Introducing Jackie Liu

Meet Jackie Liu, who is running to join our City Council in Ward pihêsiwin. We have asked all candidates to share their thoughts on the Edmonton Public Library through a short questionnaire. Here's what Jackie had to say. 

Q&A with Jackie Liu

What is your favourite library memory or experience?

I have vivid memories of the third floor staircase in my childhood library in Surrey, BC. It was an old, dusty building with tons of nooks and crannies, and many of the paperbacks were not filed in an discernible order, but rather, all stored in these rotating wire racks that were vaguely sorted by genre.

I remember digging through the kids section to find all the Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books—they were never in order and were scattered all around the place, and once I found one, I would sit under the stairway and read them cover to cover with fingers marking multiple places in each book so as not to miss any possible ending.

What is one book you think everyone should read and why?

Noting that this question doesn’t ask for my favorite book but rather what everyone should read, my answer for this is Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat. I found this book as relatable as it is useful, and it brings to life how the basic concepts of food, cooking, and culture are so deeply intertwined.

What vital role does EPL play in a thriving and vibrant Edmonton?

I think the library is the one place that exists purely to serve the needs of people without cost, expectations, or pressure. I think that allows a library guest to engage with a freedom not found anywhere else—literally, the entire building, its staff, and all its resources exist for the person. And the person can use that resource for play, for relaxation, for learning, and to better themselves or their current situation (thinking of the many social programs that utilize the library spaces in Edmonton).

If you could be any fictional character, who would you be and why?

I'd choose to be Sherlock Holmes, either the original Arthur Conan Doyle version or the modernized BBC version played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Imagine how incredibly useful those powers of insight would be in every day life!

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned at your local library?

To allow yourself to be curious and check out a section, genre, or resource that you may not otherwise pick up. Every author of every book believed deeply in what they wrote and why, and its a treat to consider that everything you browse through in a library is an example of somebody's best work and passion.

If you could host a program at the library, what would it be about?

I would host Edmonton experts at the library in an ongoing series of "ask-me-anything" sessions—like a real-life Reddit AMA. Guests should come from all walks of life, all professions, and all experiences. This could range from business leaders, to athletes, to researchers, to cultural leaders, to people with lived and living experiences of all kinds.

Learn More About the 2025 Municipal Election

Curious how to show your love for EPL during this election? Stop by your local branch or visit our election page, opens a new window for ways to advocate for the Library, as EPL is the heart of our city.

Go to the EPL Election Hub, opens a new window