Ian Quah shares his journey and experiences in exploring homomorphic encryption libraries, particularly highlighting his transition from a machine learning background to privacy-preserving machine learning (PPML) and eventually to homomorphic encryption. Initially finding it challenging to grasp the intricacies of Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) due to a lack of cryptographic knowledge, Quah sought a library that was accessible and Python-compatible, leading him to OpenFHE, formerly known as PALISADE. He emphasizes the importance of several criteria when choosing a homomorphic encryption library, including the availability of information, community size and engagement, ease of use, open-source nature, and compliance with security standards. Quah eventually became part of the OpenFHE team, contributing to documentation improvements and library restructuring to enhance user learning experiences. He briefly discusses other libraries like Concrete, SEAL, and Lattigo, noting their strengths and drawbacks, and encourages potential users to consider joining the OpenFHE community while also recommending resources for further understanding of homomorphic encryption and its standards.