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The glue

The churches in our province are struggling to keep the doors open, the furnaces lit and to stay relevant.

They used to be the glue in many of our rural and urban communities. They provided a place, which, at least theoretically, was meant to provide shelter, comfort and a meaningful structure to life.

Our city is just about to open a outrageously gorgeous library which we are all eagerly awaiting entrance into.  We've been teased with the odd picture here and there of it's magnificence and I can only imagine that the real thing will be something to behold and be breathlessly proud of.  Finally, a public space right downtown in which we can seek shelter from the sideways rain of winter without having to buy anything in the process.

The first few photos are stunning. The library even made the impressive list of 10 eye-popping new buildings you'll see in 2014 on CNN.com.  It is going to be fabulous.



It is set to open on December 13th. I am itching to see it with my very own eyes..

As we anxiously await its big debut, I have been closely following the heartbreaking developments in Ferguson.  One of the important stories that I heard about this community has been the role the public library has played in creating a space for healing and safety.  Even when the schools had to close, the library stayed open.  In a recent interview, the only paid employee of the Ferguson library urged everyone to cherish their own libraries and the important work that they do  in our communities.

I am very excited to experience the shininess of the new library for myself and for my kids.  But I  am even more excited about the comfort it will bring and hopefully its transformative power it will acquire after the lights and the tables and chairs and walls lose a bit of shine.  A fancy building is going to be an incredible gift for our community, but the sense of community it will inspire, the glue it will squeeze  into our lives, helping us to stick better together well after the floors get a few scuffs on them is what is going to be really valuable.
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