--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know, you don't expect everyone to be…" description: "\"You know, you don't expect everyone to be as educated as everyone else or have the same achievements, but you expect at least to be offered at least so..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4f/zadie-smith-584_access_you-know-you-don-t-expect-everyone-to-be_2897673.jpg" --- # You know, you don't expect everyone to be as educated as… ![“You know, you don't expect everyone to be as educated as everyone else or have the same achievements, but you expect at least to be offered at least some of the opportunities, and libraries are the most simple and the most open way to give people access to books.” quote by Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4f/zadie-smith-584_access_you-know-you-don-t-expect-everyone-to-be_2897673.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4f/zadie-smith-584_access_you-know-you-don-t-expect-everyone-to-be_2897673.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f4f/zadie-smith-584_access_you-know-you-don-t-expect-everyone-to-be_2897673.jpg) > “You know, you don't expect everyone to be as educated as everyone else or have the same achievements, but you expect at least to be offered at least some of the opportunities, and libraries are the most simple and the most open way to give people access to books.” [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Libraries provide open, simple access to books, offering equal opportunity for learning regardless of background. **In simple terms:** Libraries give everyone a chance to read. Key Takeaway Support and use public libraries for equal learning. Themes education access equality community knowledge Mood hopeful inspirational thoughtful Type advocacy informative philosophical When to use this quote - school curricula - community programs - personal development - policy advocacy Key Concepts social equity public good information literacy Questions to Reflect On - How can we improve library resources in underserved areas? - What role do libraries play in social mobility? A Different Perspective Not all regions have well-funded libraries, limiting access. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Access](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/access/) [Achievements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achievements/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Libraries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/libraries/) [Library](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/library/) [Opportunities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opportunities/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [I could listen to the radio and I had access to books from time to time. Not all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san-suu-kyi/i-could-listen-to-the-radio-and-i-had-access-to-books-from-time-to/) [Aung San Suu Kyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san-suu-kyi/) > [For many children, the library represents their only access to books, reading, and the Internet outside of their home. If you think about how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/for-many-children-the-library-represents-their-only-access-to-books/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [“when people don’t have free access to books, then communities are like radios without batteries.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/when-people-don-t-have-free-access-to-books-then-communities-are-like/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [Access to books and the encouragement of the habit of reading: these two things are the first and most necessary steps in education and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/access-to-books-and-the-encouragement-of-the-habit-of-reading-these/) [Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/) > [I had access to books, and I could read... but that more foundational, basic historical awareness, I didn't have any of that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-had-access-to-books-and-i-could-read-but-that-more-foundational/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [Free and fair access to books - to reading - is a right and one we should fight for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-mosse/free-and-fair-access-to-books-to-reading-is-a-right-and-one-we-should/) [Kate Mosse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-mosse/) > [My library card. Every hurdle I've faced, I have researched my way over at a library. I'm grateful for that part of the American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-bird/my-library-card-every-hurdle-i-ve-faced-i-have-researched-my-way-over/) [Sarah Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bird/) > [“Today the sight that discourages book people most is to walk into a public library and see computers where books used to be. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/today-the-sight-that-discourages-book-people-most-is-to-walk-into-a/) [Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/) > [“I'm not, like, a book guy, but isn't the point of all this book stuff like what Ms. Croft was teaching us -- that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-connis/i-m-not-like-a-book-guy-but-isn-t-the-point-of-all-this-book-stuff/) David Connis > [A woman's professional achievements are always overlooked.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simi-garewal/a-woman-s-professional-achievements-are-always-overlooked/) [Simi Garewal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simi-garewal/) > [“Leaders spend time reviewing their mistakes rather than having fantasies over their achievements! They look for every way to do the undone!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/leaders-spend-time-reviewing-their-mistakes-rather-than-having/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [Big achievements come one small advantage at a time, one step at a time, one day at time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/big-achievements-come-one-small-advantage-at-a-time-one-step-at-a/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [If I stayed in this game for individual achievements, I don't think I'd still be playing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chili-davis/if-i-stayed-in-this-game-for-individual-achievements-i-don-t-think-i/) [Chili Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chili-davis/) > [One of the achievements of the reform movement is that people realize that they can be democrats and remain faithful Muslims. Democracy is now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abdolkarim-soroush/one-of-the-achievements-of-the-reform-movement-is-that-people-realize/) [Abdolkarim Soroush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abdolkarim-soroush/) > [“Desires and wishes don’t lead to success. Plans and efforts do. Create a vision, chalk out an action plan, put in your best efforts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roopleen/desires-and-wishes-don-t-lead-to-success-plans-and-efforts-do-create/) Roopleen ## More by Zadie Smith > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [“Pretty girls lie at the centre of straight culture, dyke culture, fag culture. They sell everything, they buy everything, they ruin great men and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/pretty-girls-lie-at-the-centre-of-straight-culture-dyke-culture-fag/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [“I have known many true connoisseurs, with excellent tastes that range across the humanities and the culinary arts--and they never fail to have a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/i-have-known-many-true-connoisseurs-with-excellent-tastes-that-range/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [I cannot believe homosexuality is that much fun. Heterosexuality certainly is not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/i-cannot-believe-homosexuality-is-that-much-fun-heterosexuality/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [“Either everything is sacred or nothing is. And if he starts burning other people’s things, then he loses something sacred also. 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I don't like them around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/i-don-t-keep-any-copies-of-my-books-in-the-house-they-go-to-my-mum-s/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [But it makes an immigrant laugh to hear the fears of the nationalist, scared of infection, penetration, miscegenation, when this is small fry, peanuts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/but-it-makes-an-immigrant-laugh-to-hear-the-fears-of-the-nationalist/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [Oh, I know that. You know me, baby, I cannot be broken. Takes a giant to snap me in half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/oh-i-know-that-you-know-me-baby-i-cannot-be-broken-takes-a-giant-to/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [“In short, it was precisely the kind of friendship and Englishman makes on holiday, that he can make only on holiday. A friendship that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/in-short-it-was-precisely-the-kind-of-friendship-and-englishman-makes/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [I suppose I often think of my writing as quite impersonal. But it turned out, when my father died, writing was exactly what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/i-suppose-i-often-think-of-my-writing-as-quite-impersonal-but-it/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [“Some of us are happy with our African hair, thank you very much. I don't want some poor Indian girl's hair. And I wish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/some-of-us-are-happy-with-our-african-hair-thank-you-very-much-i-don/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [You can't state difference and also state equality. We have to state sameness to understand equality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-can-t-state-difference-and-also-state-equality-we-have-to-state/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [“(Unlike many others around this time, Joyce felt no shame about using the term 'middle class'. In the Chalfen lexicon the middle classes were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/unlike-many-others-around-this-time-joyce-felt-no-shame-about-using/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [A lot of women, when they're young, feel they have very good friends, and find later on that friendship is complicated. It's easy to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/a-lot-of-women-when-they-re-young-feel-they-have-very-good-friends/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) [Explore all 457 Zadie Smith quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) ## More Access quotes > [Conservatism is not about leaving people behind. Conservatism is about empowering people to catch up, to give them the tools at their disposable that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/conservatism-is-not-about-leaving-people-behind-conservatism-is-about/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [You can disseminate your art, and it's all such easy access now. The upside to it is that more people are creating than ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-clarke/you-can-disseminate-your-art-and-it-s-all-such-easy-access-now-the/) [Stanley Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-clarke/) > [It's the same with this idea of a literate public, and also of a democracy in which people have access to and really read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hass/it-s-the-same-with-this-idea-of-a-literate-public-and-also-of-a/) [Robert Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hass/) > [My hope is that if people have the knowledge, and if they actually see where their food comes from and have access to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/my-hope-is-that-if-people-have-the-knowledge-and-if-they-actually-see/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [I don't think it's always a sign of respect for persons (inside or outside of fiction) to pretend to be able to represent, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-lerner/i-don-t-think-it-s-always-a-sign-of-respect-for-persons-inside-or/) [Ben Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-lerner/) > [Leslie Stein's comics give readers privileged access to a complete and wholly original world of gently skewed wonders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-woodring/leslie-stein-s-comics-give-readers-privileged-access-to-a-complete/) [Jim Woodring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-woodring/) > [The best way to fight poverty is to empower people through access to quality education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-legend/the-best-way-to-fight-poverty-is-to-empower-people-through-access-to/) [John Legend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-legend/) > [Because the Internet's there, I have access to a lot of the legends, like Fela Kuti. I used to watch a lot of Fela…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/king-krule/because-the-internet-s-there-i-have-access-to-a-lot-of-the-legends/) [King Krule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/king-krule/) > [There needs to be some regime that is overseeing access to broadband to make sure we have openess; otherwise, there is a risk it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vint-cerf/there-needs-to-be-some-regime-that-is-overseeing-access-to-broadband/) [Vint Cerf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vint-cerf/) > [While it's wonderful that investors have access to all the data now available to them, it has become a full-time job to sift through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-bartiromo/while-it-s-wonderful-that-investors-have-access-to-all-the-data-now/) [Maria Bartiromo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-bartiromo/) > [It is truly vital for the United States to assure that it is not attacked with weapons of mass destruction; to prevent wars in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/it-is-truly-vital-for-the-united-states-to-assure-that-it-is-not/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Now that I'm more middle class, I have access to consumer goods. 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