--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A library in the middle of a community is…" description: "\"“A library in the middle of a community is a cross between an emergency exit, a life raft and a festival. They are cathedrals of the mind; hospitals of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcf/alan-bennett-1922_books_a-library-in-the-middle-of-a-community-i_1609589.jpg" --- # A library in the middle of a community is a cross between… ![“A library in the middle of a community is a cross between an emergency exit, a life raft and a festival. They are cathedrals of the mind; hospitals of the soul; theme parks of the imagination.” quote by Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcf/alan-bennett-1922_books_a-library-in-the-middle-of-a-community-i_1609589.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcf/alan-bennett-1922_books_a-library-in-the-middle-of-a-community-i_1609589.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dcf/alan-bennett-1922_books_a-library-in-the-middle-of-a-community-i_1609589.jpg) > ““A library in the middle of a community is a cross between an emergency exit, a life raft and a festival. They are cathedrals of the mind; hospitals of the soul; theme parks of the imagination.”” [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote portrays libraries as essential community hubs that provide safety, nourishment, and joy, likening them to vital, life‑affirming spaces. **In simple terms:** Libraries are community lifelines offering safety, knowledge, and celebration. Key Takeaway Support and invest in local libraries. Themes community knowledge well‑being culture imagination Mood hopeful inspirational warm Type descriptive motivational When to use this quote - urban planning - school programs - cultural festivals - mental health initiatives Key Concepts public space social capital education creativity Questions to Reflect On - What role do libraries play in your neighborhood? - How can we ensure libraries remain accessible? A Different Perspective The metaphor may romanticize libraries, ignoring funding challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Libraries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/libraries/) [Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Profound](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profound/) [Theme park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theme-park/) [Theme parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theme-parks/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [A library in the middle of a community is a cross between an emergency exit, a life raft and a festival.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caitlin-moran/a-library-in-the-middle-of-a-community-is-a-cross-between-an-2/) [Caitlin Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caitlin-moran/) > [“In the twenty-first century, the visions of J.C. Nichols and Walt Disney have come full circle and joined. “Neighborhoods” are increasingly “developments,” corporate theme…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanner-colby/in-the-twenty-first-century-the-visions-of-j-c-nichols-and-walt/) [Tanner Colby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanner-colby/) > [The concert industry lags dramatically behind the great hospitality businesses out there, whether they're theme parks or hotels or sporting events.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rapino/the-concert-industry-lags-dramatically-behind-the-great-hospitality/) [Michael Rapino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rapino/) > [“Lots of people think things would be better some other way. That's why the world's lousy with theme parks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/lots-of-people-think-things-would-be-better-some-other-way-that-s-why/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [This week Disney opened its first ever theme park in China. More than ten thousand children showed up on opening day. And that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/conan-o-brien/this-week-disney-opened-its-first-ever-theme-park-in-china-more-than/) [Conan O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/conan-o-brien/) > [And before long there will be no more milk in bottles delivered to the doorstep or sleepy rural pubs, and the countryside will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/and-before-long-there-will-be-no-more-milk-in-bottles-delivered-to/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [If I couldn't be a fiction writer, I would be a roller coaster designer for theme parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-wells/if-i-couldn-t-be-a-fiction-writer-i-would-be-a-roller-coaster/) [Mike Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-wells/) > [Disney's something to be a little alarmed about. It's not just a little theme park anymore. It's now an ethic and outlook and strategy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hiaasen/disney-s-something-to-be-a-little-alarmed-about-it-s-not-just-a/) [Carl Hiaasen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hiaasen/) > [“2. Core purpose is an organization’s most fundamental reason for being. It should not be confused with the company’s current product lines or customer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-c-collins/2-core-purpose-is-an-organization-s-most-fundamental-reason-for-being/) [James C. Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-collins/) > [Summer is the sweet spot of the movie-going season -- and it's also peak season for Six Flags theme parks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shapiro/summer-is-the-sweet-spot-of-the-movie-going-season-and-it-s-also-peak/) Mark Shapiro > [I like to try to capture places that a lot of people went to or have a deep emotional connection to. Malls, abandoned speedways,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seph-lawless/i-like-to-try-to-capture-places-that-a-lot-of-people-went-to-or-have/) [Seph Lawless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seph-lawless/) > [We are starting to see more and more Roblox games that offer creation. An example would be Theme Park Tycoon, which lets anyone construct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-baszucki/we-are-starting-to-see-more-and-more-roblox-games-that-offer-creation/) [David Baszucki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-baszucki/) > [It's great to go to theme parks but going to an arboretum with small children is incredible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-savoretti/it-s-great-to-go-to-theme-parks-but-going-to-an-arboretum-with-small/) [Jack Savoretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-savoretti/) > [My wife loves Europe, but to me it's a bad day at a theme park.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/my-wife-loves-europe-but-to-me-it-s-a-bad-day-at-a-theme-park/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [“I avoided any theme parks or museums where the employees dressed true to period. Complete nightmare. I also spent a lot of time trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myra-mcentire/i-avoided-any-theme-parks-or-museums-where-the-employees-dressed-true/) [Myra McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myra-mcentire/) ## More by Alan Bennett > [“The closest she got to pretence was politeness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/the-closest-she-got-to-pretence-was-politeness/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [An article on playwrights in the Daily Mail , listed according to Hard Left, Soft Left, Hard Right, Soft Right and Centre. I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/an-article-on-playwrights-in-the-daily-mail-listed-according-to-hard/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [I'm not good at precise, coherent argument. But plays are suited to incoherent argument, put into the mouths of fallible people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/i-m-not-good-at-precise-coherent-argument-but-plays-are-suited-to/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [The thing I think about is that once you've done it, you then start to think about what you're going to do next. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/the-thing-i-think-about-is-that-once-you-ve-done-it-you-then-start-to/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [At the drabber moments of my life (swilling some excrement from the steps, for instance, or rooting with a bent coat-hanger down a blocked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/at-the-drabber-moments-of-my-life-swilling-some-excrement-from-the/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [There are more microbes per person than the entire population of the world. Imagine that. Per person. This means that if the time scale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/there-are-more-microbes-per-person-than-the-entire-population-of-the/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [I'm more socialist certainly than New Labour - I'm very old Labour, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/i-m-more-socialist-certainly-than-new-labour-i-m-very-old-labour/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [Why do we not care to acknowledge them? The cattle, the body count. We still don't like to admit the war was even partly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/why-do-we-not-care-to-acknowledge-them-the-cattle-the-body-count-we/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [Were we closer to the ground as children, or is the grass emptier now?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/were-we-closer-to-the-ground-as-children-or-is-the-grass-emptier-now/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [But most men regard their life as a poem that women threaten. They may not have two spondees to rub together but they still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/but-most-men-regard-their-life-as-a-poem-that-women-threaten-they-may/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [“BURGESS How do you like Moscow? CORAL Loathe it, darling. I cannot understand what those Three Sisters were on about. It gives the play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/burgess-how-do-you-like-moscow-coral-loathe-it-darling-i-cannot/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [The best moments in reading are when you come across something - a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things - which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/the-best-moments-in-reading-are-when-you-come-across-something-a/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [Your whole life is on the other side of the glass. And there is nobody watching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/your-whole-life-is-on-the-other-side-of-the-glass-and-there-is-nobody/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [The appeal of reading, she thought, lay in its indifference: there was something undeferring about literature. Books did not care who was reading them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/the-appeal-of-reading-she-thought-lay-in-its-indifference-there-was/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [“How do I define history? It's just one fucking thing after another”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/how-do-i-define-history-it-s-just-one-fucking-thing-after-another/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) [Explore all 188 Alan Bennett quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A library in the middle of a community is a cross between an emergency exit, a life raft and a festival. 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