Since 2002, Hasan Kaya has been a loyal Madison Public Library patron. Hasan’s parents brought him to his first local library, Sequoya Library, when he was 6 years old. His appreciation for libraries grew from there.

“Libraries are an essential part of my life,” he says. “Whenever I travel to new places, I try to check out the local library. It’s a reliable place, and I can always find what I need here.

“Whenever I want to learn something, I feel very good about asking the library because they are really knowledgeable and know what they’re doing.”

Throughout his frequent visits to the library, Hasan has made friends with the librarians and makes use of the many resources available, including the Media Lab for audio and video recording. He checks out DVDs, CDs, comic books and especially books.

Hasan’s favorite book is The Time Machine by H.G. Wells because he enjoys the formal writing style that the author uses in his books, and he finds the characters very relatable.

Hasan says he enjoys relaxing and reading books at the library because he appreciates the atmosphere.

“Madison Public Library cares about the atmosphere, and allowing the library to be a free community space, where no one is discriminated against,” Hasan says. “Anyone can come, and everyone has access to all the information they need. It’s a safe place.”