Let us know your story!
We want to hear about your personal connection to the library and how it shaped your life. We are collecting testimonials from people all over the community to highlight the importance of a local library and the valuable impact it has.
If you want to share your story, please fill out the form below. If you just want to help support the local library, please click here to make a donation.
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Hear Stories from the Community
When Nancy Sebastian asked me if I had any ideas about how to utilize a newly designated STEAM space at the library, I immediately thought of an Aviation Camp. Working in the industry, I was familiar with other programs using aviation as a basis for teaching kids a variety of science, technology and engineering concepts.
Nancy got a dozen middle school-aged kids signed up and last July the inaugural group of “Canby Eagles” met for three hours each day for one week. Nancy, Becky Breckenridge and I put together a curriculum that included a variety of guest speakers and hands-on projects that introduced the kids to a multitude of aviation careers and concepts. The highlight for me was when one girl came up to us at the end of camp and said, “I finally know what I want to be when I grow up…a Lifeflight Helicopter pilot!”
A library is so much more than a place to borrow books. The Canby Library is a center for learning, inspiration, community gathering and outreach. The STEAM room gives members of the Canby community a place to give and receive education and inspiration outside a traditional classroom.”
Jenny Hickman
When I entered university I simply wanted the grades and a diploma so I could get on with my career, but by the time I’d graduated I’d rediscovered my love for learning. After graduation I was free to set my own course, but like most twenty-somethings, I was struggling to make ends meet financially. The Canby Public Library allowed me to access all of the materials from all the libraries in Clackamas, Washington and Multnomah Counties! For Free!
Now that I’m more comfortable what I can’t afford is the space and time to store and organize all of the material I’d like to access and consume. Thankfully the library system does that all for me and much more effectively and efficiently than I could dream of.
In today’s fast paced, quickly evolving “knowledge economy”, lifelong learning is a must. But I’ve heard people ask why we need libraries when we have the internet? The internet is a great resource for the shallow gathering of facts, but knowledge requires context and in depth thinking, often from materials (books, CDs, DVDs, etc.) that aren’t available for free on the internet.
It’s possible (though doubtful) that I might have enjoyed the same financial success without our library system, but I would’ve lived a much poorer life.”
Jon Dragt
I did not grow up being a frequent user of the library nor in a household that advocated reading. However, the library has turned out to be such an important part of my life. You see, I’ve known my husband since we were in 7th grade and remember him always seeming to have a book with him. Whether it was a trip with our high school band or trips we took when we were young and first married, he had a book and he had a library card. He still spends quite a bit of time reading and his love of reading is something he made an important part of the lives of our children. I remember the ceremonial visit to the library when they each turned 3 years old to get their very first library cards and recall the cardboard box that they brought with them to transport their books back and forth. I watched them attend sleepovers at the library, field trips through the library and grow an absolute love for the library and for reading. This love stayed with them as they grew, went through school and on to college. They were very successful students and have gone on to be successful in many ways in their adulthood. I have no doubt that the library and their love of it contributed to the human beings they are today. Plus, they had a great dad who showed them what the world of reading and our public library could open for them!
I want other families and especially children to discover the library and what an important and beautiful part of life it can be for them and for their future. This is why I love the library.”
Janet Bailey
Canby Public Library Foundation Board Member
Vice President, Member Services – DirectLink
Why I love Libraries.
In 5th grade my family moved to a new home and neighborhood. With 5 siblings and a mother that didn’t drive, the nearby library was in walking distance to school and home. My summer goal was to read every book in alphabetical order listed under ‘young adult’. It made for a busy time and I spent many nights reading under the covers with a flashlight to achieve my goal, and I came pretty close. One of my favorite books was “A Girl of the Limberlost” by Gene Stratton-Porter.
The library became a spot that I could go to for adventure, knowledge, and was a source of information through the years that I lived at home. My daughter used the local library for the same reasons as well as a quiet spot and resource for school tutoring.
After retiring from a busy career in retail, I became an active volunteer at the Canby Public Library. My time was spent between the Friends of the Library and assisting in the development and creation of the Canby Public Library Foundation on which I still serve on the Board. The last 6 years have been busy with fundraising, marketing, and service for the Canby Library and I look forward to the continued success and patronage of the this landmark in the Canby community.”
Theresa Enderle
Board Member-Canby Public Library Foundation
Since I was a child and discovered the magic of books, the libraries in my schools and the towns I lived in, and the book mobiles I took my children to in their little wagon have held a place of wonlder in my heart. My high school years were spent at the main library in downtown Portland. It was my refuge, my sanctuary and my security. Growing up in the less than affluent areas of SE Portland, in a house full of 7 brothers I found my comfort spot in the quiet between the racks of books. I did my homework there, I studied the giant dictionary in the main entrance for my word of the day. I checked out not only books, but I checked out copies of famous works of art that I would take home and hang on the walls of a not so grand old house.
The Canby Public Library has become so very special to me because of the way our life and society has changed over the years. We can now look on an electronic device for books and information, but for me it does not take the place of the real storehouse of knowledge: the library with real live librarians that will answer my questions, that will show my grandchildren where to find a book they will like, or to present programs for all ages: teens, adults, youngsters and toddlers. I cannot check out artworks at our library, but I can see the works of current day artists on display every time I go into this sanctuary. I can even buy books there for myself and my grandkids and great grandkids in the Friends of the Canby Public Library Book Garden, the used book store selling donated items. For me, it truly is all at the library. The Canby Public Library has indeed become the place to be and be seen in Canby. I hope to see you there.”
Joyce Ares