Happy 125th Birthday, NYPL: View Their All-Time Top Check Outs
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The New York Public Library recently unveiled a list of its most borrowed books. In case you are wondering how they managed to calculate that info, a team of experts analyzed factors such as historic checkout and circulation data (ebook format included), overall trends and events, popularity, length of time in print, and how long it was in the catalog. Moreover, the library explains other factors too, such as how many languages the book was printed in, or if it won awards or popped up on a school list. All things considered, if you are a library nerd like I am, it’s fascinating.
This list creatively kicks off the system’s 125th anniversary celebrations. They’ve also prepared all sorts of rad events and new merchandise to commemorate the occasion. I spend about 89% of my waking hours wishing I lived in New York, so with these events happening, my yearning will bump up to be all consuming.
There is new merchandise—please cast your eyes upon the super cute tote!—and two special limited edition library cards honoring the 1st place book, which is Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day. For $1, trade in your regular library card for one featuring an image from The Snowy Day (available throughout the system). Additionally, you can buy a commemorative MetroCard at ten stations across five boroughs. However, they are only available while supplies last.
NYPL has planned a series of programs for all ages, from author talks to branch-specific merriment (creating fake snow for kids, panel discussions for adults). There will also be the reopening of the system’s newly renovated central circulating library and the opening of the Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library Treasures, a permanent, free exhibition that will display items from the Library’s research collections.
Now, what you are really here to learn about is the books and their checkout numbers:
There is new merchandise—please cast your eyes upon the super cute tote!—and two special limited edition library cards honoring the 1st place book, which is Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day. For $1, trade in your regular library card for one featuring an image from The Snowy Day (available throughout the system). Additionally, you can buy a commemorative MetroCard at ten stations across five boroughs. However, they are only available while supplies last.
NYPL has planned a series of programs for all ages, from author talks to branch-specific merriment (creating fake snow for kids, panel discussions for adults). There will also be the reopening of the system’s newly renovated central circulating library and the opening of the Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library Treasures, a permanent, free exhibition that will display items from the Library’s research collections.
Now, what you are really here to learn about is the books and their checkout numbers:
- The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats / 485,583 checkouts
- The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss / 469,650 checkouts
