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Resident says library programs provided crucial social connection during years of agoraphobia
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Summary
A resident said library programs were their main connection to others for about seven years while coping with severe agoraphobia, praising staff kindness and saying the library gave them a safe space to attend meetings and join programs.
A resident said the public library was their primary link to other people for about seven years while they coped with severe agoraphobia.
The resident told the meeting that, outside family, "they were, like, my main connection to other human beings over the last 7 years" and that visits to the library — along with trips to "the post office, and the grocery store" — were the only regular social contacts they had.
The resident said they learned through therapy that they had "severe agoraphobia" and that, although they wanted to participate in community life, they were nervous about doing so. They credited library staff and programs with helping them take steps to engage: "So, because they were really engaging and kind, I ended up going to, some meetings and joining in some programs." The resident added, "They've just really helped me engage and meet other people in the community because other people come."
The account emphasized the library as a "safe space" where the resident could meet others and join activities they otherwise would have avoided. "It's just been, such a safe space for me," the resident said.
No formal action, vote, or policy proposal was recorded in the transcript. The remarks in the transcript are a personal testimony about how local library programs supported one person's social connection and mental-health recovery.
