--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Without libraries what have we? We have…" description: "\"“Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no future. Just ask Ray Bradbury.”\" — Kami Garcia" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/kami-garcia-543_bradbury_without-libraries-what-have-we-we-have-n_3190986.png" --- # Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no… ![“Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no future. Just ask Ray Bradbury.” quote by Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/kami-garcia-543_bradbury_without-libraries-what-have-we-we-have-n_3190986.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/kami-garcia-543_bradbury_without-libraries-what-have-we-we-have-n_3190986.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1ac/kami-garcia-543_bradbury_without-libraries-what-have-we-we-have-n_3190986.png) > ““Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no future. Just ask Ray Bradbury.”” [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Libraries preserve collective memory; without them society loses identity and direction. **In simple terms:** Libraries hold our past and future. Key Takeaway Support and use libraries. Themes history community knowledge Mood concerned hopeful Type social philosophical When to use this quote - education - research - community building Key Concepts cultural heritage information science Questions to Reflect On - What role should libraries play today? - How can we protect them? A Different Perspective Digital media may replace physical libraries. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bradbury/) [Libraries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/libraries/) [Libraries Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/libraries-past-2599657/) [Past future](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past-future/) [Ray bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ray-bradbury/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/without-libraries-what-have-we-we-have-no-past-and-no-future/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“You’ve got to jump off cliffs and build your wings on the way down. —Ray Bradbury”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellery-adams/you-ve-got-to-jump-off-cliffs-and-build-your-wings-on-the-way-down/) [Ellery Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellery-adams/) > [“The things you are looking for, Montag, are in the world but the only way the average chap will ever see ninety-nine per cent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/the-things-you-are-looking-for-montag-are-in-the-world-but-the-only/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“Ray Bradbury’s entire oeuvre exemplifies the crumbling of SCIENCE FICTION into the open interplay of science fiction, fantasy and horror.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-duncan/ray-bradbury-s-entire-oeuvre-exemplifies-the-crumbling-of-science/) [Hal Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-duncan/) > [When I was growing up, other girls had New Kids on the Block and shit on their walls, and I had Ray Bradbury. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilarie-burton/when-i-was-growing-up-other-girls-had-new-kids-on-the-block-and-shit/) [Hilarie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilarie-burton/) > [Ray Bradbury is, for many reasons, the most influential writer in my life. Throughout our long friendship, Ray supplied not only his terrific stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-bear/ray-bradbury-is-for-many-reasons-the-most-influential-writer-in-my/) [Greg Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-bear/) > [I've had the chance to work with Christopher Plummer, one of the great stage and film actors, a couple of times, including on 'Prototype,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/i-ve-had-the-chance-to-work-with-christopher-plummer-one-of-the-great/) [David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) > [“Because of what I loved at 7, I still get jobs in my 60's. Guess who got the job? Crazy Ray. Ray Bradbury”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherri-rabinowitz/because-of-what-i-loved-at-7-i-still-get-jobs-in-my-60-s-guess-who/) [Sherri Rabinowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherri-rabinowitz/) > [“This morning, Ray Bradbury is dead and there is only soy milk at my coffee shop. I do not know which to be more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mundt/this-morning-ray-bradbury-is-dead-and-there-is-only-soy-milk-at-my/) [Lewis Mundt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mundt/) > [As far as fiction goes, as far as everything from Dr. Seuss to Oscar Wilde to Bret Easton Ellis. Ray Bradbury. There's just tons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davey-havok/as-far-as-fiction-goes-as-far-as-everything-from-dr-seuss-to-oscar/) [Davey Havok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davey-havok/) > [I was warped early by Ray Bradbury and Edgar Allan Poe. I was very fond of Franz Kafka.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-was-warped-early-by-ray-bradbury-and-edgar-allan-poe-i-was-very/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury raised cautions against mass media, especially the television, which dumb down human sensibilities and coerce everybody's thoughts into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasumasa-morimura/in-fahrenheit-451-ray-bradbury-raised-cautions-against-mass-media/) [Yasumasa Morimura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasumasa-morimura/) > [Ray Bradbury is one who is contributing to the understanding of the imagination and the curiosity of the human race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/ray-bradbury-is-one-who-is-contributing-to-the-understanding-of-the/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [Ray Bradbury was not ahead of his time. He was perfectly of his time, and more than that: he created his time and left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/ray-bradbury-was-not-ahead-of-his-time-he-was-perfectly-of-his-time/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I don't go around thinking I'm Ray Bradbury all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/i-don-t-go-around-thinking-i-m-ray-bradbury-all-the-time/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) ## More by Kami Garcia > [High school sucked. It was a universal truth, and whoever said these were supposed to be the best years of your life was probably…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/high-school-sucked-it-was-a-universal-truth-and-whoever-said-these/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [“Why are you fighting like this? You're acting like Reece and Ridley.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/why-are-you-fighting-like-this-you-re-acting-like-reece-and-ridley/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [Lena Smoothed her hair. "Crazy weather you have down here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/lena-smoothed-her-hair-crazy-weather-you-have-down-here/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [“But you couldn't unpop a bubble.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/but-you-couldn-t-unpop-a-bubble/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [“Dead man, listen well. The Great Keep is not like the Otherworld. The Great Keep has many names. To the Norse it is Valhalla,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/dead-man-listen-well-the-great-keep-is-not-like-the-otherworld-the/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [Nothin' wrong with havin' a cat in the house. They can see what most people can't, like the folks in the Otherworld when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/nothin-wrong-with-havin-a-cat-in-the-house-they-can-see-what-most/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [“Loneliness is holding the one you love / When you know you might never hold him again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/loneliness-is-holding-the-one-you-love-when-you-know-you-might-never/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [I sat up in bed. My T-shirt was soaking wet. My pillow was wet. My hair was wet. And my room was sticky and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/i-sat-up-in-bed-my-t-shirt-was-soaking-wet-my-pillow-was-wet-my-hair/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [“Knowing you don’t have much time left changes things. You get kind of philosophical. And you figure things out—more like, they figure themselves out—and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/knowing-you-don-t-have-much-time-left-changes-things-you-get-kind-of/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [The toes of our ratty black sneakers touched.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/the-toes-of-our-ratty-black-sneakers-touched/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [“So You’re Powerless Now, But You’re Going Out with One of the X-Men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/so-you-re-powerless-now-but-you-re-going-out-with-one-of-the-x-men/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [“I wasn't into girls like Emily. She was pretty, but that was it. And looking at her didn't make up for having to listen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/i-wasn-t-into-girls-like-emily-she-was-pretty-but-that-was-it-and/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [Ethan thought he was doing the right thing. He knew it was crazy. And he didn’t want to go, but he had to anyway.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/ethan-thought-he-was-doing-the-right-thing-he-knew-it-was-crazy-and/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [Nothing in my life is a coincidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/nothing-in-my-life-is-a-coincidence/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) > [“Every day was like a day out of someone else's life. Nothing had ever happened to me, and now everything was happening to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kami-garcia/every-day-was-like-a-day-out-of-someone-else-s-life-nothing-had-ever/) [Kami Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) [Explore all 471 Kami Garcia quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kami-garcia/) ## More Bradbury quotes > [“You’ve got to jump off cliffs and build your wings on the way down. —Ray Bradbury”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellery-adams/you-ve-got-to-jump-off-cliffs-and-build-your-wings-on-the-way-down/) [Ellery Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellery-adams/) > [Ray Bradbury was not ahead of his time. He was perfectly of his time, and more than that: he created his time and left…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/ray-bradbury-was-not-ahead-of-his-time-he-was-perfectly-of-his-time/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Ray Bradbury is one who is contributing to the understanding of the imagination and the curiosity of the human race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/ray-bradbury-is-one-who-is-contributing-to-the-understanding-of-the/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [In Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury raised cautions against mass media, especially the television, which dumb down human sensibilities and coerce everybody's thoughts into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasumasa-morimura/in-fahrenheit-451-ray-bradbury-raised-cautions-against-mass-media/) [Yasumasa Morimura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasumasa-morimura/) > [What Bradbury had that most other science-fiction writers didn't have at that time was a love for beautiful language, evocative description, and haunting phrases…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-sawyer/what-bradbury-had-that-most-other-science-fiction-writers-didn-t-have/) [Robert J. Sawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-sawyer/) > [I was warped early by Ray Bradbury and Edgar Allan Poe. I was very fond of Franz Kafka.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-was-warped-early-by-ray-bradbury-and-edgar-allan-poe-i-was-very/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [As far as fiction goes, as far as everything from Dr. Seuss to Oscar Wilde to Bret Easton Ellis. Ray Bradbury. There's just tons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/davey-havok/as-far-as-fiction-goes-as-far-as-everything-from-dr-seuss-to-oscar/) [Davey Havok](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/davey-havok/) > [“Throughout his life, Bradbury liked to recount the story of meeting a carnival magician, Mr. Electrico, in 1932. At the end of his performance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/throughout-his-life-bradbury-liked-to-recount-the-story-of-meeting-a/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“They felt the wings on their fingers and elbows flying, then, suddenly plunged in new sweeps of air, the clear autumn river flung them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/they-felt-the-wings-on-their-fingers-and-elbows-flying-then-suddenly/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“This morning, Ray Bradbury is dead and there is only soy milk at my coffee shop. I do not know which to be more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mundt/this-morning-ray-bradbury-is-dead-and-there-is-only-soy-milk-at-my/) [Lewis Mundt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mundt/) > [“Because of what I loved at 7, I still get jobs in my 60's. Guess who got the job? Crazy Ray. Ray Bradbury”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherri-rabinowitz/because-of-what-i-loved-at-7-i-still-get-jobs-in-my-60-s-guess-who/) [Sherri Rabinowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherri-rabinowitz/) > [I've had the chance to work with Christopher Plummer, one of the great stage and film actors, a couple of times, including on 'Prototype,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-morse/i-ve-had-the-chance-to-work-with-christopher-plummer-one-of-the-great/) [David Morse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-morse/) > [Ray Bradbury is, for many reasons, the most influential writer in my life. Throughout our long friendship, Ray supplied not only his terrific stories…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-bear/ray-bradbury-is-for-many-reasons-the-most-influential-writer-in-my/) [Greg Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-bear/) > [When I was growing up, other girls had New Kids on the Block and shit on their walls, and I had Ray Bradbury. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilarie-burton/when-i-was-growing-up-other-girls-had-new-kids-on-the-block-and-shit/) [Hilarie Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilarie-burton/) > [Well, Bradbury's a genius. Fahrenheit 451 is one of my favorite books of all time, and The Illustrated Man as a collection of short…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zack-snyder/well-bradbury-s-a-genius-fahrenheit-451-is-one-of-my-favorite-books/) [Zack Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zack-snyder/) [Browse all 58 Bradbury quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bradbury/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no future. 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