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The San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation lies in the Arizona desert east of Phoenix. Once the home of Geronimo, and a site of many of the frustrations and disappointments common to Native American history, the reservation is isolated (the nearest town, Globe, AZ, is 22 miles away) and struggling economically. Its population of 11,700 faces high unemployment and a variety of social problems. In November of 2002 Library Manager Yvonne Carla Logan (people call her “Carla”) arrived on the scene. She found herself in charge of a small, disorganized, neglected library very much in need of change if it was to fulfill its potential as a valued contributor to its community.

Carla's first task was to address an immediate and pressing set of problems: an out-of-date and mostly uncatalogued collection, a board in need of development, and a library building in disrepair. After several months she had made significant progress on building up the library's collection, putting board policies and procedures in place, and making the library a more welcoming place with a new paint job, new shelving, and a circulation counter. The library's status in the community had already improved—but there's only so much one person can do! Carla realized that further forward progress would require additional help. Through a Gates Sustainability grant, she was able to add a part-time staff person, Cedric Hendricks.

One of the major community needs that Carla had not been able to meet on her own was making better use of the library's four Gates-granted computers. Many in the San Carlos community are very uncomfortable with computers. Some of the older citizens have been afraid even to touch one. The disconnect stemmed from anxiety about doing something wrong or breaking a computer and a fear of being overwhelmed by having to learn too much, too quickly. It would be up to Cedric to provide technology support in a way that would really work for this community. Fortunately, he had received training as a Tribal Community Technician through the Gates Native American Access to Technology Program, and his deep love of technology fueled much additional self-study. Samanthi Hewakapuge of Sri Lanka, an intern at the University of Arizona's School of Information Resources and Library Science, gave Cedric invaluable help.

The first step was to put people into face-to-face contact with Cedric. He and Carla organized a one-week open house, and they put the word out by posting fliers everywhere and placing advertisements (including Cedric's picture) with the local weekly paper and the cable channel. To increase interest, they gave away donated door prizes every three hours all week. The open house made quite a splash in San Carlos—and more importantly, a large number of people had a chance to meet Cedric and see how he would be able to help them.

The strategy worked. People love the personalized attention and help they get from Cedric; they admire the fact that he is largely self-taught (“if he can do it, then maybe so can I”); and his delightful personality and his willingness to work with people at their own pace has ensured his success. Library use has skyrocketed, from 55 visits per day to over 100! The fundamental improvements made by Carla, together with her creative use of Cedric's unique gifts, has transformed the San Carlos library into something really special.

Together Carla and Cedric created a range of service offerings. They have partnered with a six-week youth employment program, in which a group of 15 to 30 students focuses on job search skills (including interviewing and resume creation). Since the classes were being held at the library, it was easy for Carla and Cedric to have “Introducing the Library” and “Computer Skills” sessions added. Each year the library's “Children's Book Week” offers an opportunity for reading-story hours complete with funny hats and face paint. A five-week summer reading program includes Apache literature, making it a hit with both kids and their elders.

In addition to Cedric, Carla had another valuable ally: Library Board member Rebecca Swift, a tribal member with an MLS who is Outreach Librarian for the Undergraduate Services Team at the University of Arizona Library.  Rebecca has been a staunch supporter of San Carlos Public Library, a mentor and constant source of support and inspiration for Carla.   Though Rebecca lives in Tucson, she makes the effort to travel back to San Carlos to offer whatever support is needed.

But the story doesn't stop there. Cedric was on a one-year grant, and if he and Carla wanted to continue their success they would have to find a way to come up with additional funds. Fortunately Cedric has a way with numbers, and he had been carefully collecting statistics on who was using the computers, broken down by demographics. After putting together a PowerPoint presentation based on this information, he and Carla approached the board and got their approval— using the same presentation to secure another year of funding—and were then invited to use the same presentation yet again to tell the library's success story at the Arizona Library Association. When they showed it to the tribal council, the response was astounding, with applause and many complements. The presentation has become a point of pride for the people of San Carlos, giving the library credibility and “a place at the table” in the community. And they have since been invited to give the presentation at several other state library conventions.

Because of just two staffers—one of them part-time—and an enthusiastic board member, the San Carlos Reservation is getting the library it needs and deserves. Carla Logan and Cedric Hendricks are using their ideas and enthusiasm to make the Arizona desert bloom.

You can reach Carla Logan at carlalogan01@yahoo.com and Cedric Hendricks at cedric_hendricks@yahoo.com , or contact the San Carlos Public Library at 928-475-2611.