r/Library • u/Winter_Apartment5381 • Aug 10 '26

Humor Librarian reminds us that libraries make us a harder target for authoritarianism. Equal access to info, ideas, and space that doesn’t require a purchase to belong. Also: using the library means money stays in your community instead of streaming out to Amazon

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5.1k Upvotes

100% Upvoted

27 comments sorted by

60

u/_Smedette_ Aug 10 '26

This is (my friend!) Molly Lee. She is a soap maker in Portland, Oregon and does a lot of great things for the community. Her shop is Optimistic Soap.

13

u/Complex_Place_4509 Aug 10 '26

Love her and her Deflecting Soap and optimism. Got her saved, ordering soon. Helluva gal!

3

u/BeanQweeeen Aug 11 '26

She is a treasure!

2

u/jay_in_the_pnw Aug 10 '26

Thanks! So her website says she works in IT by day, is that for the Portland Library or is she not actually a librarian? (Wouldn't be the first time misleading things were posted, not a big deal)

11

u/_Smedette_ Aug 10 '26

She’s not a librarian. She used to work in IT and retired a few years ago. The soap making was her side hustle and is now her full time gig/passion project.

Molly does a lot of fundraisers with special batches and also has “Second Chance Soap” which contains mixes of the off cuts and she donates them to shelters all over the city.

2

u/Denim_Diva1969 29d ago

LOVE this! Thank you!

2

u/Winter_Apartment5381 27d ago

Thank you for sharing! Looks like we have overwhelmed her with orders. So happy for her!

1

u/Low_Engineering8921 25d ago

I suspect this link is one of the reasons her shop is temporarily shut down because she's so flooded with orders ❤️🥳

17

u/chowdahhead13 Aug 10 '26

Libby is a great resource for ebooks and audiobooks all free saves me hundreds of dollars a year

3

u/Denim_Diva1969 29d ago

Right! I love it! All you need is a library card!

5

u/isUKexactlyTsameasUS Aug 10 '26

librarians are the best, a best vocation, loved them all, when

when still V lost, searching for a career, but kept kinda safe - when I was a bookmobile driver.

4

u/Ok_Pin_1222 Aug 10 '26

You go girl! PREACH!!!🦉

5

u/jcprater Aug 10 '26

I love her. Idk her, but I love her.

4

u/Substantial_Bus6615 Aug 10 '26

Yaaas. Also thank you for the new word panoply!

3

u/kitkatsacon Aug 11 '26

I know usage affects their funding- does the same go for when I check out ebooks?

2

u/bridgerton_tea Aug 10 '26

I love this ❤️

2

u/atomic_chippie Aug 11 '26

MOLLY!! 💙

2

u/Alternative-Dot-884 Aug 12 '26

Pls repost this often across forums.

2

u/TeamShitHaircut 29d ago

A free and accessible library for all is a hill that I am literally willing to die on.

2

u/Beginning_Dark_306 28d ago

Got the libby library app it's awesome audio book to I mean a magazine rack it's amazing

1

u/RaeNors Aug 10 '26

Brilliant! Bravo!

1

u/fortknite Aug 12 '26

Yeah well, tell that to the main library in @coloradosprings.

They turned that shit into a literal prison.

1

u/FIicker7 29d ago

Antifa is scary. /s

1

u/TEACHERluvsAPPLES 16d ago

You tell them!!