Personal Reflection
Being an alder means having the courage to acknowledge that every decision has consequences and that every problem has multiple solutions. It is not a one-size-fits-all dilemma.
But a library is a multilayered resource that crosses race, socioeconomic status, generations, and cultures. When you pair a beautiful space with intentional services and fill it with diverse and inclusive materials, the possibilities are endless.
Libraries are an investment in our community.
Libraries are a refuge for the unhoused.
Libraries are a haven for lost souls.
Libraries build community and bring us together.
Libraries can be an escape from the cruel reality called life.
Libraries expand our horizons. They take us places we have never been and introduce us to people, cultures, ideas, and experiences we may never encounter otherwise.
Libraries give us knowledge and different perspectives to explore.
And sometimes, libraries take you back home.
I found so many gems at the Imagination Center, books that I saw myself in. Books that felt like they were saying, “Welcome, my Boricua sister. I have a little piece of home here for you."
A cookbook from a Puerto Rican chef. A book about Bad Bunny.
They found me.
The Imagination Center is a beautiful space inside a vibrant park. It is a resource for the people who live nearby and for residents from across our city.
And I love that it brings together two things that are so important to a community: parks and libraries.
It is also a reminder of what can happen when a community and its city government work together to bring an idea to life using both private and public investment.
Libraries are so much more than buildings with books.
They are places to learn, places to connect, places to breathe, places to dream and sometimes, places where you unexpectedly find a little piece of home.
