‘CHECK OUT’ TOP BOOKS
Library lists its best-loved titles
A team of literary and data experts have combed through volumes of records and catalog entries to determine the New York Public Library’s Top 10 borrowed books “of all time” — meaning since 1895, when the second-largest public library in the U.S. was founded.
And the winner, as determined by a complicated library formula more confusing than the Dewey decimal system, is “The Snowy Day,” Ezra Jack Keats’ 1962 children’s classic about an African American boy playing joyfully in the snow.
According to the big brains at the historic book repository, the groundbreaking book has been checked out in various forms — including foreign language, e-book and large print — 485,583 times in the past 125 years, an average of about 11 times a day across the city.
Dr. Seuss’ “Cat in the Hat” checked in at No. 2 with 469,650 checkouts. George Orwell’s “1984,” a regular on high school reading lists, took the No. 3 spot with 441,770 checkouts.
“For 125 years, the library has uniquely sparked, supported, and fostered a true love of reading in the people of New York City and beyond,” said Anthony Marx, president of the New York Public Library, second in size only to the Library of Congress.
“Among our many roles, we look to connect people with the stories that capture their imaginations, take them places, stay with them over time, encourage them to keep turning pages, and greatly impact and shape their lives. The books on this list have transcended generations and, much like the library itself, are as relevant today as they were when they first arrived.”
The Top 10 list kicks off the library’s yearlong 125th anniversary celebration, which is also being marked with a limited edition “Snowy Day” library card and MetroCard. “At the end of the day, though, it’s all about the story, and [‘The Snowy Day’] is absolutely brilliantly told,” said Andrew Medlar, director of the library’s BookOps selection team and one of the experts who helped compile the list. “It is such a relatable story, and pure magic for kids and adults alike. They remember when they first heard it, and they want to share that experience with their kids. And the artwork is just gorgeous.”
Among the factors that influence checkout, Medlar said, are book length, time in print, languages available and universal appeal.
Rounding out the Top 10 are mostly works familiar to students and younger readers: “Where The Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak, with 436,016 checkouts, “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee, with 422,912 checkouts, “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White, with 337,948 checkouts,” “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury with 316,404 checkouts, “How To Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie, with 284,524 checkouts, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling, with 231,022 checkouts, and “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle, with 189,550 checkouts.
The bedtime staple “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown received an honorable mention, and would have easily been on the list if not for an odd piece of literary history. According to historians, children’s librarian Anne Carroll Moore, an extremely influential reviewer, disliked the story so much when it was published in 1947 that the library didn’t carry the book until 1972, more than 10 years after Moore died.