What in the world is this blog?
This is the official competitive book blog of University City Public Library. But what does that really mean? Well, it means that UCPL staff members read whatever they want (fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, audiobooks, young adult and kids' books) and write up a short review here. We keep track of how many books and pages we read, and report them every month to the Missouri Book Challenge, the statewide competition.
At the end of our reporting year (August 31), the Missouri Book Challenge compares the numbers, taking into account books, pages, percent of staff members participating, and a couple of wild card categories to present one library with a big shiny trophy and a year's worth of bragging rights. After years of trying, UCPL finally won this award in 2016.
Competitive reading? Really?
Yes. If anyone can make reading a competition, it's the librarians of Missouri. More than a dozen public, academic, and government libraries across the state participate. Don't underestimate the lure of a real trophy!
So that's great and all, but why should I care about this?
Well, you may not care about the statewide competition, but this blog is also an excellent way to see what your favorite UCPL staffers are reading. Whether it's old or new, we're always reading and always willing to talk about what we read and make recommendations!
