Welcoming Me Home

My move to Tillsonburg four years ago was, for me, also a move back to Canada after I’d lived and worked in the United States for eight years.

One of the first things I did after arriving was get a library card. It’s always one of the first things I do when I settle somewhere new; it makes me feel part of the community. At that time, because of the public health restrictions in effect, new library cards had to be applied for online and delivered to patrons via curbside service. I remember the library staff that handled my card application at the Tillsonburg Branch; his name was Ryan. He also helped me with documents I needed to print in colour, something which I couldn’t do at home but was necessary for some of my relocation paperwork. Ryan’s resourcefulness and encouraging manner made a positive impression on me. I knew the library was there to help me.

When the Tillsonburg Branch fully reopened that summer, I visited the library regularly to find information about the community and about local history. I really appreciated the library’s welcoming atmosphere; I felt I could depend on it for just about anything that I needed. It's four years later, and now I work there.

Congratulations to the OCL on its 60th anniversary!