By Jill L.
Libraries influenced my life from a very young age. My parents, both teachers, were dedicated patrons of our local public library in Livonia, MI. I systematically worked my way through the fiction and non-fiction collection; the beginning of a life-long love of reading.
As my parents grew older they learned to use a computer at the library and relied on the health and wellness resources available there. After a lifetime of faithful library use, my father reconnected with the Livonia Public Library in a way that changed his life when he was 76 years old. My mother had passed away and visiting the library became the highlight Dad’s week. He loved to sit and read near the fireplace (an early example of place making) . He browsed the large print and magazine collections and, with assistance, surfed the web. He loved to explore the reference collection and he was delighted to discover a broad selection of Westerns in the fiction section. The staff and his fellow patrons (some of them his former students) recognized him. These were his “people” and he felt at home there: a vivid example of the profound importance of community. I will be forever grateful to the talented staff and patrons of the Livonia Public Library.Air Jordan 1