Asimov: a library is a spaceship, a time machine and a gateway

Congratulations on the new library, because it isn't just a library.

It is a space ship that will take you to the farthest reaches of the Universe, a time machine that will take you to the far past and the far future, a teacher that knows more than any human being, a friend that will amuse you and console you---and most of all, a gateway, to a better and happier and more useful life.

Signed, Isaac Asimov

via Letters of Note.