Since I was a young girl joining the Summer Reading programs in Philadelphia, libraries have been a safe and wonderful place for me. Now that I am a NYC Public School teacher, I use the libraries for my students’ learning and engagement. I also use them for my own learning: I will be in attendance for a workshop on Poetry in Translation at the Cullman Center on May 20th. I have a deep love for libraries; and, with no hyperbole at all, they are a vital part of maintaining and sustaining a functioning democracy for all.