‘A Friend of the Library’

Eleven-year-old Esandi Babaranda loves Calgary’s libraries. She has been visiting libraries weekly for the past four years, ever since her family moved to Calgary from Vancouver.

Esandi goes to Crowfoot Library, in the city’s northwest, most often. “It’s beautiful here,” she says.

It’s hard for Esandi to pick her favourite thing about Crowfoot Library, because there is so much she likes to do.

She enjoys reading, especially the Magic Tree House and Dragon Masters series. Her preferred reading nook at Crowfoot Library reminds her of the comfy leather couch she likes to read on at home.

“I like that you can read quietly in those little cubicles,” Esandi says. “It’s my little secret hideout.” She also loves to play at the Library.

“The best thing here is the family zone. I spend time with my brother, dad, and mom, making puzzles, playing on the play structures, and participating in Library activities,” she says.

Esandi’s six-year-old brother Warun likes playing games on the play structure, joining Library programs, and reading books. Their father Lanka is also a big fan of libraries. Originally from Sri Lanka, he appreciates that Calgary’s libraries are about much more than books.

“There’s tremendous opportunities here, for connecting with people, for joining programs,” he says. He has joined a Toastmasters club that meets at Crowfoot Library and taken online classes with Gale Courses.

Esandi also gets weekly visits from the Library to her elementary school, thanks to the Book Truck.

Esandi likes that she can return books she checked out from Crowfoot Library to the Book Truck, or sign out new books inside the mobile Library.

Crowfoot Library is also a good place to study for school, Esandi says. Sometimes she studies at home using Solaro, an online Library resource that has course lessons, reviews, and practice tests. “It’s helped me lots,” she says.

For Esandi, the Library is like a good friend. “I’m proud to be a friend of the Library,” she says.

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