Mychal Threets: a Librarian's Favorite Influencer

Mychal Threets
(source: Wikipedia) 

The words "social media influencer" conjures up images of fashionistas, Kardashians and trendsetters. 

While the image of the stereotypical librarian seems more of a quiet nerdy bookworm in muted colors. Definitely not the trendsetter social media influencer type, am I right?💁‍♀️ 🤷‍♀️

Nope...so very absolutely, WRONG! 

One of the biggest social media influencers at the moment just happens to be a librarian! 

Mychal Threets, a librarian from California is taking social media by storm.  What started as a few TikTok videos to keep his library patrons engaged during the pandemic has now found close to 800,000 followers. His Instagram account is over 840,000+.

You might have seen him on Good Morning,  America, or read about him in Library Journal, School Library Journal, Time Magazine, the New York  Times or The Guardian.

Making the News

This past year, Mychal has been keeping his name in the headlines for very good reasons! 

• Time Magazine named him one of the Next Generation Leaders. 

• Mr. Threets was selected from nearly 1,400 nominations from library users nationwide for the 2024 I Love My Librarian Award. (2024 I Love My Librarian Award)

• Last February,  Mychal was also chosen as PBS's Resident Librarian.

Making a Difference

Mychal has also been very present in the professional world of librarians. He has been the featured speaker at several state library association conferences (Indiana, Illinois, Connecticut, California, Florida, Arizona) and the New Jersey Education Association.

Mychal Threets 
(Source: School Library Journal)

I was disheartened to not make it to the Indiana conference (ILF), because I was truly wanting to hear him speak. His "library joy" is contagious, and he is inspiring a new love of libraries of books...or re-igniting a love that just needed a little spark. 

In addition to his speaking engagements, he can also be found lobbying political leaders to keep funding libraries and to stop the banning of books. Inspiring librarians and patrons to protect their libraries is only one part of the equation. Inspiring politicians to do the same is a whole different game!

When discussing mental health issues can still seem like a "taboo" topic, Mychal's openness in discussing his own mental health is refreshing for others to know they're not alone. He encourages conversation on the topic whenever possible.

Although the library profession has been a diverse crowd for several decades, the image of the stereotypical librarian still exists in many people's minds. We are all individuals with diverse interests, abilities, looks, passions and perspectives, and our profession should reflect those differences at all times.

My Thoughts

It makes me very grateful for Mychal Threets as a librarian, a booklover, and a library lover in general! For speaking up for our profession, our community centers, our patrons, our friends, family and neighbors. 

For bringing joy to a world that needs it more than ever! Keep that sunshine coming! 🌞🌞🌞

(Oh, and I almost forgot...Dewey Decimal Number: 302.23)

Sources: 

"Love My Librarian: Mychal Threets." ilovelibraries.org, 2024 June,  https://ilovelibraries.org/love-my-librarian/mychal-threets/. Accessed 4 February 2025.

Waxman, Olivia B. "Librarian Named One of Time’s Next Generation Leaders." Time Magazine, 16 May 2024, https://time.com/collection/next-generation-leaders/6973249/mychal-threets/. Accessed 4 February 2025.

"Mychal Threets Discusses Diversity in Librarianship, Mental Health, and More: 2024 SLJ Summit." slj.com, 16 December 2024, https://www.slj.com/story/Mychal-Threets-Discusses-Diversity-Librarianship-Mental-Health-More-2024-SLJ-Summit, Accessed 5 February 2025.

The Book Club Hotel

Just in time for the holiday season, I bring you a gift of a new book review. Today, I am reviewing a little holiday gem titled "The Book Club Hotel".  You will also find this review (and more as time goes by) on my Book Review Page. 

"The Book Club Hotel"
by Sarah Morgan

Title:  The Book Club Hotel 

Author:  Sarah Morgan 

Released:  September 2023

Series or Standalone:  Standalone 

Awards/Honors:  None

Summary: Anna, Erica and Claudia have been best friends since college. For over twenty years they have been there for each other as needed, and also making a point to get together for a book club girls' getaway every year. As the three friends gather together at Vermont's Maple Sugar Inn, their lives will begin to intertwine with the Inn's owner, Hattie. Friendship, possible life changes, and Christmas all make for a very interesting mix!

My Thoughts: This quote I found in a professional review summed up my own thoughts on this book quite succinctly. The Library Journal, in a starred review for The Book Club Hotel, says  "With charming characters, an idyllic setting, humorous moments, and complex relationships, Morgan’s novel is everything readers could ask for on their holiday wish list... ".

In addition to reading the book, I also listened to the audiobook version in my car. The narration, performed by Dara Reosenberg, was wonderful and made for very easy listening. As someone 'very deeply' into middle age (LOL), I appreciated the fact that the most of the main characters were close to forty years old and facing real midlife issues, not just romance problems.

This book was the first one I have read by Sarah Morgan. I may have to try another one of hers sometime again!

My Rating:  This Christmas book gets a 4 books rating. ~~ 📕📗📕📗

Dewey Decimal Number:  823.914

Have you read this book yet, or any of Sarah Morgan's books? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below! 

Diane 🎄

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books

Lula Dean...We all know someone just like her! 😏 ~ Wow! ~ 😏  She wanted to be noticed by everyone; and she most definitely was! She didn't realize just how much of a difference she just might make on her town! The question is whether it was the change that she wanted.  You'll have to read it to find out more! 

Check out my latest book review to learn more about the interesting character of Lula Dean!

You will also find this review (and more as time goes by) on my Book Review Page.

Lula Dean's Little Library
 of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller 

Title:  Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books 

Author:  Kirsten Miller

Released:  June 2024

Series or Standalone:  Standalone 

Awards/Honors:  LibraryReads (Monthly Pick - Top Ten - June 2024)

Summary:  "Lula Dean is on a mission. The resident busybody of Troy, Georgia, is hell-bent on removing 'pornography and propaganda' from the town's libraries. Even her lifelong nemesis, school-board president (and former cheerleading captain) Beverly Underwood, can't seem to stop her. To prove she has nothing against good, wholesome literature, Lula builds her own little lending library in her front yard for her neighbors to enjoy. Filled with classics like The Southern Belle's Guide to Etiquette, 101 Cakes to Bake for Your Family, and The Art of the Deal, Lula's library is an instant success! Or so she thinks. What Lula doesn't know is that a local troublemaker has secretly restocked the little library with banned books cleverly disguised in the jackets of Lula's 'wholesome' reads. Literary classics, gay romance, Black history, Judy Blume novels, books of witchy spells -- all just waiting to be discovered. As the townsfolk borrow books from Lula's banned-books library, they find their lives transformed in hilarious, profound, and unforeseen ways. But when the truth about the library comes out, the showdown that's been brewing between Beverly and Lula will roil the whole town... and change it forever. ~ taken from inside book cover

My Thoughts:  It's very rare to be reading a book that will have you laughing, crying or cussing all within just a few minutes of each other.  I would start a new chapter,  laugh at something that character might do...and then be possibly ready to strangle them by the end of that chapter. The author would use each chapter to introduce a new character, embroil them into the storyline and further the plot.  Although she did a great job of this, there were a lot of characters to keep track of in this book.  Many were quite original & witty,  but several were your stereotypical small-town usuals. My favorite I think would have to be Wilma Jean. You couldn't pull anything over on her! She had spunk!

Overall,  I enjoyed reading this book, and loved meeting the residents of Troy, Georgia!

My Rating:  I feel this book  deserves to get a 3 1/2 books rating. It was a good solid story, interesting characters and kept my interest. It just had a lot going on, and almost felt like too much at times.  ~~ 📕📗📘1/2

Have you read this book yet? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below! 

Diane 😎

Checking Out Library of Things at Your Local Library!

Psst...Hey, you! I've got something new to tell you about!! 

Thinking about buying an Instant Pot, but want to try one first?  🍜🍛🍝

Just found out that you need to host an outside party for 10+ people tomorrow?  🎤🏈🎾

How about needing a saw or other tools for a quick DIY project?  🔨🔩📏🔧🔦

Sounds like it's time to head down to your local public library!!! 

Yes, you read that correctly!  As times have changed, many libraries have been evolving along with their communities.  And the one area that many patrons requested was to provide "things" that they might not have at home.

So, many public libraries have added a "Library of Things" to their collections to offer their patrons just what they need.  To learn more about these fabulous collections around the world, you can read this article, New report: The State of Libraries of Things 2024, from Shareable.net.

I work at a small, fairly rural public library in Indiana. Even in our little corner of the world, this idea has taken root. Between a main library and a small branch, we have a collection of over fifty items that range from telescopes and tools to cake pans and croquet, and so much more. I also have two wheeled crates in my office with even more items to add in the near future.

Below, you will find how we make it work at our library....😊

Library of Things Display

At our library, we try to make the Library of Things collection very user-friendly. We have a pegboard  with all the items displayed on green cards (except our one museum pass is blue). You just grab one of the cards from its hook and bring it to the front desk. We then go back to our shelving unit to bring the item out to you to check out.  It's that easy!

Library of Things 

Collection

Here are just a few examples of items that we carry at our library. We have SO much more!

Instant Pot

Cordless Drill 

This Game Is Bonkers board game

In our state, many libraries have joined Evergreen Indiana, a consortium of over 130 libraries. If you would check the collections of all these libraries, you would find over 700+ items that are way too numerous and varied to even begin mentioning here. 

But, check for yourself at Evergreen Indiana catalog and see if you find almost everything you want!

Does your library have a Library of Things collection? Tell me about it in the comments! 💬🙂

(Dewey Decimal Number: 026 ~ Special Libraries)

The Last Chance Library

 I hope you enjoy this first review here on the blog. You will also find this review (and more as time goes by) on my Book Review Page. 

The Last Chance Library by
Freya Sampson

Title:  The Last Chance Library 

Author:  Freya Sampson

Released:  August 2021

Series or Standalone:  Standalone 

Awards/Honors:  A Good Morning America Buzz Pick/A Library Reads Pick

Summary:  June Jones, a shy library assistant at Chalcot Library in  the  UK, discovers that her library may be closing due to budget cuts. June, and "a band of eccentric yet dedicated locals" (inside front flap of book), will have to figure out a way to keep the doors of their beloved library open. 

My Thoughts:  For a debut author, Freya  Sampson has hit it out of the park!  As a librarian myself,  I felt right at home in The Last Chance Library. Always having to worry about budget cuts, discussing books, and the community  members made me feel right at home! The library patrons of Chalcot Library are introduced as your stereotypical community members. However, throughout the course of the book, we learn the backstory of most and discover that they are anything but stereotypical. Each one has a very real reason to try to save the library.

Although the action is not coming at you at breakneck speed,  it moves along with something always happening.  June has some surprising moments that might make you question if it is the same person,  but I assure you that it most definitely is!

Freya Sampson,  you have found yourself a new reader! In fact, I am eyeballing your newest book, Nosy People, sitting on the New Books library shelf right now! Can't wait to see if this one is just as good as The Last Chance Library!

My Rating:  I give this one a 4 books rating ~~ 📕📗📘📙

Have you read this book yet? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below! 

Diane 😎

To Dewey or not to Dewey Decimal?

If you were starting a blog with a books and libraries theme, what would be a good way to organize the posts?  🤔

The librarian in me is screaming Dewey Decimal system...and you can't ignore the librarian.

Many libraries still use this numbering system for organizing their nonfiction section, so I'm sure most of you are familiar with it. For those of you who are not, it is a system that starts with general categories,  and then breaks it down to smaller categories, as needed. 

Here is a general Dewey Decimal system chart:

Dewey Decimal system
(Wikimedia Commons)

And here are two examples of the good old-fashioned library card pockets with the Dewey Decimal number circled on them in red. You'll notice they can be quite short to a little too long sometimes.

 

828.91209 (English Literature
English 1900-1945, Individual authors)

92 (Biography)

Today's post falls under the number of 025.43 (library & information science, admin., systems), according to my favorite website, LibraryThing. Check it out sometime! 

And so, as I write my posts, I will always try to add the Dewey number to help organize the posts. Down the road as I eventually have several, a page of its own might be interesting. 

Boring or interesting, who knows?! It's all in the eye of the beholder. For now, I am off to start working on my first book review.  Stay tuned!

What Does Your TBR List Look Like?

Are there certain books that just capture your attention? 📚

You know, the ones that you find yourself snapping a photo 📸 to remember to buy or check out? 

Well, I am no different, although many of those pictures are taken at work as they come across my desk. That will explain some of the stickers you may see.

Do you happen to see a theme? I don't know why, but if it has any of the following words (book, library, bookstore, etc.), I am immediately interested in learning more!   

These eight books are just a few that you will find on my TBR list. They have captured my attention, and will most likely be read before the year is up. 

The first one, The Finders Keepers Library by Annie Rains was one that I grabbed out of my coworker's mailbox to take the photo. Before you judge me on that, she was sitting nearby & gave me permission.  😊

The Finders Keepers Library 

Vanity Fare

The Summer Book Club

Summer Reading

The Bookbinder

A Novel Proposal 

The Lonely Hearts Book Club 

The Messy Lives of Book People 

 These last two books have already made it past the TBR list, and have already forced me into reading them immediately.  

The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson was absolutely wonderful. It was the author's debut  novel,  and I think I found a new author to follow!

The Last Chance Library 

The Bookshop of Secrets 

Have you read any of these books? 📚  What did you think?  🤔 Do you have a passion, or theme, that seems to appear in your TBR list? 

Let me know in the comments. I would love to know your thoughts!