Librarians are dangerous.
A public service announcement
Dear Enthusiasts,
I write to you today as a concerned citizen.
Many aren’t brave enough to say it, but the time has come. So, I will say it:
Librarians are dangerous.
(Dramatic music should be playing in your head right now.)
You thought they were just keepers of the quiet. Guardians of the “shhh.”
The ones who handed you a dusty book and pointed to a beanbag chair.
Wrong.
Let’s look at the facts.
Sure, they sit there … calmly. Quietly. With their little computers and Dewey Decimal Systems. But make no mistake …. these are not peaceful people.
Some think they’re just shelving books. No!
They’re plotting …
Plotting the overthrow of ignorance.
As a kid, my idea of danger was eating Pop Rocks and Coke at the same time. At no point did I look at the librarians in my life and think, “Now that’s someone who could dismantle society using nothing but a hardcover and a knowing glance.”
But I should have.
Because librarians are dangerous.
Not in a “leap-out-of-the-shadows” kind of way. More in a “mercenaries of media literacy-knowers of where things are - masters of organized rebellion” way.
They can look at you and hand you a book that will COMPLETELY DESTROY YOUR WORLDVIEW… but… like… in a gentle, respectful, and possibly laminated way.
Let me be clear: these modern librarians are not the nostalgic memory you may have of a woman with a bun and a stamp. Today’s dangerous librarians are much more. They are part educator, part tech wizard, part data analyst, and part myth-slayer.
They can code. They can curate. They can find a book you only remember as, “blue, with a sad fox, maybe?”
They host storytimes, teach kids about misinformation, explain how to 3D print a prosthetic hand, and calmly help a grown man named Todd recover his Gmail password for the seventh time. All before lunch.
WHO DOES THAT? Librarians do that.
These dangerous folks believe in wild things like access. They believe in stories. They believe in you. They even believe in me.
My books wouldn’t have found nearly as many people without them. WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS? What is in it for them?!?!
They believe that every student…. no matter who they are or where they’re from… deserves to find a book that says, “You belong here.” They give access to stories that whisper, “You matter. You’re not alone.” And … I mean, COME ON. This is all obviously emotional destabilization through narrative arc.
Librarians are dangerous and fearless.
Many have tried to stop them. Yet, they stare down budget cuts, criticism, rowdy teenagers, and that one weird smell in the YA section without flinching. They do their librarian things with such a gracious sort of grit that it’s terrifying.
And let me tell you something:
Do not try to debate a librarian.
You will not win.
You’ll walk in confident. Sure.
You’ll leave, though, with a tote bag and a brand-new worldview.
They don’t just help students find books. They help them find themselves.
So take note. This is your warning:
Librarians are dangerous.
They are dangerous to:
Misinformation
Censorship
Outdated printer settings
Small thinking
apathy
loneliness
Silence where there should be a story
Anyone who underestimates a kid with a library card
They do not just guard books. They unleash them. And when a kid finds the right book… the one that makes them feel seen, understood, alive... dangerous librarians know what it can do.
They are not just keepers of knowledge. They’re igniters of minds. Builders of empathy. Activists with a barcode scanner. Architects of a freer, wiser, kinder world.
They are the reason so many kids will grow up and realize the world is bigger, messier, and more beautiful than their textbooks ever admitted.
So next time you walk past a library and think,
“Oh look, a quiet place for quiet people doing quiet things...”
Think again. I want you to remember that librarians aren’t just standing behind a desk. They stand dangerously at the frontlines of curiosity, creativity, compassion, and the fight for a better tomorrow through what we imagine today.
So go ahead. Underestimate them, but do so at your own peril.
Because librarians know: The right book, in the right hands, at the right moment,
can change everything.
And thank goodness for that.
To every librarian reading this:
Stay dangerous.
(Also… sorry about all the late books.)
Last week was National Library Week! I had the privilege of speaking at the Garland County Library in Hot Springs, Arkansas, during their Children’s Librarian Workshop. Librarians and library staff from across the state gathered to share ideas and inspiration for serving young readers. Here’s a picture of me and some of their team:
After several weeks of travel, this was my final stop before heading home and it was the perfect place to conclude refreshed and encouraged. Nothing beats being in a room full of great humans like these. So grateful for these amazing librarians who very much embody the danger I wrote about above.
ALSO! VERY IMPORTANT ENTHUSIAST ALERT! I want to spotlight Beth Quarles, a third-grade teacher and the owner of the incredible indie bookstore Paper Hearts Bookstore in Little Rock, Arkansas. I signed copies of Fail-a-Bration!, The Fantastic Bureau of Imagination, The Circles All Around Us, and Becoming Better Grownups for her store. She still has several in stock! Go buy them out!
Consider supporting Beth, her team, and this wonderful shop. You can purchase signed copies from her here: Paper Hearts Bookstore
Next week, I’m back in Michigan for the Curiosity in Action Conference. It’s happening April 26. Some tickets still available! I’d love to see you there!
As always, thank you for reading! Thanks for sharing! Thanks for supporting!
I want to include this note from a reader who emailed me! Henry is a subscriber to the Enthusiast and currently library classes at City College San Francisco right now. He writes: “My only note is that it takes an entire team to run a library, not just the librarian. Many people don’t realize that oftentimes there is only one “official librarian” at the branch at a time, at least here at SFPL (library of the year winner!) The title of Librarian requires an MLS which can be expensive in both time and money, and inaccessible to many.” YES! This is something I wholeheartedly agree with, Henry. I appreciate this being pointed out. When time allows, I would like to tweak some of the language in the main post to speak to this. Thank YOU!
I sent this to two amazing people who used to run Libraries and they LOVED it so much. Thanks for these really cool acknowlegements of people. I love forwarding them, like love balms. xo Kelly