--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The time was when a library was very like…" description: "\"The time was when a library was very like a museum and the librarian a mouser among dusty books. The time is when the library is a school and the libra..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/melvil-dewey-46046_book_the-time-was-when-a-library-was-very-lik_948452.jpg" --- # The time was when a library was very like a museum and the… ![“The time was when a library was very like a museum and the librarian a mouser among dusty books. The time is when the library is a school and the librarian in the highest sense a teacher.” quote by Melvil Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/melvil-dewey-46046_book_the-time-was-when-a-library-was-very-lik_948452.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/melvil-dewey-46046_book_the-time-was-when-a-library-was-very-lik_948452.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9a5/melvil-dewey-46046_book_the-time-was-when-a-library-was-very-lik_948452.jpg) > “The time was when a library was very like a museum and the librarian a mouser among dusty books. The time is when the library is a school and the librarian in the highest sense a teacher.” [Melvil Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvil-dewey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Libraries evolved from static repositories to active learning centers, with librarians as educators. **In simple terms:** Libraries now teach, not just store books. Key Takeaway Embrace the library as a learning hub. Themes education library evolution teaching Mood hopeful progressive Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - school curricula - public programs - digital archives Key Concepts information literacy community learning Questions to Reflect On - How can libraries expand teaching? - What skills must librarians develop? A Different Perspective Transition requires resources and training. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Highest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/highest/) [Librarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/librarian/) [Librarian Mouser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/librarian-mouser-1673614/) [Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library/) [Library School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library-school-1673613/) [Museum Librarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/museum-librarian-1673615/) [Museums](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/museums/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [School Librarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school-librarian-1673612/) [Teacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teacher/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [Mom worked as a school librarian, and she felt summers were for education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-a-woertz/mom-worked-as-a-school-librarian-and-she-felt-summers-were-for/) [Patricia A. Woertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-a-woertz/) > [It is an awfully sad misconception that librarians simply check books in and out. The library is the heart of a school, and without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarrett-j-krosoczka/it-is-an-awfully-sad-misconception-that-librarians-simply-check-books/) [Jarrett J. Krosoczka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarrett-j-krosoczka/) > [“When I tell people I went to library school, the most common reaction is either “You’re joking, right?” or “They have schools for librarians?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-douglas/when-i-tell-people-i-went-to-library-school-the-most-common-reaction/) [Scott Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-douglas/) > [“I like to imagine that library school was started because of some sort of silly bar bet where a guy got really plastered and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-douglas/i-like-to-imagine-that-library-school-was-started-because-of-some/) [Scott Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-douglas/) > [I taught myself more in the library than school taught me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/i-taught-myself-more-in-the-library-than-school-taught-me/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [The librarian must be the librarian militant before he can be the librarian triumphant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvil-dewey/the-librarian-must-be-the-librarian-militant-before-he-can-be-the/) [Melvil Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvil-dewey/) > [To my thinking, a great librarian must have a clear head, a strong hand, and, above all, a great heart. And when I look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvil-dewey/to-my-thinking-a-great-librarian-must-have-a-clear-head-a-strong-hand/) [Melvil Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvil-dewey/) > [Smiling back at her, it occurs to me that I've never met a mean librarian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-horowitz/smiling-back-at-her-it-occurs-to-me-that-i-ve-never-met-a-mean/) [Anthony Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-horowitz/) > [“The librarian, a tiny blonde twenty-something in a Riot grrrl T-shirt, looked up from her desk and smiled. Don’t let anyone tell you that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-callaghan/the-librarian-a-tiny-blonde-twenty-something-in-a-riot-grrrl-t-shirt/) [Helen Callaghan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-callaghan/) > [“Why a librarian?” he asked. “Princesses weren’t in high demand, so I opted for the next best thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidney-bristol/why-a-librarian-he-asked-princesses-weren-t-in-high-demand-so-i-opted/) [Sidney Bristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidney-bristol/) > [“The Burgess sisters arrive together. Tara and Lainie do a little bit of everything. Sometimes dancers, sometimes actresses. Once they were librarians, but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erin-morgenstern/the-burgess-sisters-arrive-together-tara-and-lainie-do-a-little-bit/) [Erin Morgenstern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erin-morgenstern/) > [You can take the girl out of the library, but you can’t take the neurotic, compulsively curious librarian out of the girl.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-harper/you-can-take-the-girl-out-of-the-library-but-you-can-t-take-the/) [Molly Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-harper/) > [The role of a librarian is to make sense of the world of information. If that's not a qualification for superhero-dom, what is?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pearl/the-role-of-a-librarian-is-to-make-sense-of-the-world-of-information/) [Nancy Pearl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pearl/) > [“She'd always been a little excitable, a little more passionate about books than your average person, but she was supposed to be -- she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-beth-durst/she-d-always-been-a-little-excitable-a-little-more-passionate-about/) [Sarah Beth Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-beth-durst/) > [In general, librarians enjoyed special requests. A reference librarian is someone who likes the chase. When librarians read for pleasure, they often pick a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-joy-fowler/in-general-librarians-enjoyed-special-requests-a-reference-librarian/) [Karen Joy Fowler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-joy-fowler/) ## More by Melvil Dewey > [The eternal conflict of good and the best with bad and the worst is on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvil-dewey/the-eternal-conflict-of-good-and-the-best-with-bad-and-the-worst-is-on/) [Melvil Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvil-dewey/) > [To my thinking, a great librarian must have a clear head, a strong hand, and, above all, a great heart. And when I look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvil-dewey/to-my-thinking-a-great-librarian-must-have-a-clear-head-a-strong-hand/) [Melvil Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvil-dewey/) > [Our great function is to inform or to inspire, or to please; to give to the public in the quickest and cheapest way information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvil-dewey/our-great-function-is-to-inform-or-to-inspire-or-to-please-to-give-to/) [Melvil Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvil-dewey/) > [The librarian must be the librarian militant before he can be the librarian triumphant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvil-dewey/the-librarian-must-be-the-librarian-militant-before-he-can-be-the/) [Melvil Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvil-dewey/) > [A library's function is to give the public in the quickest and cheapest way: information, inspiration, and recreation. If a better way than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvil-dewey/a-library-s-function-is-to-give-the-public-in-the-quickest-and/) [Melvil Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvil-dewey/) > [Women can endure pain with fortitude, and they can perform monotonous tasks with patience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvil-dewey/women-can-endure-pain-with-fortitude-and-they-can-perform-monotonous/) [Melvil Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvil-dewey/) > [Reading is a mighty engine, beside which steam and electricity sink into insignificance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvil-dewey/reading-is-a-mighty-engine-beside-which-steam-and-electricity-sink/) [Melvil Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvil-dewey/) [Explore all 8 Melvil Dewey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvil-dewey/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [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/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The time was when a library was very like a museum and the librarian a mouser among dusty books. 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