In a time when information self-service and enhanced competition have sent libraries of all types into an oftentimes desperate search for a renewed sense of purpose, a fundamentally important question takes center stage: How can libraries connect with the deepest aspirations of their service communities? This article describes a new library philosophy called "lifecycle librarianship," a vision of libraries in which the learning needs of every stage of life get addressed and support of reading is lifelong, and reinforces the foundations of the library. In order to sustain librarians and libraries, we must discard the "information illusion" and develop the library services necessary to help solve critical social problems by addressing reading and learning, including electronic learning. Public, academic, and school librarians should adopt the service philosophy of lifecycle librarianship and jointly plan at town, city, or county levels to identify and meet human learning needs from "lapsit to nursing home."