A great letter from the great E.B. White. He gets it absolutely right here - a library is all that and more, and it is for life. Thanks for this. Also, thanks for that photo of my all-time favorite library at Grand Army Plaza where my dad took me sixty years ago.
Love this! I'm actually writing about the library van that used to visit our village when I was a kid so it's the loveliest timing to see this letter. 🥰
Sitting here with tears in my eyes now. Particularly when I think of what the right-wing bigots are doing to children's libraries in America. EB White must be turning in his grave.
What a wonderful collection of letters. How timely in these days of renewed book banning...Books should not be feared, but treasured. It took me back to the days of my youth and the lovely Carnegie Library in Syracuse, New York.
“Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people---people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book.” Made me wonder if the current book banners confused immortality with immorality.
I can feel how this magnificent letter is imbued from beginning to end with love for the library. It evokes in me genuinely pleasant, warm feelings. I was especially struck by this quote: "Books are people... people who have managed to stay alive by hiding behind the cover of a book.".
I recently started going to my local library again and was pleasantly surprised at how busy it was. Lots of people studying, pondering, but I think, most of all enjoying the relative silence - there really aren’t many public spaces that have banished the noise of modern day life. Libraries are unique in this respect and should be protected.
In 20 years will libraries even exist? And if they do, will Shakespeare and Dickens and Twain be found there? Or will it all be anti-white woke ideology? I genuinely wonder this.
A great letter from the great E.B. White. He gets it absolutely right here - a library is all that and more, and it is for life. Thanks for this. Also, thanks for that photo of my all-time favorite library at Grand Army Plaza where my dad took me sixty years ago.
“Books hold most of the secrets of the world, most of the thoughts that men and women have had.” This is a great quote.
Love this! I'm actually writing about the library van that used to visit our village when I was a kid so it's the loveliest timing to see this letter. 🥰
Sitting here with tears in my eyes now. Particularly when I think of what the right-wing bigots are doing to children's libraries in America. EB White must be turning in his grave.
What a wonderful collection of letters. How timely in these days of renewed book banning...Books should not be feared, but treasured. It took me back to the days of my youth and the lovely Carnegie Library in Syracuse, New York.
Thanks so much for liking my comment! I’m passionate about public libraries!
“Books are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people---people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book.” Made me wonder if the current book banners confused immortality with immorality.
i love this so much. indeed what a perfect reply
Thank you to all librarians and libraries. E.B. white says it all.
I can feel how this magnificent letter is imbued from beginning to end with love for the library. It evokes in me genuinely pleasant, warm feelings. I was especially struck by this quote: "Books are people... people who have managed to stay alive by hiding behind the cover of a book.".
Sent this to a librarian friend. She loved it.
I recently started going to my local library again and was pleasantly surprised at how busy it was. Lots of people studying, pondering, but I think, most of all enjoying the relative silence - there really aren’t many public spaces that have banished the noise of modern day life. Libraries are unique in this respect and should be protected.
I agree with you, you need to protect these corners of calm and rest from all this turmoil and noise. 👍
Just another reminder that most everything that is timeless and/or has already been figured out by others before us is already written in a book!
In 20 years will libraries even exist? And if they do, will Shakespeare and Dickens and Twain be found there? Or will it all be anti-white woke ideology? I genuinely wonder this.
Michael Mohr
‘Sincere American Writing’
https://michaelmohr.substack.com/