📚 95th Street dominates
The 95th branch is the busiest by a lot. It consistently leads total checkout flow compared with Nichols and Naper Blvd.
The why
I got my library card years ago while learning English and trying to rebuild my life. I started checking out books, one after another, and realized that libraries are vehicles of self-actualization.
This project started from one recurring thought: Wouldn't it be cool to see what people are actually reading right now? So I built it to make that invisible citywide curiosity visible.
How it works (super simple): we watch public catalog availability, and when available copies go down, we mark that as live reading activity.
Curiosities and Patterns
I have been running the site for a while, and these are patterns that keep showing up in the data.
🎬 Hollywood moves books fast
Movie and TV announcements shift checkout behavior almost immediately. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and The Housemaid wave effects are recent examples.
🧭 Branches read differently
Branches have distinct reading identities. The overlap in top titles across neighborhoods is lower than most people expect.
🐶 Kids books are huge
Dav Pilkey is everywhere. Dog Man is citywide, with especially strong pull at 95th.
95th
48.1%
Nichols
34.6%
Naper
17.3%
🤝 Citywide consensus books exist
A few titles split almost evenly across branches. Example: Bob Books at 7 / 8 / 6 across 95th, Naper, and Nichols.
⚙️ Inventory can get smarter
If checkout probability is branch-specific, copy allocation can be branch-specific too. That means fewer transfers, lower handling cost, and faster access for readers.
🌀 Summer watchlist is obvious
I would not be surprised if The Odyssey climbs hard through summer once adaptation hype ramps up.
Follow Your Curiosity
I built this because curiosity changed (and continues to change) my life, and I wanted to make that visible for everyone.
Other Naperville projects
🍜✨ The Naperville Underrated Food Map
Google shows you what is already popular. This map shows you what is actually worth trying next.