[Ads-l] Quote: Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination (Attributed to Sidney Sheldon)

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

I was sent a request to trace the following remark attributed to Sidney Sheldon:

[Begin quotation]
Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up
windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve, and
contribute to improving our quality of life. Libraries change lives
for the better.
[End quotation]

The earliest match I found appeared in an issue dated June 1, 1995, of
the "Sierra Madre News" of Sierra Madre, California (information
obtained via the Internet Archive). Unfortunately, the newspaper did
not specify a precise source for this quotation.

Sheldon was a powerful force in popular culture who created plays,
movies, television programs, and books. The quotation ascribed to
Sheldon also appeared on the website of the American Library
Association in 2000 (information obtained via the Internet Archive
Wayback Machine).

The goal is to find a better citation which provides an earlier date
and/or a more direct linkage. A citation for an interview with Sheldon
during which he employed the quotation would be ideal.

Here is a pointer to the Quote Investigator article which presents more details:
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2025/10/18/library-fuel/

Thanks for any help you may provide,
Garson O'Toole
QuoteInvestigator.com

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org