This is a Library

In de jaren dertig schreef de Amerikaanse historicus en assistent-bibliothecaresse Beatrice Warde (1900-1969) haar beroemde motto "This is a printing office", gebruik makende van Eric Gill’s Perpetua typeface. Deze motiverende tekst waarin drukkerijen worden verheerlijkt als verdedigers van vrije meningsuiting, wordt nu ook vaak gebruikt om bibliotheken mee te omschrijven en verdedigen in de #savelibraries campagnes in de Verenigde Staten. 

This is a Printing Office. Crossroads of civilization. Refuge of all the arts against the ravages of time. Armory of fearless truth against whispering rumor. Incessant trumpet of trade. From this place words may fly abroad, Not to perish on waves of sound, Not to vary with the writer’s hand But fixed in time, Having been verified by proof. Friend, you stand on sacred ground, This is a Printing Office. - Beatrice L. Warde, ca. 1932