I got Interviewed!

A few weeks back while downtown I discovered I had lost the book bag that hangs on the back of my wheelchair when I go to the library.  And it had two library books in it!  I frantically retraced my route along the block back to the library with no luck.  As I was asking the librarians if they had seen it, a kind young woman standing nearby said she thought she had seen it and offered to go looking for it.

Soon she was back with it (our main downtown is only one block long), and I got to meet an interesting lady who works for the town.  While I thanked her profusely for rescuing me, we got to chatting and eventually she asked if I'd like to be interviewed about my use of the library.  Of course I said yes!

So Friday was the interview and Mrs. F.G. kindly drove me downtown.  I had to go to the bank first; they still haven't got our credit cards sorted out six weeks after our accounts got hacked.  Then I rode across to the library and headed for the reading room to wait.  My interviewer arrived soon after.

We sat and chatted for an hour and a half about the importance of the library in the community, while listening to the loud voices of young children in the background.  I'm well aware that not everyone goes to the library, but books have always been an important part of our family, as well as my career.  When we were travelling across country with young children, the reward for good behaviour in the car was a trip to the next bookstore we found.

Today I love coming to the library both to sign out books (I always have at least one book on the go), and to visit the reading room where I catch up on magazines I otherwise would not see.  I'm particularly fond of reading Macleans, Canada's national news magazine.   And the librarians are always helpful, putting books in and out of my book bag, which I can't actually reach myself.

This library is where I feel myself part of the community.  It's free, it's totally accessible, and a bright airy space where you can get help if you need it.  I think the renovations to the old grocery store transformed it into a great public library, and of all the public facilities in town, it makes me feel connected.

The small news item based on ,y interview will appear in the magazine-style program listing the municipality puts out in the spring, covering all recreation programs in town.  And yes, the library is part of that, as the loud voices of the young children reminded us.

And here's an 'official portrait' to accompany the article!