--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A public library is the most democratic…" description: "\"A public library is the most democratic thing in the world. What can be found there has undone dictators and tyrants.\" — Doris Lessing" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa3/doris-lessing-501_democratic_a-public-library-is-the-most-democratic_383038.png" --- # A public library is the most democratic thing in the… ![“A public library is the most democratic thing in the world. What can be found there has undone dictators and tyrants.” quote by Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa3/doris-lessing-501_democratic_a-public-library-is-the-most-democratic_383038.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa3/doris-lessing-501_democratic_a-public-library-is-the-most-democratic_383038.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa3/doris-lessing-501_democratic_a-public-library-is-the-most-democratic_383038.png) > “A public library is the most democratic thing in the world. What can be found there has undone dictators and tyrants.” [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Public libraries empower citizens, offering resources that can challenge authoritarian regimes. **In simple terms:** Libraries promote democracy. Key Takeaway Support libraries. Themes democracy knowledge freedom Mood hopeful determined Type social inspirational When to use this quote - community centers - digital archives - educational outreach Key Concepts information access social empowerment Questions to Reflect On - How can libraries stay independent? - What role do they play today? A Different Perspective Funding constraints limit reach. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic/) [Democratic Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democratic-thing-2660890/) [Dictator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dictator/) [Found](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/found/) [Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library/) [Library Democratic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library-democratic-2525479/) [Public library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-library/) [Think for yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-for-yourself/) [Tyrants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tyrants/) [Undone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/undone/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [A public library is the most democratic thing in the world. What can be found there has undone dictators and tyrants: demagogues can persecute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/a-public-library-is-the-most-democratic-thing-in-the-world-what-can-2/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [Ramy' is based on a lot of personal things, and it's interesting to see how many people feel like it's their story. And how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramy-youssef/ramy-is-based-on-a-lot-of-personal-things-and-it-s-interesting-to-see/) [Ramy Youssef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramy-youssef/) > [Given that the reality of Brexit has turned out to be so far from what was once promised, the democratic thing to do is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-johnson/given-that-the-reality-of-brexit-has-turned-out-to-be-so-far-from/) [Jo Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-johnson/) > [It shone on everyone, whether they had a contract or not. The most democratic thing I'd ever seen, that California sunshine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-carter/it-shone-on-everyone-whether-they-had-a-contract-or-not-the-most/) [Angela Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-carter/) > [Everyone should have a blog. It's the most democratic thing ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-cutler/everyone-should-have-a-blog-it-s-the-most-democratic-thing-ever/) [Jessica Cutler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-cutler/) > [If you read, you can learn to think for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/if-you-read-you-can-learn-to-think-for-yourself/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [People who love literature have at least part of their minds immune from indoctrination. If you read, you can learn to think for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/people-who-love-literature-have-at-least-part-of-their-minds-immune/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [Develop and protect a moral sensibility and demonstrate the character to apply it. Dream big. Work hard. Think for yourself. Love everything you love,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/develop-and-protect-a-moral-sensibility-and-demonstrate-the-character/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Information is Power. Think For Yourself. 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Unplug yourself from follow-the-follower groupthink, and virtually ignore what everyone else in your industry is saying (except the ones everyone agrees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-pavlina/think-for-yourself-unplug-yourself-from-follow-the-follower/) [Steve Pavlina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-pavlina/) > [The aim of human life is to know thyself. Think for yourself. Question authority. Think with your friends. Create, create new realities. Philosophy is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/the-aim-of-human-life-is-to-know-thyself-think-for-yourself-question/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) > [I always thought the idea of education was to learn to think for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-williams/i-always-thought-the-idea-of-education-was-to-learn-to-think-for/) [Robin Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-williams/) > [Throughout human history, as our species has faced the frightening, terrorizing fact that we do not know who we are, or where we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-leary/throughout-human-history-as-our-species-has-faced-the-frightening/) [Timothy Leary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-leary/) ## More by Doris Lessing > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“In the morning, when she wishes me to wake, she crouches on my chest, and pats my face with her paw. 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I've been much happier unmarried than married.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/i-do-not-think-that-marriage-is-one-of-my-talents-i-ve-been-much/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [I haven't got the energy to write now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/i-haven-t-got-the-energy-to-write-now/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [What really fascinates me is this need that is so strong now that if you read a work of the imagination you instantly have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/what-really-fascinates-me-is-this-need-that-is-so-strong-now-that-if/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“The charge that the United Nations are using bacteriological warfare in Korea cannot be dismissed merely because it would be insane.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/the-charge-that-the-united-nations-are-using-bacteriological-warfare/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [What I did have, which others perhaps didn't, was a capacity for sticking at it, which really is the point, not the talent at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/what-i-did-have-which-others-perhaps-didn-t-was-a-capacity-for/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [The human community is evolving... . 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