Book Quote by Edward Bellamy
“I cannot sufficiently celebrate the glorious liberty that reigns in the public libraries of the twentieth century as compared with the intolerable management of those of the nineteenth century, in which the books were jealously railed away from the people, and obtainable only at an expenditure of time and red tape calculated to discourage any ordinary taste for literature.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Public Library and the People", 1900s, null
Celebrates modern public libraries' open access versus 19th‑century restrictive, costly systems.
In simple terms: Modern libraries are free and open; older ones were hard to access.
Key Takeaway
Advocate for free, accessible public knowledge.
Themes
freedom
education
public institutions
Mood
hopeful
inspirational
Type
educational
social commentary
When to use this quote
- community education programs
- urban planning
- library funding
- literacy initiatives
Key Concepts
library policy
information equity
democratization of knowledge
Questions to Reflect On
- How does free access to libraries impact societal literacy?
- What barriers still limit library use today?
A Different Perspective
May overlook digital divide and funding challenges.
