--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My library was -- all libraries are -- a…" description: "\"“My library was -- all libraries are -- a place of ultimate refuge, a wild and sacred space where meanings are manageable precisely because they aren't..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b3/andre-brink-39239_libraries_my-library-was-all-libraries-are-a-place_522485.jpg" --- # My library was -- all libraries are -- a place of ultimate… ![“My library was -- all libraries are -- a place of ultimate refuge, a wild and sacred space where meanings are manageable precisely because they aren't binding; and where illusion is comfortingly real. To read, to think, to trace words back to their origins real or presumed; to invent; to dare to…” quote by André Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b3/andre-brink-39239_libraries_my-library-was-all-libraries-are-a-place_522485.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b3/andre-brink-39239_libraries_my-library-was-all-libraries-are-a-place_522485.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9b3/andre-brink-39239_libraries_my-library-was-all-libraries-are-a-place_522485.jpg) > ““My library was -- all libraries are -- a place of ultimate refuge, a wild and sacred space where meanings are manageable precisely because they aren't binding; and where illusion is comfortingly real. To read, to think, to trace words back to their origins real or presumed; to invent; to dare to imagine. "The Rights of Desire”” [André Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-brink/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Libraries are sanctuaries where meaning is fluid and imagination thrives, offering comfort through illusion. **In simple terms:** Libraries are safe spaces for imagination and flexible meaning. Key Takeaway Visit a library to explore ideas freely. Themes refuge imagination meaning comfort Mood contemplative inspired Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - research - creative writing - personal reflection Key Concepts literature philosophy cognitive flexibility Questions to Reflect On - What does “illusion” mean to you? - How do you balance certainty and imagination? A Different Perspective Libraries may limit access for some; not all find comfort in ambiguity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Libraries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/libraries/) [Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library/) [Sacred space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sacred-space/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Libraries can take the place of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/libraries-can-take-the-place-of-god/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [“Libraries are place where one can find satisfaction through books by discovering more ideas”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abid-hussain-library-officer/libraries-are-place-where-one-can-find-satisfaction-through-books-by/) [Abid Hussain Library Officer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abid-hussain-library-officer/) > [In a library, you can find small miracles and truth, and you might find something that will make you laugh so hard that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/in-a-library-you-can-find-small-miracles-and-truth-and-you-might-find/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“My case rests on the rights of desire,’ he says. ‘On the god who makes even the small birds quiver.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jm-coetzee/my-case-rests-on-the-rights-of-desire-he-says-on-the-god-who-makes/) [JM Coetzee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jm-coetzee/) > [There is a sad disconnectedness that overcomes a library when its owner is gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/there-is-a-sad-disconnectedness-that-overcomes-a-library-when-its/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [I think the health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture, and our concern for the future,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/i-think-the-health-of-our-civilization-the-depth-of-our-awareness/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Libraries are where it all begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/libraries-are-where-it-all-begins/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [“The bookworm of great libraries.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/the-bookworm-of-great-libraries/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [“The library was quiet. It was busy but it was quiet and I thought it must be like this in a monastery where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/the-library-was-quiet-it-was-busy-but-it-was-quiet-and-i-thought-it/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [Libraries are where we learn that we can live our lives through books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-barry/libraries-are-where-we-learn-that-we-can-live-our-lives-through-books/) [Kevin Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-barry/) > [Libraries hold the wisdom of the world and the stories of the ages - available to everyone, free of charge!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-sue-park/libraries-hold-the-wisdom-of-the-world-and-the-stories-of-the-ages/) [Linda Sue Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-sue-park/) > [“Books permit us to voyage through time, to tap the wisdom of our ancestors. The library connects us with the insight and knowledge, painfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/books-permit-us-to-voyage-through-time-to-tap-the-wisdom-of-our/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [Schools have never been about getting access to information. That's the job of libraries. Schools and universities have nobler missions as gentle gatekeepers. Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-nikiforuk/schools-have-never-been-about-getting-access-to-information-that-s/) Andrew Nikiforuk > [If truth is beauty, how come no one has their hair done in a library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/if-truth-is-beauty-how-come-no-one-has-their-hair-done-in-a-library/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [“She might ban me from the library." "The marvelous thing about libraries is that their contents can be easily moved.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-johnson/she-might-ban-me-from-the-library-the-marvelous-thing-about-libraries/) [Alissa Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-johnson/) ## More by André Brink > [“I had never been so close to death before. For a long time, as I lay there trying to clear my mind, I couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-brink/i-had-never-been-so-close-to-death-before-for-a-long-time-as-i-lay/) [Andre Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-brink/) > [“As Alan Paton said, 'Ah but your fucking land is beautiful'.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-brink/as-alan-paton-said-ah-but-your-fucking-land-is-beautiful/) [André Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-brink/) > [“I was born on a bench in the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, in the early spring of 1960.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-brink/i-was-born-on-a-bench-in-the-luxembourg-gardens-in-paris-in-the-early/) [André Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-brink/) > [I can see it, hear it, feel it, taste it - but I can never be on the inside of it with you. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-brink/i-can-see-it-hear-it-feel-it-taste-it-but-i-can-never-be-on-the/) [André Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-brink/) > [To respect the dignity of a relationship also implies accepting the end when it comes. Except in my mind, except in my dreams, where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-brink/to-respect-the-dignity-of-a-relationship-also-implies-accepting-the/) [André Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-brink/) > [“But for Mozart love is only the litmus test. To determine whether one is truly free or not.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-brink/but-for-mozart-love-is-only-the-litmus-test-to-determine-whether-one/) [Andre Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-brink/) > [Perhaps all one can really hope for, all I am entitled to, is no more than this: to write it down. To report what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-brink/perhaps-all-one-can-really-hope-for-all-i-am-entitled-to-is-no-more/) [André Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-brink/) > [“Ouma Nella’s quotes p 144 -146 “Man, if you don’t know where you going, any road will bring you there.” “It don’t matter how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-brink/ouma-nella-s-quotes-p-144-146-man-if-you-don-t-know-where-you-going/) [andre brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-brink/) > [In love, no question is ever preposterous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-brink/in-love-no-question-is-ever-preposterous/) [André Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-brink/) > [If I speak with a character’s voice it is because that character’s become so much part of me that … I think I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-brink/if-i-speak-with-a-character-s-voice-it-is-because-that-character-s/) [André Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-brink/) [Explore all 11 André Brink quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-brink/) ## More Libraries quotes > [“She might ban me from the library." "The marvelous thing about libraries is that their contents can be easily moved.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alissa-johnson/she-might-ban-me-from-the-library-the-marvelous-thing-about-libraries/) [Alissa Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alissa-johnson/) > [If truth is beauty, how come no one has their hair done in a library.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lily-tomlin/if-truth-is-beauty-how-come-no-one-has-their-hair-done-in-a-library/) [Lily Tomlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lily-tomlin/) > [Schools have never been about getting access to information. That's the job of libraries. Schools and universities have nobler missions as gentle gatekeepers. Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-nikiforuk/schools-have-never-been-about-getting-access-to-information-that-s/) Andrew Nikiforuk > [“Books permit us to voyage through time, to tap the wisdom of our ancestors. The library connects us with the insight and knowledge, painfully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/books-permit-us-to-voyage-through-time-to-tap-the-wisdom-of-our/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [“Don't join the book burners. Don't think you're going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed. Don't be afraid to go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/don-t-join-the-book-burners-don-t-think-you-re-going-to-conceal/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [Libraries hold the wisdom of the world and the stories of the ages - available to everyone, free of charge!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-sue-park/libraries-hold-the-wisdom-of-the-world-and-the-stories-of-the-ages/) [Linda Sue Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-sue-park/) > [Libraries are where we learn that we can live our lives through books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-barry/libraries-are-where-we-learn-that-we-can-live-our-lives-through-books/) [Kevin Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-barry/) > [“The library was quiet. It was busy but it was quiet and I thought it must be like this in a monastery where you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/the-library-was-quiet-it-was-busy-but-it-was-quiet-and-i-thought-it/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“The bookworm of great libraries.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/the-bookworm-of-great-libraries/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [Libraries are where it all begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/libraries-are-where-it-all-begins/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [I think the health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture, and our concern for the future,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/i-think-the-health-of-our-civilization-the-depth-of-our-awareness/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [There is a sad disconnectedness that overcomes a library when its owner is gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-mcmaster-bujold/there-is-a-sad-disconnectedness-that-overcomes-a-library-when-its/) [Lois McMaster Bujold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-mcmaster-bujold/) > [Prior to the Civil War, most libraries were either privately owned or housed in universities or churches.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/prior-to-the-civil-war-most-libraries-were-either-privately-owned-or/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [“The most important thing of all was not the poverty of its essence, but that it was there .”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-drake/the-most-important-thing-of-all-was-not-the-poverty-of-its-essence/) [David Drake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-drake/) > [Libraries shelter the spirit, provide food for the mind, and answer the questions raised by the problems of life. They have been the home…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberta-gellis/libraries-shelter-the-spirit-provide-food-for-the-mind-and-answer-the/) Roberta Gellis [Browse all 469 Libraries quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/libraries/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“My library was -- all libraries are -- a place of ultimate refuge, a wild and sacred space where meanings are manageable precisely because they aren't binding; and where illusion is comfortingly real. 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