Do Not Sleep on Libraries
Assorted Immigrant Stories
| Zen | Rating 0 (0) (0) |
| Launched: Dec 12, 2025 | |
| assortedimmigrantstories@gmail.com | Season: 2 Episode: 6 |
When I first came to the U.S., the only library I knew was in Towson. I took buses just to check my email—sometimes months apart—because I didn’t yet understand how accessible public and student libraries really were.
In this episode, I reflect on how libraries quietly supported my journey as an international student: free internet, quiet study spaces, and access to university libraries simply by having a student ID.
I also share what reignited this conversation for me—an appreciation talk with my former primary school headmistress, memories of borrowed books and office libraries, conversations with fellow podcasters building libraries across Africa, and recent reminders that libraries are still deeply relevant in a world of TikTok and short-form content.
Most importantly, I talk about discovering library programs for children—reading, music, play areas, computers—when my son needed them most, and realizing we could have been using these resources years earlier.
Libraries are not just for studying. They are community spaces, creative spaces, and places of access. Whether you’re new to America or thinking about libraries back home, don’t sleep on them.
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Episode Chapters
When I first came to the U.S., the only library I knew was in Towson. I took buses just to check my email—sometimes months apart—because I didn’t yet understand how accessible public and student libraries really were.
In this episode, I reflect on how libraries quietly supported my journey as an international student: free internet, quiet study spaces, and access to university libraries simply by having a student ID.
I also share what reignited this conversation for me—an appreciation talk with my former primary school headmistress, memories of borrowed books and office libraries, conversations with fellow podcasters building libraries across Africa, and recent reminders that libraries are still deeply relevant in a world of TikTok and short-form content.
Most importantly, I talk about discovering library programs for children—reading, music, play areas, computers—when my son needed them most, and realizing we could have been using these resources years earlier.
Libraries are not just for studying. They are community spaces, creative spaces, and places of access. Whether you’re new to America or thinking about libraries back home, don’t sleep on them.
When I first came to the U.S., the only library I knew was in Towson. I took buses just to check my email—sometimes months apart—because I didn’t yet understand how accessible public and student libraries really were.
In this episode, I reflect on how libraries quietly supported my journey as an international student: free internet, quiet study spaces, and access to university libraries simply by having a student ID.
I also share what reignited this conversation for me—an appreciation talk with my former primary school headmistress, memories of borrowed books and office libraries, conversations with fellow podcasters building libraries across Africa, and recent reminders that libraries are still deeply relevant in a world of TikTok and short-form content.
Most importantly, I talk about discovering library programs for children—reading, music, play areas, computers—when my son needed them most, and realizing we could have been using these resources years earlier.
Libraries are not just for studying. They are community spaces, creative spaces, and places of access. Whether you’re new to America or thinking about libraries back home, don’t sleep on them.
