Janet Fabio and Virginia Bynum
Do you know there are three libraries in SaddleBrooke, but all operating as one library system? Each library is unique, but all offer a collection of fiction, non-fiction, paperbacks and large print books.
The DesertView Library located in the DesertView Theatre and Sports Building has the largest collection. It is the only one of the libraries that has a collection of videos. You can choose from about 1000 titles and borrow them at no charge for up to seven days. DesertView Library is the only one that has a collection of children’s books and videos. And it is the only library that has the Southwest collection with a broad range of useful information, such as desert gardening, hiking guides, Arizona history, Native American arts and more.
Located in the SaddleBrooke Clubhouse, the SB1 Library is the oldest of the three libraries, but that doesn’t mean its collection is old. Check out the new paperbacks purchased recently, the expanded collection of large print books, the collection of Pulitzer Prize winning titles as well as this library’s unique collections of cozy mysteries and books by local authors and Westerns.
The Cholla Library in the MountainView Clubhouse is the only library that operates on the honor system and is fully accessible whenever the clubhouse is open. Though the collection is small the Cholla Library is heavily used and loans out about 1000 books each month. This is the only one of the libraries that has magazine subscriptions, a travel book exchange, classics and where you are more likely to find older titles by popular authors.
There are about 75 volunteers who staff our libraries, buy, catalog and process books, manage the libraries, review donated books, etc. At the DV Library alone there are ten volunteers who work behind the scenes. Our three libraries are fully managed and staffed by volunteers. We could not operate our libraries without them.
Last year the SaddleBrooke Libraries loaned out nearly 66,000 items and purchased 1726 new items. During an average week we receive about 100 donated books which expand the scope of our collection at minimal cost. Did you know that at any given time about 50% of the new books are out on loan? Can you guess the busiest day of the week? Saturdays and Mondays are running a close race for that title. What is the most checked out movie? The Grand Budapest Hotel. Can you guess the most popular author in our collections? It’s David Baldacci.
There is a new URL for the library catalog: http://webopac.infovisionsoftware.com/saddlebrooke/. But the features are the same. There are just over 10,000 books, videos and audio books listed in our library catalog and you can reserve and renew any of them easily from your home. If you need assistance with any of the catalog features just call one of the libraries or ask a library volunteer.