet once we did Wendy was eager to share the story of her own troubles and her deep concern about her son, who was also an addict. We parted ways with the hope that we might see each other again at the upcoming Public Library Association conference.
If by chance, say, maybe your radiator blew, although I don’t think that happens much anymore, and you find yourself in Camp Verde for a couple of days, the library offers lots in the way of entertainment. The library hosts meetings of a photography society (once monthly, so if you are there on the third Thursday of the month, you’re in luck) and a stamp club (first Mondays). “Music in the Stacks” are held on the second Thursday of each month for those who want to listen, and for those inclined to play open mics are held every week on Monday evening. You can even check out the PlayAway audio device, the all-in-one audiobook, so you can listen to whatever you want while you wait. And Camp Verde has so much more! Can’t miss events include the annual Corn Fest (hosted by Hauser and Hauser Farms) in July; the Pecan, Wine, and Antiques Festival in February; the Crawdad Festival (June); and the Fort Verde Days in October. Why not make it a vacation, and not just a place to repair your car: tourist attractions include the Montezuma Castle National Monument, the Fort Verde State Historic Park, the Verde Valley Archaeology Center. For the kids: the Out of Africa Wildlife Park. The Cliff Castle Casino (operated by the Yavapai-Apache Nation Indian tribe) is also there to unburden your wallet.
One of my favorite parts of this trip is viewing the sky above the libraries I photograph. Always changing; always amazing.
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