Having fun isn't hard
When you've got a library card.
About This Quote
This rhyming couplet is widely associated with the PBS children’s series *Arthur*, based on books created by Marc Brown. It appears as a recurring lyric in the show’s musical segment “Library Card,” which promotes reading and public libraries to young viewers. The line became especially familiar through school and library programming in the late 1990s and 2000s, when *Arthur* was frequently used in literacy campaigns and classroom media. Although Brown is the franchise’s creator and is often credited in popular circulation, the wording is best understood as part of the television adaptation’s educational messaging rather than a standalone aphorism from his books.
Interpretation
The quote frames the library card as a key that unlocks pleasure, discovery, and independence. By insisting that “having fun” is easy once one has access to a library, it recasts reading from a duty into a source of entertainment and personal agency. The rhyme and simplicity make it memorable for children, while the underlying claim is civic: public libraries democratize access to stories, information, and imagination regardless of income. The line also implies that curiosity is self-sustaining—once entry is granted, the library’s resources continually generate new forms of enjoyment and learning.
Source
“Library Card” song from the PBS animated television series *Arthur*, episode “Arthur’s Library Card.”




