Library Stories

Library Stories

Sharing Our Stories

We are a community that loves libraries. Library Stories is an ongoing project to collect and create a digital archive of true stories about what public libraries mean to the people who use them. We ask: “Why are public libraries important to you?” Scroll down the page to hear what people had to say.

Let us know if you would like to share your own story with us!

Watch Now

Tu David Phu

Chef and Author of The Memory of Taste

Glynn Washington

KQED host of Snap Judgment and Spooked

Dion Lim

Emmy award-winning TV news anchor and reporter at ABC7

Elaine Castillo

Author, named one of “30 of the Planet’s Most Exciting Young People” by the Financial Times

Faith Adiele

Author, speaker, educator, traveler

Beverly Greene

Berkeley Library Board of Trustees, President

Tracey Taylor

Journalist, co-founder of Cityside, publisher of Berkeleyside, Richmondside, and Oaklandside

Mina Witteman

Dutch children’s book writer

Lucian Novosel

AI Prototyper, Tool Lending Library patron, afterschool and lifelong library user

Samantha Schoech

Author, staff writer for The New York Times Wirecutter, Bay Area producer of the live storytelling event, Generation Women.

Terry Taplin

Poet and Berkeley City Councilmember representing District 2, West and Southwest Berkeley.

Alana Conner

Mom, architect, library patron

We’d love to hear from you! Would you like to share your library story in a short video and be part of this archive? Let us know!