As Parks and Recreation fans know, the usually-upbeat government official Leslie Knope (played by Amy Poehler) has one big sore spot: libraries. As she explains in one episode, library workers are “mean, conniving, rude, and extremely well-read, which makes them very dangerous.” We have to disagree—and apparently, Poehler does too.
“Libraries were a big deal growing up,” Poehler shared in a recent appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show. “We have to support our libraries.”
During the same interview, Clarkson surprised Poehler with a live video chat with a librarian from Bexley Public Library in Columbus, Ohio. BPL was nominated for a 2018 Leslie Knope Award, which honors exceptional public spaces across the country, including libraries—despite its namesake’s vendetta against librarians.
“We have a big bone to pick with Leslie Knope about her opinion about libraries,” joked Bexley librarian Leann, a Parks and Rec superfan. “But no, for real…thank you so much for all the support for libraries and local government and education.”
We’re so glad to know the star behind Leslie Knope loves libraries after all! Watch the full clip now:
In case you missed it, Poehler’s Parks and Rec costar Nick Offerman recently also shared the library love with this awesome video from the Reaching Across Illinois Library System—check it out now.
