Watch: Reading Brings Us Together
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
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.
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.
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.