i left home at 17 yo. at the time, i squatted in my friends cramped basement and i didn't have a computer or a lamp or a clean flat surface to use as a desk. i needed light and space and internet and tools. the library gave me all those things, and more - for nothing. more important: the library and didn't judge me the way high school teachers did because i ran away from my abusive parents. i spent a lot of time in the little library at the end of the block; using computers to find work and studying to finish my homework after school. most important: the library was instrumental in helping me get my feet under me, learn about my depression and just gave me a safe space where i could think out my problems. the librarians and custodial staff treated me with the same respect as a parent or a senior citizen. they listened to me and provided me with the internet resources and books and newspapers and publications i needed to get to the next step. even today, libraries still feel like where i grew up, like my first apartment or my first job - my adopted family. for a teenager who was lost and suffering and had no foundation, it was home. i heard about libraries closing in my neighborhood and became a big donor to keep them alive.
