Why Libraries are Indispensible

Vartan Gregorian was a remarkable man. He was born in Armenia and eventually ended up in the United States. He spoke several languages and went on into a career in academia. He was president of Brown University and also president later of the Carnegie Corporation. But he took a break in the 1980s to reinvigorate the New York Public Library, which was in pretty bad shape all the way around financially and just physically until he took over and ended up raising millions and millions of dollars to support the library. He once told an interviewer that the library is a sacred place.

He said, think of a lone person in one of our reading rooms who has just read a book, a single book that has perhaps not been read in 20 years by another living soul. And from that reading comes an invention of incalculable importance to the human race. It makes a man tremble.

And Grant, he was so good at articulating the importance of libraries, the vitality of libraries, and how they really can change lives. I think he did it. He did it very well.

Because when you walk up the steps of the big library in New York City, on Fifth Avenue, you walk up between the two stone lions named Patience and Fortitude, and you walk into that big building, you feel exactly what he’s talking about. You feel better. You feel like there’s a chance to improve yourself. You feel like you can do just about anything. And you look around you and you see everyone else doing the same thing. People from the whole world in this one building working toward a goal that will improve themselves and their communities. That’s an incredible feeling to have that happen.

Exactly.

Exactly.

I think you’ve zeroed in on the feeling. You feel connected. You feel connected to the past. You feel connected to other minds and other people. What a gift and what a legacy to leave.

There are probably libraries and librarians that left an impact on you. Tell us about them. Words at waywordradio.org or call us 877-929-9673.