"I Cannot Live Without Books"

Last week, Kim and I were in Washington for meetings at various agencies and took the opportunity to visit the Library of Congress. “Welcome to the most beautiful building in Washington!” enthused the young woman at the information desk.

Within moments, agog at the sculptures, paintings, and the palatial majesty of the building itself, we were awed to discover how right she was.

Yet even the splendor of the Library pales in comparison with the historically grand scope and continuing fulfillment of the Library itself. It houses more than 138 million objects, including the Guttenberg Bible and the Gettysburg Address with Lincoln’s handwritten notes.

What speaks loudest is the commitment the Library represents—that the future depends fundamentally on an educated, thoughtful populace. It’s amazing to realize that everything in the Library is in response to someone’s questions about what would contribute to that commitment. Everything in the Library is meant to stimulate thinking, knowledge, insight, questions, and learning relevant for our lives today and for how we shape our futures.

Here are a few of many inspiring quotes, mostly carved in marble, from various edifices in the Library: “The inquiry, knowledge, and belief of truth is the sovereign good of human nature.” by Francis Bacon and “What spectacle can be more edifying or more seasonable than that of Liberty & Learning, each leaning on the other for their mutual & surest support?” by James Madison. Without attribution are these two quotes: “Wisdom is the principal thing. Therefore get wisdom and with all thy getting get understanding.” and “Ignorance is the curse of God, knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven.”

I’ve always been a voracious reader. I spent much of my childhood in a favorite reading chair, legs slung over its upholstered arms. I’d regularly hide in the closet wth a book and flashlight after my parents thought I’d gone to bed. Today, my office and home are stacked with books and I often suggest various ones to coaching clients to stimulate new directions and new questions. Looking back, I feel a kinship with Thomas Jefferson, who wrote in 1815, “I cannot live without books.” In fact, I felt compelled to get a plaque with that quote, which now adorns my office.

I remember well the moment, almost 20 years ago, when with awe, I opened the package containing my first book, The Art of the Question. All I could think was, “This book is in the Library of Congress. It will contribute to the body of knowledge.” (It’s not that I’m special—all books with ISBN numbers are somehow catalogued there. I don’t know how that has changed since the internet and self-publishing have surged and changed all our lives.)

The Library of Congress is “the Nation’s Library.” That means it is OUR Library, it belongs to all of us. Give yourself a treat. Visit YOUR library. Expand your knowledge. Ask lots of questions. If you can’t get to the Library in Washington, you can visit online: www.loc.gov and www.read.gov. Enjoy!