--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Libraries are what is best about us as a…" description: "\"Libraries are what is best about us as a society: open, exciting, rich, informative, free, inclusive, engaging.\" — Susan Orlean" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08a/susan-orlean-2207_engaging_libraries-are-what-is-best-about-us-as-a_2410166.png" --- # Libraries are what is best about us as a society: open… ![“Libraries are what is best about us as a society: open, exciting, rich, informative, free, inclusive, engaging.” quote by Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08a/susan-orlean-2207_engaging_libraries-are-what-is-best-about-us-as-a_2410166.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08a/susan-orlean-2207_engaging_libraries-are-what-is-best-about-us-as-a_2410166.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08a/susan-orlean-2207_engaging_libraries-are-what-is-best-about-us-as-a_2410166.png) > “Libraries are what is best about us as a society: open, exciting, rich, informative, free, inclusive, engaging.” [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Libraries embody society's best traits: openness, excitement, richness, information, freedom, inclusivity, and engagement. **In simple terms:** Libraries reflect inclusive, free, and engaging knowledge hubs. Key Takeaway Support and use libraries. Themes knowledge community accessibility Mood hopeful communal Type advocacy inspirational When to use this quote - education - research - community events Key Concepts public resources information equity Questions to Reflect On - How can communities protect library funding? - What role do libraries play in digital age? A Different Perspective Funding constraints can limit library services. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Libraries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/libraries/) [Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [She sounds like someone who spends a lot of time in libraries, which are the best sorts of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/she-sounds-like-someone-who-spends-a-lot-of-time-in-libraries-which/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [I choose free libraries as the best agencies for improving the masses of the people, because they give nothing for nothing. They only help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-carnegie/i-choose-free-libraries-as-the-best-agencies-for-improving-the-masses/) [Andrew Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-carnegie/) > [We're not talking about an elite art form from the price point of view. We have a building in L.A. that is incredibly open,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esa-pekka-salonen/we-re-not-talking-about-an-elite-art-form-from-the-price-point-of/) [Esa-Pekka Salonen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esa-pekka-salonen/) > [Within the sacred walls of libraries we find the best thoughts, the purest feelings, and the most exalted imaginings of our race.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-nestell-bovee/within-the-sacred-walls-of-libraries-we-find-the-best-thoughts-the/) [Christian Nestell Bovee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-nestell-bovee/) > [The best society, the best human existence, arrives when humans most closely determine the truth, and act on the truth, and separate it from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-rodgers/the-best-society-the-best-human-existence-arrives-when-humans-most/) Dave Rodgers > [“I borrowed a quote from Oscar Wilde and put it at the top of the menu: “To get into the best society nowadays one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/i-borrowed-a-quote-from-oscar-wilde-and-put-it-at-the-top-of-the-menu/) [Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/) > [Solitude is often the best society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/proverb/solitude-is-often-the-best-society/) Proverb > [Solitude is sometimes the best society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/solitude-is-sometimes-the-best-society/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [For solitude is sometimes best society, And short retirement urges sweet return](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/for-solitude-is-sometimes-best-society-and-short-retirement-urges/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [Solitude sometimes is best society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/solitude-sometimes-is-best-society/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [To get into the best society, nowadays, one has either to feed people, amuse people, or shock people - that is all!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/to-get-into-the-best-society-nowadays-one-has-either-to-feed-people/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [Fit yourself for the best society, and then, never enter it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/fit-yourself-for-the-best-society-and-then-never-enter-it/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Solitude is sometimes best society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-milton/solitude-is-sometimes-best-society/) [John Milton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-milton/) > [“What is a course of history, or philosophy, or poetry, no matter how well selected, or the best society, or the most admirable routine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/what-is-a-course-of-history-or-philosophy-or-poetry-no-matter-how/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“We were very much a reading family, but we were a borrow-a-book-from-the-library family more than a bookshelves-full-of-books family. My parents valued books, but they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/we-were-very-much-a-reading-family-but-we-were-a-borrow-a-book-from/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) ## More by Susan Orlean > [I've used Twitter now and again to try to figure something out; it's an amazing resource. But I think you have to use it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-ve-used-twitter-now-and-again-to-try-to-figure-something-out-it-s/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [Who on earth is going to use 'utilize' in a text message, a whopping seven characters including the always-hard-to-type 'z,' when you can say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/who-on-earth-is-going-to-use-utilize-in-a-text-message-a-whopping/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [When my son was born, and after a day of lying-in I was told that I could leave the hospital and take him home,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/when-my-son-was-born-and-after-a-day-of-lying-in-i-was-told-that-i/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I'm happy to be reminded that an ordinary day full of nothing but nothingness can make you feel like you've won the lottery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-m-happy-to-be-reminded-that-an-ordinary-day-full-of-nothing-but/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I once had a boyfriend who couldn't write unless he was wearing a necktie and a dress shirt, which I thought was really weird,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-once-had-a-boyfriend-who-couldn-t-write-unless-he-was-wearing-a/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [“I, too, had set out to be remembered. I had wanted to create something permanent in my life- some proof that everything in its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-too-had-set-out-to-be-remembered-i-had-wanted-to-create-something/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I think of myself as something of a connoisseur of procrastination, creative and dogged in my approach to not getting things done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-think-of-myself-as-something-of-a-connoisseur-of-procrastination/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I'm very excited about my new Spotify account, which gives me access to twenty gazillion songs any time, all the time. The day I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-m-very-excited-about-my-new-spotify-account-which-gives-me-access/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I approach stories as a private educational enterprise: I want to learn about something. I teach myself through research, reporting, and thinking, and then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-approach-stories-as-a-private-educational-enterprise-i-want-to/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [We're fascinated by animals because it's almost like having Martians living among us. We can see some familiarity in them, but they're entirely different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/we-re-fascinated-by-animals-because-it-s-almost-like-having-martians/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [My inspiration is really very simple: I'm struck by things that I want to know more about. I really do react just as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/my-inspiration-is-really-very-simple-i-m-struck-by-things-that-i-want/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I am dismayed to realize that much of the advice I used to parcel out to aspiring writers has passed its sell-by date.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-am-dismayed-to-realize-that-much-of-the-advice-i-used-to-parcel-out/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [I wish I had coined the phrase 'tyranny of choice,' but someone beat me to it. The counterintuitive truth is that have an abundance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/i-wish-i-had-coined-the-phrase-tyranny-of-choice-but-someone-beat-me/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [My ace in the hole as a human being used to be my capacity for remembering birthdays. I worked at it. Whenever I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/my-ace-in-the-hole-as-a-human-being-used-to-be-my-capacity-for/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) > [Sometimes I think I've figured out some order in the universe, but then I find myself in Florida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/sometimes-i-think-i-ve-figured-out-some-order-in-the-universe-but/) [Susan Orlean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) [Explore all 179 Susan Orlean quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/) ## More Engaging quotes > [Majority decisions tend to be made without engaging the systematic thought and critical thinking skills of the individuals in the group. Given the force…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/majority-decisions-tend-to-be-made-without-engaging-the-systematic/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When good media takes a bounded form, and comes once in a period of time, it begs to be consumed as a whole -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-battelle/when-good-media-takes-a-bounded-form-and-comes-once-in-a-period-of/) [John Battelle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-battelle/) > [Engaging the city around us and ministering to its needs reveal to us the remaining bastions of sin in our lives, the areas we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-chandler/engaging-the-city-around-us-and-ministering-to-its-needs-reveal-to-us/) [Matt Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-chandler/) > [It takes little or nothing to undo reputations, the merest trifle makes and remakes them, it is simply a question of finding the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jos-saramago/it-takes-little-or-nothing-to-undo-reputations-the-merest-trifle/) [Jose Saramago](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jos-saramago/) > [If you are a friend of the Constitution as I am, I hope you will consider engaging me in the topics of my posts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-jay-hooker/if-you-are-a-friend-of-the-constitution-as-i-am-i-hope-you-will/) [John Jay Hooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-jay-hooker/) > [Quality afterschool programs provide safe, engaging and fun learning experiences to help children and youth develop their social, emotional, physical, cultural and academic skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-stabenow/quality-afterschool-programs-provide-safe-engaging-and-fun-learning/) [Debbie Stabenow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-stabenow/) > [I love performing live and engaging with my fans on-ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guru-randhawa/i-love-performing-live-and-engaging-with-my-fans-on-ground/) [Guru Randhawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guru-randhawa/) > [If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the enemy from engaging us even though the lines of our encampment be merely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/if-we-do-not-wish-to-fight-we-can-prevent-the-enemy-from-engaging-us/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [There is no reason why challenging themes and engaging stories have to be mutually exclusive - in fact, each can fuel the other. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-zwick/there-is-no-reason-why-challenging-themes-and-engaging-stories-have/) [Edward Zwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-zwick/) > [The good news is that economists are intelligent, engaging and often charming folks. The bad news is their work is often of little use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/the-good-news-is-that-economists-are-intelligent-engaging-and-often/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [If you understand writing as primarily engaging an imaginary reader, well, you've kind of been doing that your whole life. You walk into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/if-you-understand-writing-as-primarily-engaging-an-imaginary-reader/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) > [The poem is the device through which the ordinary world is seen in a new way - engaging, compelling, even beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-kooser/the-poem-is-the-device-through-which-the-ordinary-world-is-seen-in-a/) [Ted Kooser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-kooser/) > [An excellent introduction to the rise and fall of the British Raj, accurate, succinct, and engaging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-wolpert/an-excellent-introduction-to-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-british-raj/) Stanley Wolpert > [Gossip is certainly one of the things that language is useful for, because it's always handy to know who needs a favor, who can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pinker/gossip-is-certainly-one-of-the-things-that-language-is-useful-for/) [Steven Pinker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pinker/) > [When I'm starting to feel, "How many more people are there?" I go slower. I ask questions, and that person engaging with me gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-cisneros/when-i-m-starting-to-feel-how-many-more-people-are-there-i-go-slower/) [Sandra Cisneros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-cisneros/) Browse all 595 Engaging quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Libraries are what is best about us as a society: open, exciting, rich, informative, free, inclusive, engaging.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Susan Orlean" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/libraries-are-what-is-best-about-us-as-a-society-open-exciting-rich/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Engaging" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/libraries-are-what-is-best-about-us-as-a-society-open-exciting-rich/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08a/susan-orlean-2207_engaging_libraries-are-what-is-best-about-us-as-a_2410166.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08a/susan-orlean-2207_engaging_libraries-are-what-is-best-about-us-as-a_2410166.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/08a/susan-orlean-2207_engaging_libraries-are-what-is-best-about-us-as-a_2410166.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Libraries are what is best about us as a society: open, exciting, rich, informative, free, inclusive…” — Susan Orlean", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Susan Orlean", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-orlean/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Libraries are what is best about...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/libraries-are-what-is-best-about-us-as-a-society-open-exciting-rich/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-orlean/libraries-are-what-is-best-about-us-as-a-society-open-exciting-rich/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```