--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be a librarian is not to be neutral…" description: "\"“To be a librarian is not to be neutral, or passive, or waiting for a question. It is to be a radical positive change agent within your community.”\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd1/r-david-lankes-76871_change_to-be-a-librarian-is-not-to-be-neutral-o_1968198.jpg" --- # To be a librarian is not to be neutral, or passive, or… ![“To be a librarian is not to be neutral, or passive, or waiting for a question. It is to be a radical positive change agent within your community.” quote by R. David Lankes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd1/r-david-lankes-76871_change_to-be-a-librarian-is-not-to-be-neutral-o_1968198.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd1/r-david-lankes-76871_change_to-be-a-librarian-is-not-to-be-neutral-o_1968198.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd1/r-david-lankes-76871_change_to-be-a-librarian-is-not-to-be-neutral-o_1968198.jpg) > ““To be a librarian is not to be neutral, or passive, or waiting for a question. It is to be a radical positive change agent within your community.”” [R. David Lankes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-david-lankes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote declares that librarians must be active agents of radical positive change, not neutral or passive observers. **In simple terms:** Librarians should actively drive positive community change. Key Takeaway Be a proactive change agent. Themes library activism community change Mood motivational determined Type activist professional When to use this quote - community outreach - policy advocacy - program development - digital inclusion Key Concepts social impact information equity Questions to Reflect On - How can librarians influence social change? - What barriers exist to active engagement? A Different Perspective Resources may limit impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Change agent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change-agent/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Librarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/librarian/) [Librarian Neutral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/librarian-neutral-3289130/) [Librarians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/librarians/) [Libraries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/libraries/) [Positive change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive-change/) [Radical Positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/radical-positive-3289131/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [ This book \[Desperate Marriages \] is really a book on how to be a positive change agent in a very, very difficult marriage. I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-chapman/this-book-desperate-marriages-is-really-a-book-on-how-to-be-a/) [Gary Chapman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-chapman/) > [Words saturated with sincerity, conviction, faith, and intuition are like highly explosive vibration bombs, which, when set off, shatter the rocks of difficulties and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/words-saturated-with-sincerity-conviction-faith-and-intuition-are/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [“Of all the places I have walked into, libraries must be the most magical. Have you ever opened the cover of a book and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimberly-long-cockroft/of-all-the-places-i-have-walked-into-libraries-must-be-the-most/) [Kimberly Long Cockroft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimberly-long-cockroft/) > [“Libraries are like houses of worship: Whether or not you use them yourself, it's important to know that they are there. In many ways…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-stanton-hitchcock/libraries-are-like-houses-of-worship-whether-or-not-you-use-them/) [Jane Stanton Hitchcock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-stanton-hitchcock/) > [“...I am still librarian in your house, for I never was dismissed, and never gave up the office. Now I am librarian here as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-macdonald/i-am-still-librarian-in-your-house-for-i-never-was-dismissed-and/) [George MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-macdonald/) > [“Every reader his or her book. Every book its reader.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-reader-his-or-her-book-every-book-its-reader/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I walked straight to the library. Mrs. Bloom, the librarian, always knows everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusta-scattergood/i-walked-straight-to-the-library-mrs-bloom-the-librarian-always-knows/) [Augusta Scattergood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusta-scattergood/) > [“Impersonating a quiet, gentle librarian like Barbara Gordon--You deserve to be taken out of circulation!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kesel/impersonating-a-quiet-gentle-librarian-like-barbara-gordon-you/) [Karl Kesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kesel/) > [ “\[W\]hat people truly desire is access to the knowledge and information that ultimately lead to a better life--the collected wisdom of the ages found… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-sue-park/w-hat-people-truly-desire-is-access-to-the-knowledge-and-information/) [Linda Sue Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-sue-park/) > [“Rule number one: Don't fuck with librarians.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/rule-number-one-don-t-fuck-with-librarians/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [“I finally found my way to the Really Restricted Section, where they keep the kind of books most scholars aren't even supposed to know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-r-green/i-finally-found-my-way-to-the-really-restricted-section-where-they/) [Simon R. Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-r-green/) > [“Librarians have always been among the most thoughtful and helpful people. They are teachers without a classroom. No libraries, no progress.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/willard-scott/librarians-have-always-been-among-the-most-thoughtful-and-helpful/) [Willard Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/willard-scott/) > [Libraries are brothels for the mind. Which means that librarians are the madams, greeting punters, understanding their strange tastes and needs, and pimping their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-browning/libraries-are-brothels-for-the-mind-which-means-that-librarians-are/) [Guy Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-browning/) > [“Librarians are trained to be polite, patient, and helpful, no matter who stands across the reference desk.The most important thing is that we look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dawson/librarians-are-trained-to-be-polite-patient-and-helpful-no-matter-who/) [Robert Dawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dawson/) > [“It may be that I link every library to that first one - to my early childhood experience of drawing on the floor near…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siri-hustvedt/it-may-be-that-i-link-every-library-to-that-first-one-to-my-early/) [Siri Hustvedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siri-hustvedt/) ## More by R. David Lankes > [“True learning happens when books and friends, writing and understanding intermingle in a rich soup of participation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-david-lankes/true-learning-happens-when-books-and-friends-writing-and/) [R. David Lankes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-david-lankes/) > [“Every day, librarians enforce copyright policies that we may disagree with and that, in some ways, run contrary to the values of our profession.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-david-lankes/every-day-librarians-enforce-copyright-policies-that-we-may-disagree/) [R. David Lankes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-david-lankes/) [Explore all 3 R. David Lankes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-david-lankes/) ## More Change quotes > [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/) [Phil Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hogan/) > [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/) [William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/) > [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/) [Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/) > [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/) [Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/) > [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) [Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To be a librarian is not to be neutral, or passive, or waiting for a question. 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