Watch: Reading Brings Us Together

Red text that reads: Reading brings us together... even when we're apart

On May 23, 1895, The New York Public Library was founded. To honor the 125th anniversary of our founding, we asked 125 people to tell us about a book that inspired them to #LoveReading. This video follows the release of our new anniversary list, 125 Kids Books We Love, featuring children’s titles that inspire those both young and young at heart to #LoveReading. Explore the list here.

Join a wide array of book-lovers—from celebrated authors to actors, musicians, and our own expert librarians—to celebrate the power of reading to bring us together, even when we’re apart. 

Watch the Full Video

 


The Power of Reading

Find out what these cultural luminaries had to say about the power of reading here.

Now, we want to hear from you! Join the festivities by tagging @nypl on social media with a video telling us about a book that inspired you to #LoveReading.

Abi Daré



Al Roker



Alan Cumming



Alison Stewart



Amor Towles



André Aciman



Angela Yee



Anna Chlumsky



Annette Gordon-Reed



Anthony Doerr



Arden Myrin



Ayelet Waldman



Bill T. Jones



Bobby Berk



Brian Lehrer



Bruce Coville



Carl Heastie



Carla Hayden



Carole Radziwell



Chelsea Clinton



Chuck Schumer



Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy



Clemantine Wamariya



Colum McCann



Corey Johnson



Cynthia Nixon



Dagmara Domińczyk



Darren Walker



Deborah Roberts



Desus Nice



Elizabeth Levy



Elizabeth Strout



Ellie Kemper



Ethan Hawke



Francis Ford Coppola



Frederick Wiseman



Gale Brewer



Hillary Clinton



James Oddo



Jason Robert Brown



Jeffrey Siger



Jelani Cobb



Jenna Ushkowitz



Jennifer Egan



Jenny Xie



Jess Kidd



Jill Kargman



Jonathan Lethem



Karan Mahajan



Kevin Young



Logan Browning



Mahogany L. Browne



Marcus Samuelsson



Martha Plimpton



Maurice Carlos Ruffin



Michael John LaChiusa



Michael Stipe



Miriam Shor



Monique Truong



Nicole Dennis-Benn



Ocean Vuong



Padma Lakshmi



Patrick Wilson



Roger Clark



Ruben Diaz Jr.



Sloane Crosley



Stacy Schiff



Sunny Hostin



Susan Minot



The Kid Mero



Tim Gunn



Vincent Piazza



 

Watch all the videos on NYPL's YouTube playlist.


Explore More from NYPL's 125th Anniversary

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125 Years of The New York Public Library

The Library's 125th anniversary is a moment to honor and reaffirm the enduring power of libraries. Our values of trust, respect, and free and open access to knowledge and opportunity are as essential today as ever before.

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NYPL Through the Years

Since its founding in 1895, The New York Public Library has been a source of inspiration and strength for all. Here's a look back at some of the Library's important moments.

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125 Kids Books We Love

Celebrate the Library’s anniversary with 125 books for kids, selected by our expert librarians from the last 125 years, that inspire those both young and young at heart to love reading.