A Bit About the Brooklyn Public Library

First there is this: a fast gander at the 10 most popular searches on Brooklyn Public Library's catalog:

1. Diary of a wimpy kid

2. DVD

3. Twilight

4. New moon

5. Push

6. Pokemon

7. Naruto

8. Harry potter

9. Princess

10. Star wars

I don't claim it's the the most qualitative reading list in the world--although I was glad to see Push getting some attention by the public (I just cataloged a volume for our library and it, too, has seen some flying-off-the-shelf action). To some extent (perhaps a great extent) this list came about due to the fact that the Brooklyn and Queens Borough Public Libraries are notorious for setting up patrons with books--any books--for the sake of keeping their circulation numbers as high as possible. Good business practice, not the best method for composing a Reader's Advisory. Beyond that, I'm glad to see the public making use of the facilities even if I shudder at their taste, by and large, in literature.

Second, there is the No Shush Zone, BPL's in-house blog, which shows that they are absolutely dedicated to serving their community. Read it often.