In Jamaica, I had family responsibilities and I only got to grade three in school. As time went by, I taught myself to read a bit, but not enough to do the things that I wanted to do. My husband and children always helped me out. I felt sad and ashamed because I was the mother, so I should be helping my children with their reading and writing homework – not the other way around!

One day, in 2002, I was out with my daughter in the Downsview library branch and she noticed a program flyer. It was for an Adult Literacy program sponsored by the Toronto Public Library. We both went downstairs and met Tina, the program co-ordinator. I told her that, even though I was 60 years old, I wanted to read books and to fill out my own forms and to write my own messages… I really wanted to be independent.

For the past few years, I’ve been working with a tutor named Lil. She has helped me become a much better reader and writer. I am lucky because my family has really supported me, as Lil and Tina have done. I feel really good that I can read a menu now and that I can choose my own food. I can write greetings in birthday cards, instead of just signing my name. I can take buses and subways almost anywhere in the city now because I can read signs and directions. Learning to read and write made me feel strong enough to get my Canadian citizenship.

My children did very well in school. They tell me that I am a role model for them because I never give up. They see what learning has done for me. My youngest daughter is training for her degree as a registered nurse and my youngest son is in fashion school. My granddaughters are in university and in college.

I never would have thought that I could be where I am today. Thank God that I came to the literacy program and that I had the courage to change my life. Everything is so much easier now because I can read and write!

- Hortense McCarthy, Library User

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I grew up in a rougher part of Toronto. When teens around me joined gangs, I found a safe space at the Library. My friends and I joined the Youth Advisory Group and a Librarian gave me advice about how to live a better life.

- George Macharashvili, Library Page and User

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In India, I worked as a teacher for 10 years. When I came to Canada, finding work in my field was not easy. The Library’s settlement services program connected me with volunteer experience and courses that helped me get re-accredited. It changed my life.

- Vidhu Malhorta, Teacher and Library User

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In my seventies, I learned how to use the computer and Internet for free at the Library. Using my new skills, I wrote a memoir of my life in China using Library computers. I am proud to be able to share my family history.

- Jim Ng, Library User

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As a child, I struggled with reading and writing. My mother enrolled me in the Leading to Reading program and it changed my life. In high school, I volunteered as a program tutor and gained valuable experience that helped me get accepted into teacher’s college.

- Magda Socha, Teacher and Library User
 

We didn’t have a lot of money growing up. We came to Canada when I was a young girl, over 80 years ago and I have been a Library patron ever since. My mom was a single parent, working hard to support us in a new country, with little time left to spend with me and even less money to spend on books.

As a newcomer to Canada, I felt alone and isolated – and then I discovered the public library! It opened up worlds to me and provided my own private oasis in a new and unfamiliar home. I was fortunate to have met a wonderful librarian who took me under her wing and introduced me to the myriad of worlds that books could offer.

I’ll never forget how vital the Library was to me when I was young and alone in a new city. It saved my life. I continue to be amazed by the power of books to transform lives. My library experience led me to become a writer, a mother who has imparted a love of libraries to her children, and a lifelong library supporter.

- Helen Weinzweig, Library User and Donor

The Library is an astonishing resource. When we started Opera Atelier 20 years ago, we didn't have the finances to conduct research internationally as often as we wished. It was a surprise to discover that an enormous amount of the study we wished to conduct in Europe, could effectively be undertaken here in Toronto. At the Reference Library, we researched repertoire and developed business plans. I love the Library and its work to support businesses and the arts in the city.

- Marshall Pynkoski, Co-founder, Opera Atelier
 

As an artist, the Library’s Picture Collection at the Toronto Reference Library has always been a source of inspiration. I’ve created pieces for Maclean’s, New Yorker, Time, and Rolling Stone – and many of my best ideas were sparked at the Library.

- Anita Kunz, Artist
 

As an aspiring writer, the Library was a great place to hang out in – to do research, find ideas, work on a manuscript and also to get shut eye. I’m still an avid user and I’m proud to support all great things that the Library does.

- Paul Quarrington, 2008 Canada Reads winner and Library user
 

Connecting young people with great books, film, music and one another is such rewarding work. Every day I see the impact of our programs on youth whether they're inspired to write poetry, organize concerts or volunteer for our Youth Advisory Groups. Through this work, the Library is helping to build a better future for Toronto.

- Lisa Heggum, Youth Collections Librarian
 

Through partnerships, the Library fosters strong communities. Working with the Library and U of T's Centre for Community Partnerships, Frontier College is supporting the academic learning needs of children and youth in Toronto’s 13 priority neighbourhoods.

- Sherry Campbell, President, Frontier College