Cindy Drew

Six years ago, when I first began to seriously begin my move from Cape Cod, MA to Florida, I knew Crystal River would be a good match for me. How did I know? Besides loving a HOT climate, I had checked out the Crystal River Library in August of 2001 a year before my move. If Crystal River did not possess a good Library with evening hours, ( I work), I simply would have located elsewhere. The Library was well stocked, the staff friendly, and the atmosphere inviting. Now, I have the best of all worlds. No snow, the Gulf of Mexico nearby , and a great Library. Exactly what I wanted.

Sylvia Wilson

The city I grew up in was recently named the worst city in the country (Camden, NJ). While my family and most black people in the city were the “working poor”, we went to high school where the majority were middle to upper class caucasians who had far more resources at home than I did, such as sets of encyclopedias. The only way I was able to compete academically was to use the public library.

Gene Musselman

940.54: That address opened a world to me as a young adult. I was very interested in military history. That Dewey address led to 629.133 and of course so many addresses: A whole world that never has let me down or ceased to be a wonderful opportunity for a poor inner city child. My interest translated into high school ROTC (like Col. Powell) A military career and very interesting employment for the rest of my life in aviation.