WEBVTT
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Language: en

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Hello my name is Maria Reyes, and I just introduced
myself in my Navajo language.

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I am currently residing on the Navajo reservation
in a rural area known as Pinos, New Mexico.

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In my community we have limited resources.

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Due to limited resources I've always used
the public library to meet resources and necessities

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that I needed to conduct research papers and
projects that I had to fulfill the assignments

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that I had to do throughout high school and
because of the resources that were provided

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by the library, such as the Internet and being
able to go to the library and use a book free

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of charge and use services free of charge
really helped and maintained my standing in

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my education and made me realize that if I
do seek outside sources that I could achieve

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what I needed to.

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And I remember conducting my first research
paper, which was on Pearl Harbor.

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I had little information about Pearl Harbor,
so I asked my mom to bring me in to Gallup

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to the public library to conduct my research,
and I learned a lot, and spending all that

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time there in the library, I realized there's
other topics I could research free of charge,

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and I indulged in all the books that I could
find on topics that I liked.

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I also remember the library having an area
for the Southwest and that really intrigued

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me because I was a big fan of Tony Hillerman
and we didn't have the financial resources

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to buy all the novels, so I would checkout
the Tony Hillerman novels or read what I could

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at the public library, so it has really helped
and maintain a certain type of liability and

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asset to the community, as well as to myself.

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And now as a single parent I bring my children
to the children's library for them to attend

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events such as story time, and I remember
attending an event that had the Cat in the

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Hat theme, which my two little boys really
enjoyed and it's really helped the community

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realize there are resources if you just seek
them.

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I'm very thankful for the public library and
all the life skills that I've learned throughout

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the years and I am more thankful that it's
still around and that my kids can partake

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in such a system that will strengthen not
only their personal but also their educational

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skills at a great level, and I hope to just
see more accomplishments from the community

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as a whole.