Brooklyn Public Library to Announce Top 125 Most Borrowed Books of All Time, Library Begins Countdown With Special Message from Judy Blume

UPDATED POST (November 15, 2022) Brooklyn Public Library Reveals its Most Borrowed Book Ever to Celebrate 125 Years (via NPR) ||| Direct to Complete List (via BPL)

—End Update—

From the Brooklyn Public Library:

As a culmination of its 125th anniversary celebration, Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is counting down its Top 125 Most Borrowed Books of All Time. Starting today, BPL will release 10 book titles each weekday with the top five titles to be announced on November 14. In addition, in celebration of its 125th birthday, BPL will be giving away a free reusable bag to every patron checking out a book at branches across the borough, while supplies last.

To determine the most borrowed books, a team from BPL evaluated several factors, including checkout and circulation data, historical bestseller lists and years since publication dates. The announcement begins with BPL’s 125th Most Borrowed Book of All Time, Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret, featuring a special video greeting from author Judy Blume.

The first group of books includes:

125. Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret , by Judy Blume (1970)

124. The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins (1860)

123. Abracadabra! Magic with Mouse and Mole by Wong Herbert Yee (2007)

122. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (2005)

121. The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone (1971)

120. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan (2005)

119. The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (2003)

118. Elephants Cannot Dance! By Mo Willems (2009)

117. Rebecca by Daphne Maurier (1938)

116. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney (2013)

BPL was established on November 30, 1896 when the Brooklyn Common Council passed a resolution to establish Brooklyn Public Library to nurture “the minds of the people and lay the foundation of a better civilization for the future.” The first branch, Bedford Library, opened in a former public school building and soon after Andrew Carnegie funded the construction of 21 more branches across the borough. As the library system has grown, so has its definition of literacy. While Brooklynites still visit their local library to read books in a welcoming space, they also borrow laptops, hear live music, register to vote, revise their resumes and so much more. The Library has always been the most democratic institution in our borough and it’s become the most versatile, too. To celebrate the 125th Anniversary, BPL has held events and giveaways at branches across the borough.

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