A comment I recently overheard gave me pause for thought: “What has a program on “bicycle repair” got to do with libraries?” “Everything”, I say. “It's all about lifelong learning”. One of my favourite quotes is Einstein's pithy aphorism: “Once you stop learning, you start dying.” He was also the guy who described himself as having no special talent, just that he was “passionately curious.” As a senior on a fixed income myself, I totally get that any talk of tax increases can be scary, but with the infrastructure deficit which hangs over most, if not all, municipalities in Canada, we face the prospect of absolutely nothing new being built that does not incur a greater contribution from the taxpayers. That's why I'm bound and determined to make the most of my library membership. During the past year alone I've learned about co-housing, a relatively new concept for North America; I've accompanied my son (my executor) to a workshop on the executor's role; I've 'travelled' to the Galapagos, and listened to award-winning authors speak about the creative process, not to mention the scores of books and movies I've been able to borrow. I look forward, with passionate curiosity, to many more years of lifelong learning, thanks to the wonderful services provided by the St. Albert Public Library. Rachel Vincent, St. Albert
