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By Crystal Driedger

Every Monday morning I drive up to the Edmonton Public Library with my 18 month old son Dexter. Regardless of the weather, there is a crowd waiting for the door to open. When my son sees the library he lights up the same way he lights up when he sees Grandma’s house. He laughs, claps and starts making the ASL sign for “book.”

My name is Crystal Driedger and I run an illustration studio from my home, I’m an instructor at MacEwan University for final year Design & Illustration students and a full-time stay-at-home mom.

My love affair with the library started during my pregnancy, when I went there to find answers to questions I was too scared to ask my doctor, and later to research parenting books to calm my many parenting woes. I love my son more than I had ever anticipated I would, but when my husband went back to work I felt lonely, scared, and I started to get depressed.

One member of the library staff, who was expecting his first child, told me about the free programs that the library offered for children and babies. Through the rhymes, songs & stories, there was a chance to connect with other parents who were going through the exact same thing as me. I was no longer alone.

Being a stay-at-home mom meant that I had to be proactive about raising my son. The classes, play-time and opportunity to choose his own books have given my son socialization time with other children his own age, they have helped to promote early language development, are giving him confidence and structure. Not to mention, he took his first steps at the library and had his first kiss there too!

I actually can’t think of a place that feels more like my home than the Woodcroft Public Library. I feel safe there, I feel connected to my neighbors and I don’t have to worry about being on a stay-at-home mom budget. The library is a cornerstone in our community – and community is, after all, largely about supporting each other and making one another feel a sense of belonging.

My family is so grateful for our library, a place that has given so much to my family and to my community. I suppose that’s why there’s a line waiting to get inside of it every single morning.