Mychal Threets (born 1990) [1] is an American librarian. Based in Fairfield, California, he is known for his viral social media videos that feature book recommendations, library services, and affirming messages.
Life and career
Threets was born and raised in Fairfield, California. [2] His father is African American, while his mother is Mexican. [3] He was very shy, and experienced anxiety and depression. [4] He was homeschooled during elementary school and spent a lot of time at the local library, considering it his "home away from home". [5]
He received his bachelor’s degree in communications from University of Phoenix and later attended San Jose State University for his master’s degree in library information science. [6]
The library where he worked as a children's librarian, Fairfield Civic Center Library, a branch of the Solano County Library in Solano County, California, is the same library he grew up patronizing. [4] [7] In 2013, Threets began working there at age 23, shelving books, and worked his way to becoming supervising librarian of his branch in January 2023. [6] [3] At the end of February 2024, Threets announced he would be resigning from Fairfield Library to focus on his mental health after experiencing cyberbullying. [8] [9]
In February 2024, Threets announced he would be partnering with PBS to be their 'resident librarian,' a position he confirmed he would be keeping following his resignation from his job in Fairfield. [9]
Threets has stated that he wants viewers to see the library as a positive and inviting place. [2]
Online presence
Threets' videos share book recommendations, interactions he has with patrons, services available at the library, and mental health-related messages. [1] [2] [5] He is known for the catchphrases "you belong" and "unhinged library joy". [2] Threets is also known for his afro and tattoos, which include cartoon character Arthur Read's library card [1] and a Where the Wild Things Are tattoo on his arm. [6] His viewers have compared him to Mister Rogers and LeVar Burton when he hosted Reading Rainbow. [1]
He first began posting his stories to Facebook, but began posting videos to TikTok and Instagram in 2020 after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. [1] In March 2023, his first viral TikTok video shared his experience having a child library patron ask about his gender. [2]
In July 2023, Threets had 40,000 followers on TikTok. [6] By December 2023, Threets had 450,000 followers on Instagram [2] and 600,000 on TikTok. [10]
Accolades
- 2023 – Honoree, American Library Association, I Love My Librarian Award for Outstanding Public Service [1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Mayorquin, Orlando. "Mychal Threets Wants Everyone to Experience 'Library Joy'". NYT. New York Times. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Johnson, Julie (2023-12-24). "How a Bay Area librarian became an Instagram star". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-01-06.
- ^ a b "Meet The 33-Year-Old Librarian Spreading 'Library Joy' To The TikTok Masses". HuffPost. 2024-01-30. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
- ^ a b Thomas, Garvin (2023-06-21). "Thousands following North Bay librarian on TikTok for his real-life stories from the library". NBC Bay Area. Retrieved 2024-01-06.
- ^ a b "The Coolest Place on Earth: The Public Library". KQED. 2023-11-16. Retrieved 2024-01-06.
- ^ a b c d Wasik, Rebecca (2023-07-07). "Solano County librarian shares his love of reading through social media". The Vacaville Reporter. Retrieved 2024-01-06.
- ^ Page, Sydney (2024-01-10). "Librarian faced spate of insults. Thousands of people came to his defense". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
- ^ Shahin, Krys (2024-02-28). "Solano County librarian resigns from position citing mental health. Here's what he's doing next". abc10.com. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
- ^ a b Skinner, Paige (2024-02-27). "Viral TikToker Who Spreads 'Library Joy' Resigns Due To Mental Health". HuffPost. Retrieved 2024-02-29.
- ^ McConnell, Nick (2024-01-08). "Bay Area librarian and TikTok star Mychal Threets works to spread 'library joy'". Marin Independent Journal. Retrieved 2024-01-11.
External links
- 1990 births
- Living people
- 21st-century American people
- 21st-century African-American people
- African-American librarians
- American people of Mexican descent
- American TikTokers
- Librarians from California
- PBS people
- People from Fairfield, California
- San Jose State University alumni
- University of Phoenix alumni