Support When I was Down and Out

There was a time in the past when the Ottawa Public Library meant a great deal to me. I had graduated from university, but had difficulty finding a job. Living in a rooming house and on social assistance, there were not too many bright points in my life except for the library. I had a small tv, but could not afford cable. But I did also have a vcr, and could borrow videos based on Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series and other movies. More than that - I could read the books in the Sharpe series I hadn't yet encountered. The library was often a comfortable and familiar environment where I could read newspapers and magazines, or work on my job search. I eventually found work and my circumstances improved greatly. The library helped me get through that rough time in my life and I will never forget it. I don't know what I would have done without the resources the library had to allow me to lift my spirits when I was down.