--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have an unshaken conviction that…" description: "\"“I have an unshaken conviction that democracy can never be undermined if we maintain our library resources and a national intelligence capable of utili..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbd/franklin-delano-roosevelt-5470_democracy_i-have-an-unshaken-conviction-that-democ_2407224.jpg" --- # I have an unshaken conviction that democracy can never be… ![“I have an unshaken conviction that democracy can never be undermined if we maintain our library resources and a national intelligence capable of utilizing them." [ Letter to Herbert Putnam ; in: Waters, Edward N.: Herbert Putnam: the tallest little man in the world ; Quarterly Journal of the…” quote by Franklin Delano Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbd/franklin-delano-roosevelt-5470_democracy_i-have-an-unshaken-conviction-that-democ_2407224.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbd/franklin-delano-roosevelt-5470_democracy_i-have-an-unshaken-conviction-that-democ_2407224.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fbd/franklin-delano-roosevelt-5470_democracy_i-have-an-unshaken-conviction-that-democ_2407224.jpg) > ““I have an unshaken conviction that democracy can never be undermined if we maintain our library resources and a national intelligence capable of utilizing them." \[ Letter to Herbert Putnam ; in: Waters, Edward N.: Herbert Putnam: the tallest little man in the world ; Quarterly Journal of the Library of Congress 33:2 (April 1976), p. 171\]”” [Franklin Delano Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-delano-roosevelt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Democracy thrives when libraries are well‑resourced and intelligence can use them. **In simple terms:** Strong libraries protect democracy. Key Takeaway Support libraries and informed intelligence. Themes democracy knowledge libraries Mood urgent optimistic Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy advocacy - library funding - education programs Key Concepts civic infrastructure information access Questions to Reflect On - How can we safeguard library funding? - What role does intelligence play in democracy? A Different Perspective Political will may wane. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Democracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy/) [Democracy Undermined](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democracy-undermined-1353229/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Faith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faith/) [Herbert Putnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/herbert-putnam-6048558/) [Intelligence Capable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence-capable-3382948/) [Libraries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/libraries/) [Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library/) [Library Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library-congress-273157/) [Little man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-man/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [I have an unshaken conviction that democracy can never be undermined if we maintain our library resources and a national intelligence capable of utilizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/i-have-an-unshaken-conviction-that-democracy-can-never-be-undermined-2/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [All over the world, there are libraries of a sort. They are among the most beautiful places on the earth, and they hold more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-adams/all-over-the-world-there-are-libraries-of-a-sort-they-are-among-the/) [Brock Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-adams/) > [Intelligence is of paramount importance to live life sensibly, because without intelligence, there is no clarity. And Clarity is intelligence everyone is capable of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaggi-vasudev/intelligence-is-of-paramount-importance-to-live-life-sensibly-because/) [Jaggi Vasudev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaggi-vasudev/) > [Our democracy should not be undermined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penny-mordaunt/our-democracy-should-not-be-undermined/) [Penny Mordaunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penny-mordaunt/) > [I think democracy's undermined when those who own newspapers fill them with trivia rather than real issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-livingstone/i-think-democracy-s-undermined-when-those-who-own-newspapers-fill/) [Ken Livingstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-livingstone/) > [To this day, my mom's unsinkable spirit is an inspiration to me. For nearly thirty years, she's worked at the Library of Congress. Everyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hoda-kotb/to-this-day-my-mom-s-unsinkable-spirit-is-an-inspiration-to-me-for/) [Hoda Kotb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hoda-kotb/) > [One time, the Library of Congress was giving books to local libraries around the country on Islam. The library of a guy named Walter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ellison/one-time-the-library-of-congress-was-giving-books-to-local-libraries/) [Keith Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ellison/) > [I wanted to see my name on the cover of a book. If your name is in the Library of Congress, you're immortal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/i-wanted-to-see-my-name-on-the-cover-of-a-book-if-your-name-is-in-the/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [I obtained a job at the Library of Congress. I loved books, so I felt at home. 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What started me writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/i-could-not-do-what-i-do-without-the-kindness-consideration/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [“universities and the Library of Congress, with support provided by grants from the federal government (Tedd 1994). Until roughly 1978, the only such systems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-von-hippel/universities-and-the-library-of-congress-with-support-provided-by/) [Eric von Hippel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-von-hippel/) > [There are distinct duties of a poet laureate. I plan a reading series at the Library of Congress and advise the librarian. The rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/there-are-distinct-duties-of-a-poet-laureate-i-plan-a-reading-series/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [ \[The Library of Congress\] is a multimedia encyclopedia. These are the tentacles of a nation. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-j-boorstin/the-library-of-congress-is-a-multimedia-encyclopedia-these-are-the/) [Daniel J. Boorstin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-j-boorstin/) ## More by Franklin Delano Roosevelt > [“Freedom means the supremacy of human rights everywhere. Our support goes to those who struggle to gain those rights and keep them. Our strength…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-delano-roosevelt/freedom-means-the-supremacy-of-human-rights-everywhere-our-support/) [Franklin Delano Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-delano-roosevelt/) > [“The first truth is that the liberty of a democracy is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-delano-roosevelt/the-first-truth-is-that-the-liberty-of-a-democracy-is-not-safe-if-the/) [Franklin Delano Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-delano-roosevelt/) > [“We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace—business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering. They had begun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-delano-roosevelt/we-had-to-struggle-with-the-old-enemies-of-peace-business-and/) [Franklin Delano Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-delano-roosevelt/) > [“I sometimes think that the saving grace of America lies in the fact that the overwhelming majority of Americans are possessed of two great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-delano-roosevelt/i-sometimes-think-that-the-saving-grace-of-america-lies-in-the-fact/) [Franklin Delano Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-delano-roosevelt/) > [“The Truth is found when men (and Women) are free to pursue it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-delano-roosevelt/the-truth-is-found-when-men-and-women-are-free-to-pursue-it/) [Franklin Delano Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-delano-roosevelt/) [Explore all 6 Franklin Delano Roosevelt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-delano-roosevelt/) ## More Democracy quotes > [Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. 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Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [There are certain things you must not say in spite of the fact that supposedly democracy means free speech. 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