--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It took a bit of popcorn and a library…" description: "\"“It took a bit of popcorn and a library snack bar to make me realize that being a librarian was about more than just giving people information. It was ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/797/scott-douglas-31618_librarians_it-took-a-bit-of-popcorn-and-a-library-s_1912913.jpg" --- # It took a bit of popcorn and a library snack bar to make… ![“It took a bit of popcorn and a library snack bar to make me realize that being a librarian was about more than just giving people information. It was about serving a community. And if the community is hungry for more than just knowledge, then maybe it’s about time to open a snack bar.” quote by Scott Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/797/scott-douglas-31618_librarians_it-took-a-bit-of-popcorn-and-a-library-s_1912913.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/797/scott-douglas-31618_librarians_it-took-a-bit-of-popcorn-and-a-library-s_1912913.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/797/scott-douglas-31618_librarians_it-took-a-bit-of-popcorn-and-a-library-s_1912913.jpg) > ““It took a bit of popcorn and a library snack bar to make me realize that being a librarian was about more than just giving people information. It was about serving a community. And if the community is hungry for more than just knowledge, then maybe it’s about time to open a snack bar.”” [Scott Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-douglas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Realizing librarianship includes community service beyond information, like providing food and gathering spaces. **In simple terms:** Librarians serve community needs, not just books. Key Takeaway Expand library roles to include community amenities. Themes community service library innovation Mood inspired thoughtful Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - library events - community meals - pop-up snack bars - public spaces Key Concepts social capital public service community building Questions to Reflect On - How can libraries fund community amenities? - What community needs can libraries meet beyond books? A Different Perspective Balancing budget constraints with new services can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Librarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/librarian/) [Librarians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/librarians/) [Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library/) [Library books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library-books/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“There’s something deep in the heart of every person that wants to protect culture. The only thing about my pending career that was changed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-douglas/there-s-something-deep-in-the-heart-of-every-person-that-wants-to/) [Scott Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-douglas/) > [“We don’t have to destroy the library of the past. We just need to give it a face-lift.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-douglas/we-don-t-have-to-destroy-the-library-of-the-past-we-just-need-to-give/) [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/) > [“A library was nothing without its people. You say library and there’s this iconoclastic image of an old-lady librarian telling people to be quiet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-douglas/a-library-was-nothing-without-its-people-you-say-library-and-there-s/) [Scott Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-douglas/) > [“To be great at something, you must look to the great ones of the past and improve on the ideas and techniques that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-douglas/to-be-great-at-something-you-must-look-to-the-great-ones-of-the-past/) [Scott Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-douglas/) > [“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/) > [“...killing rats wasn’t in my job description.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-douglas/killing-rats-wasn-t-in-my-job-description/) [Scott Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-douglas/) > [“The loudest elderly women always had the quietest elderly husbands.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-douglas/the-loudest-elderly-women-always-had-the-quietest-elderly-husbands/) [Scott Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-douglas/) > [I can't believe you're a professional golfer. I think you should be working at the snack bar.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-barker/i-can-t-believe-you-re-a-professional-golfer-i-think-you-should-be/) [Bob Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-barker/) > [“Let us find the Dam snack bar.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan-the-titan-s-curse/let-us-find-the-dam-snack-bar/) Rick Riordan The Titan's Curse > [“Let us find the dam snack bar," Zoe said. "We should eat while we can." Grover cracked a smile. "The dam snack bar?" Zoe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/let-us-find-the-dam-snack-bar-zoe-said-we-should-eat-while-we-can/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [Let us find the dam snack bar," Zoe said. "We should eat while we can." Grover cracked a smile. "The dam snack bar?" Zoe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/let-us-find-the-dam-snack-bar-zoe-said-we-should-eat-while-we-can-2/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [“Let us find the dam snack bar before it's too late" said Zoe.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/let-us-find-the-dam-snack-bar-before-it-s-too-late-said-zoe/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [“Let us find the dam snack bar,” Zoë said. “We should eat while we can.” Grover cracked a smile. “The dam snack bar?” Zoë…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/let-us-find-the-dam-snack-bar-zo-said-we-should-eat-while-we-can/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [I need to use the Dam Bathroom, I need to use the Dam Snack bar, I want a Dam Tee-Shirt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-need-to-use-the-dam-bathroom-i-need-to-use-the-dam-snack-bar-i-want/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Scott Douglas > [“There’s something deep in the heart of every person that wants to protect culture. The only thing about my pending career that was changed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-douglas/there-s-something-deep-in-the-heart-of-every-person-that-wants-to/) [Scott Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-douglas/) > [“Running Is My Therapy: Relieve Stress and Anxiety, Fight Depression, and Live Happier”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-douglas/running-is-my-therapy-relieve-stress-and-anxiety-fight-depression-and/) [Scott Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-douglas/) > [“It's a cruel world, and unless you're blessed with some talent people will pay money to see, your friends are the only people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-douglas/it-s-a-cruel-world-and-unless-you-re-blessed-with-some-talent-people/) [Scott Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-douglas/) > [“The loudest elderly women always had the quietest elderly husbands.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-douglas/the-loudest-elderly-women-always-had-the-quietest-elderly-husbands/) [Scott Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-douglas/) > [“To be great at something, you must look to the great ones of the past and improve on the ideas and techniques that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-douglas/to-be-great-at-something-you-must-look-to-the-great-ones-of-the-past/) [Scott Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-douglas/) > [“A library was nothing without its people. You say library and there’s this iconoclastic image of an old-lady librarian telling people to be quiet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-douglas/a-library-was-nothing-without-its-people-you-say-library-and-there-s/) [Scott Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-douglas/) > [“The library—the place in my life that was full of books—beagan to teach me that books weren't everything.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-douglas/the-library-the-place-in-my-life-that-was-full-of-books-beagan-to/) [Scott Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-douglas/) > [“...killing rats wasn’t in my job description.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-douglas/killing-rats-wasn-t-in-my-job-description/) [Scott Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-douglas/) > [“Plenty of patrons had asked me strange things, but this was the first who asked me where my car was parked. It was almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-douglas/plenty-of-patrons-had-asked-me-strange-things-but-this-was-the-first/) [Scott Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-douglas/) > [“It makes logical sense that 168 is a greater number than 17, so why would you shelve 168 first? Because a librarian is always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-douglas/it-makes-logical-sense-that-168-is-a-greater-number-than-17-so-why/) [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 am convinced that grandkids are inherently evil people who tell their grandparents to "just go to the library and open up an e-mail…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-douglas/i-am-convinced-that-grandkids-are-inherently-evil-people-who-tell/) [Scott Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-douglas/) > [“There was the smell of old books, a smell that has a way of making all libraries seem the same. Some say that smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-douglas/there-was-the-smell-of-old-books-a-smell-that-has-a-way-of-making-all/) [Scott Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-douglas/) > [“We don’t have to destroy the library of the past. We just need to give it a face-lift.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-douglas/we-don-t-have-to-destroy-the-library-of-the-past-we-just-need-to-give/) [Scott Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-douglas/) > [“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/) [Explore all 16 Scott Douglas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-douglas/) ## More Librarian quotes > [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/) > [“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/) > [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/) > [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 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/) > [“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 > [“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 > [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/) > [I learned to read from Mrs. Augusta Baker, the children's librarian. ... If that was the only good deed that lady ever did in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/audre-lorde/i-learned-to-read-from-mrs-augusta-baker-the-children-s-librarian-if/) [Audre Lorde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/audre-lorde/) > [Libraries are where it all begins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rita-dove/libraries-are-where-it-all-begins/) [Rita Dove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rita-dove/) > [I think the health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture, and our concern for the future,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/i-think-the-health-of-our-civilization-the-depth-of-our-awareness/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [If Donald Trump and the Wicked Witch of the West had a kid, it would be Jayne-Anne. She looks like a librarian with some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-kadrey/if-donald-trump-and-the-wicked-witch-of-the-west-had-a-kid-it-would/) [Richard Kadrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-kadrey/) > [Librarians lend people books from the library. The best librarians are children's book librarians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-scarry/librarians-lend-people-books-from-the-library-the-best-librarians-are/) [Richard Scarry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-scarry/) > [I am proud of what I am. I am a librarian.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-weisz/i-am-proud-of-what-i-am-i-am-a-librarian/) [Rachel Weisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-weisz/) > [Children's books are written for upbringing...but upbringing is a great thing; it decides the fate of the human being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vissarion-belinsky/children-s-books-are-written-for-upbringing-but-upbringing-is-a-great/) [Vissarion Belinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vissarion-belinsky/) [Browse all 506 Librarian quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/librarian/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It took a bit of popcorn and a library snack bar to make me realize that being a librarian was about more than just giving people information. It was about serving a community. 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