Without library school to keep me focused on specific aspects of the information sciences field, my brain occupied it self with a random service I wished the library provided. I’m not sure what this service would be called, but if it already exsists please point me in the right direction.
The thought came to me after reading an article about Junot Diaz, where he recommended different books – in conjunction with a book I read previously where authors shared pictures of their personal libraries. I selected several titles from the ones Diaz shared and placed holds at the library (like Empire State: A Love Story (or Not) by Jason Shiga).
People come into the library all the time looking for suggestions on what they should read next, and I often turn to what my favorite authors are reading for ideas with the desperate hope that my writing will get better. So wouldn’t it be nice if the library had a special catalog that only featured the books that were in, for example, Toni Morrison’s personal library? Toni Morrison has so many fans they’re probably falling out of her pockets, plus she’s got her own society. Can you imagine what positive affect that would have on circulation counts?
Which author would you want added to this literary-celebrity catalog?
Highly Textured Librarian 
Ernest Holmes and Gary Renard
That would be great… instead of discovering new authors who claim (or whose publisher claims) they’re “the next so-and-so,” looking to the authors who *inspired* them!
Right, exactly. If only it were real.
Yes! This is a fantastic idea. I’d definitely want catalogs for Toni Morrison, David Foster Wallace, Margaret Atwood, Alice Walker, Junot Díaz, and about a hundred others. Haha!
I think this could just be a really awesome website idea. I know Stephen King usually mentions authors he is reading in every.single.interview and I’m sure many other authors do the same. It would just take someone to read every interview published with an author, scour it for titles, and post. OR to contact authors one by one and have them email their favorite books. (That is, until the publishers catch on and then they will just pay to get on authors shelves the same way they pay to get blurbed…but for one brief shining moment, it will be PURE!)
Hmmm, that’s a good idea. *Wheels turning*
That sounds soooo fabulous. My reading list is getting longer by the day. I still have my signed copy of Toni Morrison’s newest book Home on my desk waiting to be read. Right now…four books are eyeballing me to be read for homework.
Do that homework. Toni Morrison will wait for you, patiently. 😉
The Strand offers curated book selections called books by the foot It’s not the same as a celebrity bookshelf but it comes close as you can get at curated books. http://www.strandbooks.com/books-by-the-foot/
Sounds interesting. I’ll check it out.
We want to know who Neil Gaiman is reading!
I would like to know too!
I know that LibraryThing has curated lists of books that were in famous writers’ libraries. I’ll need to dig a link up.