Everything today in which people are interested, the radio, the movies - all of these - should, if properly used, stimulate the use of books. For instance, if there is a remarkably good movie, like The Life of Pasteur, it seems to me that it should be used by people in our rural schools and rural libraries to create an interest in the life of Pasteur, the things that Pasteur did, the people around him, and all the discoveries that have come from that time on. I am sure that if we put our minds on it, there are a great many ways in which we can use the things which are coming constantly into the lives of people throughout the country to stimulate an interest in the oldest and most interesting recreation there is.
But you do have to learn to love books, you do have to learn how to read them, you do have to learn that a book is a companion...that we can have a good many people reading the same books and coming together for discussion. [Reading the same books can] stimulate intellectual thought.
...I feel that the care of libraries and the use of books, and the knowledge of books, is a tremendously vital thing, and that we who deal with books and who love books have a great opportunity to bring about something in this country which is more vital here than anywhere else...It will take on our part imagination and patience and constant interest in awkaening interest in other people. But, if we do, I think we shall find that our love of books will bring us a constantly widening audience and constantly more interesting contacts in whatever part of the country we may go.
Eleanor Roosevelt, 1936
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