Borrowers of books — those mutilators of collections, spoilers of the symmetry of shelves, and creators of odd volumes. – Charles Lamb, Essays of Elia, "The Two Races of Men," 1822

Christie loved books… This amusement lightened many heavy hours, peopled the silent house with troops of friends, and, for a time, was the joy of her life. – Louisa May Alcott, “Servant,” Work: A Story of Experience, 1873

Medicine for the soul. – Inscription over the door of the Library at Thebes