Winnipeg Public Library Board

"I've been enjoying and exploring libraries since I was old enough to turn a page. When I was in high school, I became my hometown library board's first youth trustee to engage more young people with their library. I hope now to help continue to maintain Winnipeg libraries' vital role in bringing people in their communities closer together, and provide an unlimited source of knowledge and entertainment."

"I am an extensive user of the Winnipeg Public Libraries system, having borrowed and read dozens of books over the past few years that I would not otherwise have had access to. My relationship with WPL goes back to the late-1960s, when I would spend hours at the Windsor Park Library researching school projects or just reading for pleasure. I still enjoy the feel of a book in my hands, and I continue to find relevance and entertainment in classic novels that were published more than 200 years ago. I believe in the importance of public libraries to a community, and I joined the WPL Board as a way to contribute their ongoing success."

Why are libraries important to me? Because, growing up, we didn't have much and my mom - an avid reader - often made books and trips to the library a special occasion for me. It cost nothing, but meant everything. Ready access to free books and programming turned me into a prolific reader and gave me the tools to pass down that love of reading to my children. Without public libraries, there would be a big hole in our communities and a serious lack of resources for many of our members and their families. Libraries create opportunities.

From early on a love of reading was instilled as a core value in my family with books being the primary Christmas gifts. Therefore, as Jorge Luis Borges once said ""I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of a Library." In my first very cold Winnipeg winter, I found there is no place as warm to be at as the library. As a newcomer from Sudan, I had yet to learn skating and other winter pastimes. Therefore, books borrowed from my local and school library (Munroe) were the main entertainment. From learning how to bench press in the fitness magazines to HTML coding to understanding the inner workings of the Percy Jackson world the library was the portal of learning and fun. The library bulletin also served to alert the many opportunities present in the community. We regularly used the Kildonan East collegiate library as a meeting point during lunchtime. Here I learned how to play chess, made friends, and completed many a puzzle. In university and high school, the librarian was equal to the teacher for assisting with article retrieval and accessing resources to complete reports. The library is the center of knowledge for the community perhaps not only in the books it holds but rather in the people it brings together. The free and fast Wi-Fi allowed many group collaborations to occur. The most insightful and exciting conversations to have, I wager, will be at your local library.

"I have always enjoyed reading and going to the library. To me, the library was, and still is a place to learn and discover insights about ourselves and others. Library programming and services are excellent opportunities to engage in discussions and to gain cultural understanding and perspectives about our neighbourhood, city, province and world. To those from past generations who encouraged my love for reading, my hope is to do the same for the next generation!"

"I'm a life-long library user; a Winnipeg Public Library card in my own name was an early prized possession of mine! I have fond childhood memories of going through the stacks in search of books on every imaginable topic, and carrying out a large stack with me after each visit.

Today, as an academic, I depend on libraries for research and teaching resources, writing space, educational events and speakers -- and fiction for de-stressing, too! During these pandemic times, the library's e-book collection has become a particularly valued resource to me.

As a disabled person, I am especially interested in how libraries can be made more accessible to disabled users and others whose physical, sensory, and mental needs have not always been fully met. And as a settler committed to reconciliation, I also want to see Winnipeg's libraries become leading spaces of Indigenous knowledge-sharing and valued places of care and support for Indigenous members of our community."

Since a young age, I have always been a keen reader, and libraries have been and remain a valuable resource to me. Libraries provide resources and a safe space for many purposes including reading, internet access, learning, story time, and connecting with others.

During each of my library visits, I am reminded of how well our city's libraries foster social interaction and inclusivity by providing spaces where people from diverse backgrounds can gather and share perspectives and ideas. My local library provides much more than access to books or the internet; it hosts and facilitates story time reading, provides spaces for private tutoring, and gives out plants in the spring!

Drawing from my membership on the Board, I look forward to sharing with and promoting to other Winnipeggers the many resources and programs that our city libraries provide.

Libraries offer an essential learning environment for individuals of all ages, from the earliest readers, to trained academics. Books provide a way to think, and learn, and grow. But libraries are more than just a place to find a book. Winnipeg is enriched through its libraries as community spaces. Although I always left with a stack of books, some of my fondest childhood memories were of the wonderful programming that our libraries have to offer. These experiences helped shape my love for reading and create a lasting bond with the library as a cherished place of learning and imagination. I am grateful for the opportunity to give back to this wonderful city as a member of the WPL board.