“Libraries are awesome,” says Heather Kaminsky. She and her husband Kurtis have been donating to the Library for more than five years.
They frequently visit the Louise Riley location with their four-year-old son. One of their fondest memories as a family is when their child got his very first card. He was less than a week old.
“We come here on a regular basis. He picks and chooses which books he wants to take home,” describes Kurtis. His son likes books about dinosaurs, and when asked about his favourite thing in the Library, he immediately mentions the computer.
Heather and Kurtis originally donated to the Library Foundation on an annual basis, but decided to switch to monthly giving because it provides reliable support for Library services.
“I really think that the Library provides such a foundation for community. Everybody can come, and they don’t have to pay for a membership. That’s awesome,” explains Heather. She wants to make sure this service continues.
Kurtis notes the importance of “curated knowledge.” From his perspective, while the Internet offers a lot of sources of information, there are still some obstacles, and libraries help overcome them.
“One of the barriers is knowing how to find what you want. That’s what people in libraries are trained to do. Their skills serve a purpose.”
Both share the vision of living in a more literate society. They’ve heard that the ongoing economic crisis is resulting in cuts to library budgets in other provinces, and they don’t want to see the same thing happen in Calgary.
Heather believes that libraries provide hope, inspiration and increase culture in a community—which, combined, are a driving force for the economy.
“If you have a literate, inspired, creative and connected community, you will have a healthy economy.”
At the same time, she and her husband want their children to see the Library as a fun place to spend time and learn, which makes their connection to it even stronger.
– Story by Alicia Barreto Jaime
