How librarians in a networked age must fight to preserve the common good and help our citizens find meaning in the chaos. We keep using the phrase “unprecedented” for the time we live in…a global pandemic, environment in crisis, the rise of xenophobia and the deterioration of democracy…but is it? History shows us that there are precedents and that it takes concerted social action to improve society. It also suggests the role of librarians in the compound crisis of pandemic and infodemic. In my talk I will discuss the historical precedents for library activism to not only serve our communities, but to save them as well.