Stories of resilience top 2021 list of most borrowed books at Victoria libraries
As people continue to navigate the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, stories about hope and resilience are in high demand at the Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL).
Staff at the library say books such as Becoming, an autobiography by former American First Lady Michelle Obama, and the novel Where the Crawdad Sings by Delia Owens were some of the most borrowed books in 2021. They say readers are looking for uplifting stories of how others struggled and overcame their own personal challenges.
“There certainly is a trend towards introspection and also a little bit of escape literature,” said GVPL CEO Maureen Sawa. “When you read, you read not to be alone and I think that (when) reading you discover parts of yourself that maybe you hadn’t had time to consider.”
“Books have always been a source of solace,” she said.
Sawa says she is not surprised by the upsurge in the popularity of the GVPL during the pandemic. She says that people have come to rely on libraries for materials they use at home and have enjoyed coming in to browse the shelves to select a book.
“Reading is such a comfort,” said Sawa. “Someone recently used the term, ‘libraries are hospitals for the mind,’ and I think that’s true as we continue this journey during the pandemic.”
She says that with people remaining close to home as a result of pandemic protocols, people can “travel in their minds to anywhere they want” by reading a book.
Sawa says the demand for audiobooks has also been very high at all 12 branches of the GVPL.
“What we’ve noticed is that some of the books, like the Barack Obama book, continue to be popular because of the audio books,” said Sawa. “People have the opportunity to hear the author actually tell their own story in their own words and that’s been an interesting trend.”
But it wasn’t just books and a “good read” people were seeking to get through the ongoing pandemic. In addition to books, library patrons also borrowed more than 1.8 million digital items, from video games to DVDs, in 2021.
Sawa says the streaming service Netflix has also had an influence on some of the reading choices made by library users.
“Netflix has been dramatizing books that are maybe 10 or 20 years (old) and people are coming to read those books,” said Sawa. “I think people take comfort in the familiar and people are going back to books that they haven’t read in some time that are getting new popularity.”
Sawa says each the most borrowed titles are available are available in all formats, including print, large print, digital and audio-book at the 12 branches of the GVPL.
For the library’s complete “Most Borrowed List” go to the GVPL website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.