Ready, Set, Library!
All about libraries IHO National Library Week + The Weekly What
Today marks the end of National Library Week. Since 1957 this week is all about celebrating libraries (and library workers!) and promoting their support and use.
As a lifelong frequent library user I am so grateful to have access to an amazing local system in Columbus, OH! FREE physical books, audiobooks, and e-books cannot be beat. But also: educational support and resources, meeting spaces, community outreach, technology access and assistance, local history curation, digital resources, and more, libraries are an invaluable resource open to all!
Here are some interesting facts about libraries IHO Library Week:
A Majority of U.S. Voters Value Public Libraries
According to From Awareness to Funding: A Study of Library Support in America a majority of voters think libraries:
are an essential local institution
are a source of community pride
advance education
enhance quality of life
Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the U.S.
133,760 librarians are currently employed
Librarians earn an average annual wage of $68, 570
Top paying states for librarians are:
D.C.
Washington state
California
Maryland
New York
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients for librarians are:
State College (PA)
Springfield (OH)
Weirton-Stubenville (WV-OH)
Ithaca (NY)
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford (VA)
Per the ALA:
There are an estimated 123,627 libraries of all kinds across the U.S.
Top 5 public libraries by collection are:
New York Public Library (NY)
Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (OH)
Boston Public Library (MA)
Los Angeles Public Library (CA)
Chicago Public Library (IL)
Top 5 public libraries by circulation are:
New York Public Library (NY)
Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (OH)
King County Library System (WA)
Multnomah County Library (OR)
Los Angeles Public Library (CA)
Top 5 public libraries by visits:
New York Public Library (NY)
Los Angeles Public Library (CA)
Queens Borough Public Library (NY)
County Of Los Angeles Public Library (CA)
King County Library System (WA)
People you might not know were librarians:
Audre Lorde
Beverly Cleary
Lewis Carroll
Madeline L’Engle
J. Edgar Hoover
Laura Bush
Anne Tyler
Benjamin Franklin Invented the Library
Books were rare and expensive in colonial America and Franklin thought knowledge and facts important to democracy. In 1731 he founded the Library Company of Philadelphia which operated on a subscription fee to share the cost of books eventually expanding lending beyond shareholders. By 1800 there were more than 40 similar lending libraries throughout the U.S. (Smithsonian)
Though more than 70% of voters oppose book bans libraries experienced a record number of book challenges last year (ALA)
4,240 unique titles challenged
1,247 attempts to ban books
Groups and individuals responsible for the challenges often target multiple titles at once, often dozens or hundreds books at a time
47% of targeted titles represent the voices and experiences of LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC individuals
Top ten most challenged books of 2023 (ALA):
Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe
All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Flamer by Mike Curato
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews
Tricks by Ellen Hopkins
Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being a Human by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan
Sold by Patricia McCormick
Tell me:
When is the last time you visited your local library?
What’s the last book you borrowed from a library?
Have you read any of the top 10 most challenged books?
Anything, let’s chat!
What I’m…
Reading
The Saddest Girl on the Beach by Heather Frese. An emotional, coming-of-age story set in Outer Banks, NC. Excellent beach reading if you enjoy something more complex with your sun and sand. {Read my full review}
Ferris by Kate DiCamillo. Read aloud with the kids. Kate DiCamillo is always such a treat.
The House of Broken Bricks by Fiona Williams. Another emotionally layered story, this one featuring a mixed race family in crisis in the English countryside. {Read my full review}
Northwoods by Amy Pease. A well paced, well plotted thriller set in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. I’m picky about thrillers and I really liked this one!
Listening
Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne. Salacious and informative, Gagne does a good job conveying her lived experience as a sociopath and also creating understanding for this misunderstood and misdiagnosed disorder.
The Ezra Klein Show: Will A.I. Break the Internet? Or Save It?
Offline with Jon Favreau: Are You Treating Politics Like a Hobby? Conversation featuring Eitan Hersh, a Political Science professor and author of Politics is for Power (a book I found very impactful!) discussing the prevalence of political hobbyism vs actually doing politics; what this looks like and how each impacts for better and worse. Interesting, important, and incredibly relevant.
Watching
The Regime (HBO). I found this disappointingly uneven. An authoritarian government’s descent into chaos written by someone involved with Succession featuring Kate Winslet and Hugh Grant? This had all the makings of a show I would love! Kate Winslet was great, the vibes were just off and I didn’t get a sense of a real point being made.
Empire Records (Paramount+) IHO Rex Manning Day.
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999). Rewatched thanks to a library borrowed DVD and still a great movie! We watched Saltburn a few months ago and immediately picked up on the Talented Mr. Ripley vibes. Then I read Brideshead Revisited with
book club and discovered Saltburn is basically a delightful mashup of Mr. Ripley and Brideshead with a fresh spin. Felt like we needed to revisit Mr. Ripley to complete the trifecta!
Eating & Drinking
Grilled Burgers (three cheers for the return of grilling weather!) curly fries I dug out of the freezer and fruit
Used up some leftover ham in this Cheesy Potato Casserole, I added some broccoli to the mix
Fiesta Chicken (chicken breasts, taco seasoning, salsa, black beans, corn, cream cheese) in the slow cooker, I served it over cilantro lime rice
Snacky dinner - the kids are on spring break this week so we had an apps night while we played games
I made a half batch of this Banana Cake, I had some cream cheese frosting that needed a soft place to land! Waste not, want not and all that.
Links + Loves
HarperCollins made a tiny tweak to its book design and has saved thousands of trees as a result (Fast Company) Appreciated this peek into how physical books are created and yay for saving paper!
The Life-Changing Magic of 10 Things I Hate About You (Lit Hub) A smart and nostalgic look back at 10 Things I Hate About You, likely particularly resonate as I too first experienced the magic on my home television in 1999 when I was 13.
April is National Poetry month! Read how Amanda Gorman is Using Poetry to Create Social Change (Elle)
Did you view the solar eclipse earlier this week? We live in Columbus, OH, juuust outside the path of totality, but our view of 99+% was still really neat! Here are an eclectic list of 6 stellar books to celebrate the solar eclipse (Libby Life)
ICYMI
This week’s blog posts:
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Until next time!
I haven't watched The Regime because everyone seems to agree it's super disappointing haha Saved The Saddest Girl on the Beach and Northwoods, they look amazing!