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Off the Shelf, June 23, 2008
So Long Whistler….
Even though I’m whirling around like a dervish, trying to tie up loose ends before my departure, I find myself brought up short from time to time as waves of emotion overtake me, and I realize what I am leaving behind.
Whistler gave me my first job as a degree-holding professional Librarian, and was my first community as a new immigrant to Canada. The learning curve was almost vertical during that first year, as I found myself doing countless things, for the first time ever. I can tell you now that it was pretty scary coming into such a close-knit community, not only as a stranger, but as a foreigner too.
One thing I’ve learned about Canadians is that they like to talk about the things that make them different than Americans. I left familiar territory, family and dear friends, and I came here because I expected Canada and Canadians to not only be different, but to be better. So, making broad strokes with a broad brush, I’d like to make some generalizations about how Canadians are different than Americans.
What I’ve seen in Whistler and Pemberton is that people and kids are more courteous, and slower to unleash their tempers. Even strangers are deemed worthy of respect. When violence occurs, it is received with shock and outrage rather than complacency.
And Canadians don’t hold the view that they are entitled to force their own agenda upon the rest of the world, be it military, economic, political or cultural. I really like that about Canada. And I love, love, LOVE that you have reasonable spending limits on federal elections! I LOVE that they are over with so fast!
And Canadians allow normal-looking people to be on TV news programs! Your news journalists are not like Barbie & Ken dolls! Rex Murphy rocks!
Professionally speaking, there is much more collaboration among public libraries. Because we are united at the provincial level, we are able to negotiate special prices on subscription databases, and enact innovative new programs such as the BC One Card. Canadian libraries are not hamstrung by legislation such as America’s Patriot Act which abridges the privacy of library users. And Canadian libraries and schools are trusted to make responsible provisions for internet use, rather than being coerced by legislation as the Children’s Internet Protection Act.
Here at the Whistler Public Library, it has been so gratifying to see the huge qualitative jump we were able to make in our children’s services, once we opened in the new building. The attendance at storytimes has gone through the roof, and now Marmot Meadows and the Burrow provide beautiful spaces for children to relax with books. We now have teens lingering in the library, something that never happened in the old library. They have a space of their own, a collection of materials that suit their interests, a sense that they are welcome and valued. Our website is beautiful, our building is beautiful, our collections are beautiful and our staff is not only beautiful, but also proficient and dedicated!
I guess, in the end, I want to say thanks to all the generations of library patrons who put up with the crowding and lack of comfort in our old building, and who now share our joy at being in a nice new building. Thanks to the people who work at the Library for their friendship and professional generosity. And thanks to those I’ve been able to serve, for sharing your children with me, and for the warmth and kind words you bestow upon all of us here at the Library.