We at the Troy Public Library love books (of course!), but we love our patrons even more. Every day, Troy residents use library services to improve their lives and their communities-- here are a few of their stories.
Have a Troy Public Library story to tell? We'd love to hear it!
Tell Your TPL Story
"It’s been one year since I came to the US. My immigration was the first time I was out of my comfort zone. I don’t know why I came up with the library. However, I felt safe there. I still feel that way. It’s ironic. Looking for shelter in a strange city, I felt comfortable in the library full of books written in an unfamiliar language, English.
I met lots of friends at Talk Time. We are in the same boat as immigrants. We’ve been struggling with a language barrier. That makes us more connected. So, we are building our own community. Book clubs are a bit challenging, but I like the vibe, the atmosphere, even when I couldn’t speak at all. I realized there is a special but common sentiment to book readers regardless of their languages, their nationalities."
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"When you arrive in another country, you feel lonely. You don’t have friends. Talk Time is a good opportunity to meet people. It’s not just about talking. Yeah, it’s a great place to improve your language skills, to find some new phrase and some interesting words. But it’s not just about that. I met great people. We meet together now, not just in the library. It’s not just about classes, it’s about friends. I advise everyone who comes to a new country to go to some clubs at the library to meet people. Even if you’re always busy, you can find just an hour to come here to spend time with wonderful people.
I started to use audiobooks to improve my English. It’s a good opportunity for people who just arrived to learn English—Hoopla and Libby. If you listen to audiobooks, you’ll learn more. Now, I’m reading Harry Potter in English. Some books you read again and again. I read it to my kids in their own language, but now I started it in English because I have my favorite collection of books illustrated by Jim Kay. It’s about the process. When you read your favorite books, it’s different."
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