We All Need Friends: A History of the Friends of the Worcester Public Library Part 1

The year 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of our beloved Friends of the Worcester Public Library. Since the American Library Association and libraries throughout the country will be celebrating National Friends of Libraries Week from October 18 - 24, 2026, we would like to take you back in time and share a little history of our very own Friends in this first post of our three-part series.

Friends Promotional Material, circa 1970s

Welcome Friends!

On Wednesday, January 11, 1956, a monumental change came to what was then known as the Worcester Free Public Library: the creation of the Friends of the Worcester Free Public Library (hereafter "the Friends")! Nearly 100 years had passed since the founding of the library and after five years of contemplating the creation of a formal organization in support of the library, some of the former library directors decided that apparently now was the time to officially launch a Friends group. Initially, the first ever meeting was to be held in the lecture hall of the library on Elm Street, but interest in the new Friends group was so great that organizers were forced to move the meeting to Horticultural Hall (now the home of the Museum of Worcester).

"'Friends of the Library' Group to Be Formed," Worcester Sunday Telegram, January 8, 1956

On that day, 80 community members met on the second floor of the Horticultural Hall to determine the goals of the new organization and to elect five former library board directors to nominate a slate of officers to oversee the nascent group. Membership would be open to "all interested persons" and initially membership dues were $1 per person (with inflation, that would be a little more than $12 today). The lofty objectives included supporting the library and its library directors by aiding "in the efficient functioning of the library," advocating for the library to the city government, and providing "an orderly means for using specialized abilities and talents of the members for the solution of library problems" (Worcester Telegram, January 12, 1956, p. 2). 

Over the years, the Friends would have regular monthly and annual meetings, where they would hear from speakers about library trends and problems.  By 1962, the Friends had over 250 members and by 1981, the Friends grew to 550 members from Worcester and the surrounding area. The Friends finally obtained tax-exempt status by Massachusetts and the federal government in March 1979.

Notice of Meeting for the Second Meeting of the Friends, February 16, 1956

An Invitation to Join The Friends of the Worcester Free Public Library, circa 1957

"Nancy Burncoat's Page," Worcester Sunday Telegram, February 28, 1965

So how did the initial goals translate to action? The Friends aided the library through advocacy, raising money through membership fees and fundraising events, and sponsoring programs and library items that the library's budget did not fund. We'll go into a little more detail about each of these actions over the course of our series, starting with advocacy.

Advocacy

We Need a New Library Building!

One of the first tasks of the Friends was to advocate for a new library to replace the Elm Street location. The library had long outgrown the Elm Street space by the time the Friends were founded but it would take years before a new location for a library could be selected, the buildings on the proposed location could be demolished, and then a new library building could be constructed on that site (see our blog post for more information about the urban redevelopment controversy). In a related task, the Friends formed a committee to educate the public on the need for a new library building so that there would be adequate support for this expensive project. According to former Mayor John B. Anderson in honor of the Friends' 50th anniversary, "Those early Friends organized speakers, went to PTA Meetings, mothers' clubs, and legion posts. A petition committee gathered over 10,000 signatures" (Worcester Sunday Telegram, January 22, 2006). Construction on the new building began in 1962 and would take two years.

Attendees of the February 1964 annual meeting of the Friends had the opportunity to take an advance tour of the new library building at 3 Salem Square, which would open to the public in May of that same year. Our Main Library has existed at this location for over 60 years (aside from a brief two year move to Fremont Street for the renovation that completed in 2001).

Worcester Telegram, February 16, 1964

Spreading the News

How can a new organization promote themselves and increase membership? In 1962, the Friends published the first issue of their organization's newsletter. The sporadically published newsletter would inform members about the goings on of the library and the Friends organization. The publications helped share information so that its members could participate in the various activities and calls to action. Furthermore, Friends meetings and events frequently appeared in the local Worcester Telegram and Worcester Evening Gazette newspapers. Finally, the Friends would sometimes initiate mailings to encourage participation. 

First issue of the Friends newsletter, May 1962

Your Library newsletter, Fall 2012

National Library Week and National Book Week

Advocacy for libraries and reading may take many forms. As you may be aware, National Library Week is an annual celebration that began in 1958 by the American Library Association and the American Book Publishers to celebrate and promote library use and the librarians and staff that work in libraries. Therefore, our Friends deemed it necessary to support National Library Week festivities in Worcester for years. For instance, in 1962, the Friends held a book review contest for junior and high school students, where the six winners received books as prizes. 

Worcester Evening Gazette, March 2, 1961

Worcester Evening Gazette, April 7, 1962

"Reviewers Receive Book Prizes," Worcester Telegram, April 14, 1962

Advocating for Library Staff

In addition to advocating for libraries in general, the Friends would advocate for the people who worked at the library. Throughout the years, the Worcester Public Library struggled to staff the library because the underpaid professional librarians would leave the library to seek jobs at other institutions with higher pay. In 1962, head librarian Thurston Taylor wanted to attract and retain library staff to work at Worcester Public Library but it was difficult to recruit staff with the minimum salaries offered by the city. When Taylor advocated for higher salaries, the Friends agreed to fund $1,200 for a pay study that would look into what comparable libraries around the country paid their staff and how their classified their various employees (Worcester Evening Gazette, December 6, 1962). The results of the "Evans Study" would be used in future salary and employee classification discussions with the city.

The Library Wants its Books Back!

In 1982, the library was desperate to get its books back from patrons who kept them out longer than was appropriate. Cue a fun bumper sticker campaign sponsored by the Friends that announced, "Library Books Not Returned are Like Tax Dollars Burned." Pictured below is the Friends president, John Woodbury, with the first female mayor of Worcester, Sara Robertson, with a new bumper sticker for her car!

Bring 'Em Back, Worcester Evening Gazette, October 8, 1982

Advocating for the Library During Budget Cuts

Of course, it was important for the Friends to advocate for the library in good times as well as in times of crisis. The library would be forced to rely more on the generosity of the Friends to make up for things the library's budget couldn't fund in the face of rising budget cuts and the threat of Proposition 2 1/2. The Friends even attempted to stave off the Proposition 2 1/2 budget cuts of 1990 by distributing a petition for the restoration of the library budget, with 5,579 people signing the petition. Alas, all efforts by the Friends and other community members were not enough and most of the library branches were forced to close.

In 1991, the Friends held a Love Our Library rally, where community members joined hands around the library to give the library building a "hug."

"Big Hug for Library," Worcester Telegram & Gazette, June 20, 1991

Advocating for Library Renovations

When the economy and the library partially recovered after the aftermath of the Proposition 2 1/2 cuts, in 1997 the Friends conducted a survey on the proposed expansion and renovation of the Main Library. A couple of months later, the Friends advocated for the city to borrow money to fund part of the expansion project. This advocacy would translate into further action when the Friends initiated fundraising plans for the new project.

In Conclusion

The advocacy for the Worcester Public Library continues for the Friends in tandem with the Worcester Public Library Foundation. Check back next time for our next post on the Friends of Worcester Public Library and how their generosity benefits the library and community!

Sources:

"Annual Meeting Planned by Friends of Library." (1964, February 16). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. D1.

Blunt, R. (1990, May 17). "5,579 Signatures Mark Library Need." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. A18.

"Candidates Back Main Library Renovation." (1997, November 3). Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. B2.

Duckett, R. (1990, April 11). "Worcester Library to Close Branches." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. A2.

"Friends of Library to Ask Council Back Plant Site." (1958, March 11). Worcester Telegram, p. 11.

"'Friends of the Library' Group to Be Formed." (1956, January 8). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. A27.

"Friends of Library to Mark 25th Anniversary Tuesday." (1981, March 29). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. 24A.

"Group Formed for Promoting New Library." (1957, March 4). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 13.

Griffin, G. B. (1998, February 10). "Library, School Dueling for Dollars." Worcester Telegram & Gazette, p. A1.

Kennedy, H. (1973, November). The First Worcester Book Festival. Friends of the Worcester Public Library Newsletter. 9(5).

"Library 'Friends' Become Tax Exempt." (1979, March 25). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. 31A.

"The Library's Friends." (1956, January 15). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. A6.

"Library's Friends Celebrate 25th Year." (1981, April 1). Worcester Telegram, p. 13.

"Nancy Burncoat's Page." (1965, February 28). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. D1.

"National Library Week Will be April 16 to 22." (1961, March 2). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 22.

"New Library Will be Site of Meeting." (1964. February 16). Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. D1.

"Pay Study Planned at Library." (1962, December 6). Worcester Evening Gazette, p. 25.

"Public Library Friends Organized, 80 Attend." (1956, January 12). Worcester Telegram, p. 2.

Sullivan, K. (2006, January 22). "Worcester Library Friends Make a Difference." Worcester Sunday Telegram, p. B4.

How to Haunt Your Local Library: A guide for grown-up ghouls

Who says Halloween fun is just for kids? The coolest ghouls know that WPL is the place to be for free, fun programming all October long! From spooky talks to creepy crafts, the Main Library is brewing up Halloween fun for adults! Best of all? It’s all free! Just show up and be ready to have fun!

Want to stay home and read a book, watch a movie, or try your hand at ghost hunting? We can help with that too! Yes, we really have a ghost hunting kit - more on that later. 

Please note: Some programs require registration. Check the program description for more details. 

Events for Adults: Free and open to the public, ages 18 & older. 

DIY Crafts

Join us every Wednesday from 3 - 4:30 in the Innovation Center! Crafts include paint scrape ghosts, spider web decor, spooky miniature art and haunted houses. No registration is required but supplies are limited. Please note all crafts are subject to change.

Ghosts! Strange Tales from 13 Years of Paranormal Investigating

Join us on Tuesday, October 27 from 6:30-7:30 pm to explore unexplained evidence and lessons learned from a seasoned paranormal investigator. Dr. Joanna MacGugan shares stories from her paranormal adventures and demonstrates how you, too, can investigate haunted locations. Click here to register.

Snacks and Suspects: True Crime Book Club - Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 7 pm

October's selection is Captain's Dinner: A Shipwreck, an Act of Cannibalism, and a Murder Trial That Changed Legal History by New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed journalist Adam Cohen. This thought-provoking true story follows four shipwrecked men stranded in a lifeboat, forced to confront an impossible question: How far would you go to survive? Click here to register. 

Virtual Science Fiction Book Club - Tuesday, October 20 at 1 pm

Spooky sci-fi more your vibe? Join our science fiction book club online to discuss The Andromeda Evolution by Daniel H. Wilson. This sequel to Michael Crichton's The Andromeda Strain, follows a mutated alien microbe that resurfaced in the Amazon jungle and the threat it poses to global extinction. Click here to get the meeting link. 

Medicine Making 101: Harnessing Your Inner Kitchen Witch, Presented by Nora Toomey, Clinical Herbalist  - Saturday, October 24 at 2 pm

This is a beginner's guide to making plant medicine using the "folk method." The folk method is a traditional way of making herbal medicine that does not involve fancy equipment, just basic kitchen measuring tools. In this one-hour class, we will go over how to make an herbal syrup, an herbal infused oil, a salve, and a tincture, as well as the plants that would best be extracted using each preparation, and applications for these remedies. Click here to register.

Plants as Muse: Mugwort, Artemis, and the Moon, Presented by Nora Toomey, Clinical Herbalist - Saturday, November 7 at 2 pm

Explore the imagery, deities, planetary rulings, and magical properties associated with Mugwort in this creative art making program. Participants will also receive a pouch of Mugwort, so you can continue your creative (and medicinal!) dance with this marvelous plant. Click here to register.

Watch with One Eye Open!

Patrons with a WPL card can access Kanopy, a streaming service with films, television shows, and documentaries for all ages. You can download the app on your smart TV, mobile device or tablet. Kanopy has a vast selection of films, so it's a great place to look for spooky season!

Good Boy, an emotional drama featuring a dog named Indy who battles supernatural forces with his human, Todd, is great for those looking for light scares and overall creepy vibes. And don't worry, the dog doesn't get hurt. 

If you love new tales based on classic monsters, try A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night. The first Iranian vampire western, Ana Lily Amirpour's debut feature follows a lonely vampire who is stalking the towns most unsavory inhabitants. But when boy meets girl, an unusual love story begins to blossom. If you're looking for comedy, look no further than comedic royalty Marlon Wayans and Cedric the Entertainer in A Haunted House. In the mood for larger than life creature features? Try Sam Raimi's Crawl or Guillermo Del Toro's Mimic.

Read with the Lights On

Whether you read books or listen to them, a scary story can have you looking over your shoulder at night. Click on the link in the title to place a hold on a copy.

Frightful Frontiers: Western Horror

Fans of Yellowstone and Marshalls will enjoy the newly released horror- western The Unheld by Luke Larkin. This story follows twelve-year old Charlie as she journeys across the Montana wilderness to find her father who's been dragged away in the night by a mysterious creature.

For a western that blends the supernatural with American history, add Stephen Graham Jones' The Buffalo Hunter Hunter to your list. Selected as one of The New York Times' 100 Notable Books of the Year, this chilling historical novel is set in the nascent days of the state of Montana, following a Blackfeet Indian named Good Stab as he haunts the fields of the Blackfeet Nation looking for justice.

Enter if You Dare: Haunted Places 

Winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel, The Reformatory is a gripping, page-turning novel set in Jim Crow Florida that follows Robert Stephens Jr. as he’s sent to a segregated reform school that is a chamber of terrors where he sees the horrors of racism and injustice for the living and the dead. 

Written by Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk, The Empusium follows a student suffering from tuberculosis at a health resort in western Poland. Every day, its residents gather in the dining room to imbibe the hallucinogenic local liqueur, to obsess over money and status, and to discuss the great issues of the day: Will there be war? Monarchy or democracy? Do devils exist? Are women inherently inferior? Meanwhile, disturbing things are beginning to happen in the guesthouse and its surroundings. As stories of shocking events in the surrounding highlands reach the men, a sense of dread builds.

Hanging with my Boo: Paranormal Romance 

In Emma R. Alban's Happily Ever Afterlife,

struggling writer Frannie encounters the ghost of a young girl while living and working in Manhattan's famously haunted Dakota Building. She soon meets the girl's ghostly family, including Elsa, their attractive and aloof mother. As Frannie secretly begins writing about Elsa, friendship develops into romance, forcing her to choose between her ambitions as a novelist and finding a way to free the ghostly family from the building that has held them for generations.

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna follows Sera Swan, who used to be one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Now running an enchanted inn with her great-aunt, she encounters Luke, a magical historian, who may be able to help her with the spell to get her magic back. Oh, and there's a talking, slightly villainous fox too. 

Maximum Occupancy: Possession

The Possession of Alba Diaz takes place in 1765 as a plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family’s isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as other dangers soon bare their teeth: Alba begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking, violent convulsions, and senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. 

Tradwife takes us inside the life of influencer Camille Deming. When she isn’t cooking, cleaning, or homesteading in her picture-perfect country farmhouse, she’s posting about her tradwife lifestyle for her online followers. With her marriage in limbo, Camille finds a mysterious, decrepit well in the wheatfield behind her house and makes a wish for a baby. Shortly after, she finds that she is pregnant with a rapidly developing fetus and a craving for raw meat. 

Library of Things 

Books are not the only items you can borrow from the library. Get ready for Halloween with our Library of Things collection! Whether you’re planning a party, trying your hand at a DIY costume, or looking to add a little extra magic to your Halloween festivities, we’ve got things you can borrow to make this October extra spooky! 

One Night Ultimate Werewolf
This is a fast-paced game for 3-10 players where everyone is dealt a secret role. Many of these roles have special abilities that will aid that player in gaining information.  In the course of only one night and the following morning, the players will determine who among them is a werewolf...hopefully. Click here to place a hold. 

Ghost Hunting Kit 

Whether you want to delve into the unknown, find the source of those odd noises in your house, or just want to pretend you're a ghost hunter, our ghost hunting kit is sure to entertain you. Click here to place a hold. 

Sewing Machine

If you take the DIY route, you can borrow our sewing machine to add the final touch to your costume. Click here to place a hold.

Tarot Cards

Curious about what the cards have to say? Tarot is a centuries-old tradition featuring a deck of richly illustrated cards, each filled with symbols, stories, and plenty of room for interpretation. Click here to place a hold. 

Ouija Board

Ready to spell out a little mystery? Whether you’re a believer, a skeptic, or just curious about things that go bump in the night, the Ouija board has a surprisingly interesting history. Click here to place a hold. 

Karaoke Machine and Party Lights

Whether you're hosting an elegant soiree with your vampire friends or a zombie rave, we've got you covered for supplies to put on a graveyard smash! Click here to view our catalog of entertainment items, which includes DJ lighting, a disco light, strobe lights, warming trays, and folding tables!

Want to hear your guests ruin beloved songs that will haunt you for eternity? Check out our karaoke machine! Click here to place a hold. 

Have questions? Call us at (508) 799-1655, ext. 3 or use our email service here. 

Happy Haunting!

Poetry Update and Poem of the Month for October 2026

 

“Poetry heals the wounds inflicted by reason.” – Novalis

WPL's Poem of the Month used to be posted on the library's Poet's Place webpage. But since the advent of our new website a few weeks ago, Poet's Place, sadly, no longer exists.

But that doesn't mean WPL has stopped supporting poetry and local poets! We love poetry and hope every one of our published poems, most by local poets, speak to you.

Here's our October, 2026, Poem of the Month:

Monstrous Fumbling

By Brian Mosher

 

“…the monstrous fumbling of all life…”

Thomas Wolfe, Look Homeward, Angel

 

 Noone can know,

in this enigmatic life,

how best to proceed.

 

In our useless striving

for achievement, every

step forward only destroys.

 

Our monstrous fumbling

for connection to others

leaves nothing

 

but bruises and scars,

which should serve

as reminders, but do not.

 

Life has no significance,

death no reality, and

there is nothing beyond.

 

Fate, if She existed,

would laugh until She cried,

drowning us in Her tears.

 

Yet, what choices

have we? What other

path lies open to us?

 

The spark of Life within

us urges, “go on, fumble.”

And we cannot refuse.

 

Brian Mosher resides in Mansfield, Mass. He has self-published 3 books: “One Bad Day Deserves Another” (short stories) and “Moon Shine and Lemon Twists” (poetry), both in 2016; and “The Broken Mosaic” (poetry and prose), in 2021. All available through Amazon.

His poetry chapbook, “Dreams and Other Magic” (2023) is published by Alien Buddha Press. His unpublished short-story manuscript was short-listed for the Unleash Press 2025 Book Prize.

His work has appeared in Blue Villa, Nixes Mate, eMerge, Books and Pieces, Confetti, Rituals, Coneflower Cafe, Written Tales, Esoterica Magazine, Half and One Magazine, and others.

He maintains a writing blog, Phlubbermatic: (www.phlubbermatic.blogspot.com).

October New Releases

Check out these highly anticipated new releases featuring fiction and nonfiction titles. Click on the title to request a copy or get your name on the waitlist.  Don’t forget to watch for more featured releases next month!

Fiction

Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus
A young man seeks fulfillment while working for a prestigious and cutthroat poetry journal in this tender-hearted sophomore novel from bestseller Garmus (Lessons in Chemistry). It’s the early 1980s, and precocious California-raised Batter Gray hopes to do his bookish parents proud by landing a job in publishing. Batter fell in love with poetry as a boy, and in college he became a devoted reader of poetry magazine Peck & Peck. After graduation, he lands an entry-level job in the journal’s office in New York City, relegated to the moldy basement mail room. Determined to shine, Batter tries not to let anyone get to him. Not boisterous, narcissistic editor-in-chief Salton Peck, nor his salty assistant, Dexter, nor the staff of 39 ornery and ambitious editors. Still, feeling overwhelmed and underappreciated, Batter makes critical errors in judgment and gets in all sorts of mischief, from struggling to plan a company celebration to winding up in jail on arson charges. The story runs a bit too long, but in its unorthodox workplace, Garmus has crafted a canny analogy of the era’s ruthless corporate culture, which Batter can’t escape even by devoting his life to poetry. The author also packs the novel with the antic humor and colorful characterizations that drew readers to her debut. There’s much to cherish in this charming tale. Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly

Another Name for Red by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala
What makes this debut mystery-thriller a standout is that the evil it depicts is not at all fictional or confined to an individual or a small group, but is inflicted repeatedly in the present upon a large segment of Americans: young Indigenous women. Blaeser-Wardzala, an Anishinaabe and a first-degree descendant of White Earth Nation in Minnesota, delivers a scathing indictment of the apathy the law shows toward solving cases involving missing or murdered tribal women by focusing on one family whose eldest daughter has disappeared. The narrator, a 22-year-old Anishinaabe living with her family on a Minnesota reservation and known only as "Middle Daughter" throughout, must walk a tightrope both at home, with a father made inert by grief, and at her work in a hardware store, where the only white man living on the reservation continually harasses her. When Middle Daughter decides to investigate what happened to her older sister, she faces a host of perils herself. Blaeser-Wardzala works in many disturbing facts about contemporary Indigenous life that are unknown to most readers, such as how casinos spell trouble for the surrounding Indigenous community. Simmering suspense as Middle Daughter keeps searching, culminating in a hold-your-breath ending.  Copyright 2026 Booklist

The Names of the New World by Kawai Strong Washburn
A mighty storm changes everything for three young people living in Minneapolis. This novel opens with a bang—or rather three of them. First, a Marshall Islands fisherman witnesses the test of an atomic bomb. Decades later, that man’s granddaughter, a lawyer in Minneapolis, endures a battering as an amateur mixed martial arts fighter. When she gets home, an extreme weather event blows a wall off her apartment building. Amid the debris, a stranger offers help, and she sets off with him. Before they reach shelter, the pair will rescue another man whose SUV has been blown into the branches of a tree by the storm. Then the book catches its breath briefly, but those three people will remain bound together for life. Naomi Kaisha, the lawyer, is restless and unhappy living far from her childhood home in Hawaiʻi. But that storm, which is dubbed the Ultra after it kills thousands in multiple cities, galvanizes her—and turns out to be just the leading edge of seriously hellacious climate change. Banker Amaré Townsend and mechanic Raheem, both ambitious young Black men, take very different paths that keep recrossing. Amaré will marry Naomi, who as a lawyer and then a politician will pursue her cause of holding the fossil fuel industry responsible, affecting all three of them in unexpected ways. The author is adept both at sweeping set pieces and the small moments that convey the texture of an individual’s life, all rendered in rich, often lovely prose. The book follows the trio of characters closely for three years, then in its last quarter leaps forward two decades into a vividly imagined and convincingly rendered future that is both terrifying and exhilarating—and achingly hopeful.  Human resilience in the face of climate disaster illuminates this powerful novel.  Copyright 2026 Kirkus Reviews

Nonfiction

The Glam Reaper's guide to slaying : life lessons for rebellious souls by Bill Crisafi

From popular Instagram artist Bill Crisafi (@Billsafi), an irreverent and uplifting illustrated guide to slaying your inner demons, with the fan-favorite and wickedly funny Glam Reaper and her fabulous friends.

When we're plagued with self-doubt, we need someone to remind us that we put the "bitch" in "obituary." Enter the Glam Reaper, our guide to killing negativity and becoming a certified diva.As the Glam Reaper moves through the world beyond, she finds her friends are dealing with problems we've all faced . . .The Glam Reaper, with her trademark wit and sass, helps each of them overcome their troubles with practical tips ("Tell those voices in your head to drop dead") and uplifting mantras (Look in the mirror and say, "I'm a hot bitch," three times).  Written and illustrated by Instagram artist and fashion designer Bill Crisafi, The Glam Reaper's Guide to Slaying is a funny, cheeky, and insightful handbook to self-love and self-acceptance for any ghouls gone wild. From the publisher

You Don’t Need a Smartphone: A Practical Guide to Downgrading Your Phone and Upgrading Your Life by August Lamm

Artist Lamm (Crosshatching in Pen and Ink) offers a lucid call for readers to give up their smartphones and “reclaim what is ours—our relationships, our experiences, our very selves.” The author received her first iPhone in high school and became dependent on it, creating a popular social media account that offered her financial security but consumed her time, creative freedom, and self esteem, which became tied to her follower count. After being locked out of her social media account, she transitioned away from her iPhone, buying a “dumbphone”—a cell phone sans touch screen and internet connection—that helped restore her creativity. Lamm outlines the many ills of smartphone use, particularly its ability to drive attention in ways that adhere to corporate agendas and its erosion of critical thinking skills. She suggests replacing one’s smartphone with a low-tech cell phone, and shares tips for handling navigation, video calls, and offline dating. Such replacement strategies are refreshingly practical, and Lamm effectively highlights the stakes of a habit whose short-term benefits are outweighed by long-term consequences. (Noting the average person will spend over 10 years of their waking life on their phone, she writes, “Imagine a whole decade passing by as you sit hunched and expressionless. Imagine knowing you had a choice.”) It’s a valuable resource for those looking to rethink their relationship with technology.  Copyright 2026 Publishers Weekly

The Savage Mind, an American Legacy by David Treuer
In his latest eviscerating title, award-winner Treuer (The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee, 2019) delivers a piercing and propulsive treatise on the distorted relationship between America's violent history and its treasured frontier mythology. Written in the wake of George Floyd's murder, this is an artful combination of memoir, historical analysis, and reportage. Treuer charges through the nation's past at a brisk pace, sparing no one from his incisive analysis, including Christopher Columbus, George Washington, and, especially, General Henry Sibley, who oversaw the infamous 1862 mass hanging of 38 members of the Dakota Sioux at Mankato, Minnesota. Treuer is relentless in his consideration of such events, noting the public spectacle of incidents such as Mankato, the continuing plague of school shootings, and the ever-present defensive declarations of fear that has marked the killings of Philandro Castile, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, and far too many others. The frontier, he notes, "moved" into those who committed their murders. The violence of that era, which arrived with the would-be conquerors, then evolved into a matter of policy, has transcended its origins and become a tortured way of life. Truthfulness is the only cure, and reckoning must not be denied. This is Treuer at his best, emotional, brilliant, and relentless. Copyright 2026 Booklist

Back to School! College Life, Dark Academia, and Prep School Stories

Now that first days, orientation, and school supply purchasing has passed, students and teachers are buckling down to routines in mid-September. Are you the type that can't help buying a new outfit at the start of the school year, and delights in a new box of freshly sharpened colored pencils? Maybe you're curious about the inside baseball of publish or perish, or fascinated at the idea of secret societies? Whether you're a parent, a student, or a professor, these tales of college admissions, professors on sabbatical, or student-teacher dynamics could be your next reading assignment. Best enjoyed with a pumpkin spice latte and an apple cider donut.

Make sure to check out WPL's Reader's Corner for more book suggestions!

The Academy series by Elin Hilderbrand

1. The Academy 
   When a surprise national ranking thrusts underachieving Tiffin Academy into the spotlight, a viral gossip app begins exposing students’ and staff’s secrets, unraveling reputations and relationships as the boarding school’s carefully curated image gives way to chaos, scandal and unexpected alliances.
2. The Thoroughbreds
   September at Tiffin Academy is always a heady time, especially for the senior class--"sixth formers"--a season of college applications and intense pressure, of partying hard and last hurrahs. As the chapel bells ring in students and staff, everyone has something to look forward to--but in the midst of the anticipation and excitement, nagging questions and dark secrets lurk beneath the surface...

An Academic Affair by Jodi McAlister
Two English professors enter a fake marriage in order to secure partner hire, but soon realize their feelings for each other aren't as fake as they'd once thought.

Admission by Julie Bauxbaum
The story of a teen whose promising future at the college of her dreams is upended by her minor celebrity mother’s arrest for a massive college admissions bribery scandal.

Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz 
Portia Nathan, an admissions officer for Princeton University, takes her job--and the 17-year-olds whose applications she sees--very seriously. In fact, they come before everything else in her very orderly life, a life that she has, to some extent, been sleep-walking through for a while now.

Alex Stern series by Leigh Bardugo

1. Ninth House 
   The offer: a full scholarship to Yale for Galaxy "Alex" Stern, a high school dropout with the rare ability to see ghosts.The catch: Tasked with monitoring the university's secret societies, Alex soon discovers that the elite institution is often willing to turn a blind eye to their occult transgressions.
2. Hell Bent
   Galaxy "Alex" Stern assembles a motley crew to help her locate a gateway to Hell and rescue her friend Darlington.
3. Dead Beat
   Demons are creeping through the streets of New Haven and the Yale campus, feeding on the souls of the living, terrifying the dead. Alex Stern and her allies can hunt them, but it's only a matter of time before the gates to the underworld open and they face a war they cannot win. To stop it, they'll have to reach deep into the secrets of Yale and its societies, and discover the truth hidden in Alex's own blood. Alex must contend with the machinations of a corrupt Lethe Board and a deadly vampire with his own connection to the societies. But she won't have to face the fight alone.

All Girls by Emily Layden 
Nine young women embark on personal and scholarly journeys of self-discovery at a prestigious New England prep school, where their evolving voices are shaped by a scandal that the administration would cover up.

All Souls series by Deborah Harkness

1. A Discovery of Witches
   Discovering a magical manuscript in Oxford's library, scholar Diana Bishop, a descendant of witches who has rejected her heritage, inadvertently unleashes a fantastical underworld of daemons, witches and vampires whose activities center around an enchanted treasure.
2. Shadow of Night
   A follow-up to A Discovery of Witches finds Oxford scholar and reluctant witch Diana and vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont in Elizabethan London, where Diana seeks a magical tutor and Matthew confronts elements from his past at the same time the mystery of Ashmole 782 deepens.
3. The Book of Life
   Historian and witch Diana Bishop and her vampire scientist husband Matthew Clairmont return from a trip to the past still searching for the elusive alchemy tome Ashmole 782 in the final installment of the best-selling trilogy following Shadow of Night.
4.  Time's Convert
   Then: Eighteenth-century surgeon Marcus MacNeil joined the Continental Army, met vampire Matthew de Clermont, and took the plunge into immortality.Now: Marcus is engaged to mortal Phoebe Taylor, who has agreed to undergo the dangerous transition to vampire prior to their marriage.
   The Blackbird Oracle
5. When the Congregation demands she and Matthew test the magic of their seven-year-old twins, Oxford scholar and witch, Diana Bishop, forging a different path, confronts her family's dark past and reckons with her desire for even greater power--if she can let go of her fear of wielding it.

Babel, or the necessity of violence: an arcane history of the Oxford translators revolution by R.F. Kuang 
Great Britain, 1828: Robin Swift, a Chinese orphan raised in England, studies under the enigmatic Professor Lovell in preparation for entry to Oxford's Royal Institute of Translation, also known as Babel. Divided loyalties: As Robin pursues his studies, he also becomes involved with the Hermes Society, an underground network dedicated to thwarting Britain's imperial ambitions.

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas
A dangerously curious, rebellious undergraduate uncovers a shocking secret about an exclusive circle of students and the dark truths beneath their school’s promises of prestige.

The Cloisters by Katy Hays
Assigned to The Cloisters, a gothic museum and garden, curatorial associate Ann Stilwell becomes obsessed with the history of fortune-telling after discovering a hidden 15th-century deck of tarot cards that might hold the key to predicting the future, blurring the line between the modern and the arcane.

Extra-Curricular by Rachel Lynn Solomon
When a former pop star enrolls in college, the last thing she expects is A-plus chemistry with her psychology professor. Ramona loves the way she flusters him, taking every opportunity to push Nick's buttons, though what she really wants is to unbutton them completely. When a crisis brings them closer outside of class, they begin a tentative friendship amid an undeniable attraction. But Ramona can't be so easily finished with her old life, and they'll both have to confront their pasts if they want a chance at something real.

Getting In by Jennifer Finney Boylan
Four quirky high-school seniors and their dysfunctional family chaperones set off on a tour of the Ivy League, where they attempt to hide their lack of credentials from a strange cast of admissions officers.

Hierarchy Series by James Islington

1. The Will of the Many 
   A young man with a hidden past enters a leader academy under the orders of his adopted father and to secretly discover what lead to his brother's death in this historical fantasy series set in Ancient Rome.
2. The Strength of the Few
   At the elite Catenan Academy, a young fugitive uncovers layered mysteries and world-changing secrets in this fantasy series.

How to Grieve Like a Victorian by Amy Carol Reeves
Dr. Lizzie Wells is grieving her husband in her own way—Victorian mourning clothes, handwritten letters, even an almost-kiss with his best friend, Henry. When a trip to London offers escape, Lizzie embraces new friends, bold adventures, and life’s messy beauty. But those late-night calls with Henry turn into something more, and when he shows up in London, Lizzie must decide: will she risk her heart for a second chance at love?

I Have Some Questions For You by Rebecca Makkai
California film professor and podcaster Bodie Kane's marriage has recently ended, so she's back at her New Hampshire boarding school to teach a podcasting class to high schoolers. The project they all agree on: investigating the long-ago murder of Bodie's roommate.

In These Hallowed Halls: A Dark Academia Anthology edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane
Spinetingling and sinister, this collection of 12 dark academia short stories from such masters of the genre as Olivia Blake, M. L. Rio and Susie Yang finds a lothario lecturer getting a visit from retribution; two graduates exhuming the secrets of a reclusive scholar; and much more.

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
When a fake relationship between scientists meets the irresistible force of attraction, it throws one woman's carefully calculated theories on love into chaos. 

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
Secretly offering her services as a fake girlfriend, theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway engages in an all-out war of scholarly sabotage when the older brother of her favorite client, the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor's career, stands between her and her dream job at MIT.

The Magicians series by Lev Grossman

1. The Magicians
   Harboring secret preoccupations with a magical land he read about in a childhood fantasy series, Quentin Coldwater is unexpectedly admitted into an exclusive college of magic and rigorously educated in modern sorcery.
2. The Magician King
   After Quentin and his old friend Julia leave Fillory on a magical sailing ship, they end up back in Quentin's home in Chesterton, Massachusetts, and only Julia's dark magic can get them back to the realm they have grown to love
3. The Magician's Land
   Quentin Coldwater has been cast out of Fillory, the secret magical land of his childhood dreams. With nothing left to lose he returns to where his story began, the Brakebills Preparatory College of Magic. But he can't hide from his past, and it's not long before it comes looking for him. Along with Plum, a brilliant young undergraduate with a dark secret of her own, Quentin sets out on a crooked path through a magical demimonde of gray magic and desperate characters. But all roads lead back to Fillory, and his new life takes him to old haunts, like Antarctica, and to buried secrets and old friends he thought were lost forever

The Magus by John Fowles

A young Englishman, Nicholas Urfe, accepts a teaching post on a remote Greek island in order to escape an unsatisfactory love affair. There, his friendship with a reclusive millionaire evolves into a mysterious--and deadly--game of violence, seduction, and betrayal. As he is drawn deeper into the trickster's psychological traps, Nicholas finds it increasingly difficult to distinguish past from present, fantasy from reality. He becomes a desperate man fighting for his sanity and his very survival.

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
When a member of a secret society known as The Maidens is murdered, a brilliant, but troubled, group therapist finds her obsession with proving the guilt of an untouchable Cambridge University professor spiraling out of control, threatening to destroy her credibility as well as her life.

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Toru Watanabe, a quiet and preternaturally serious young college student in Tokyo, is devoted to Naoko, a beautiful and introspective young woman, but their mutual passion is marked by the tragic death of their best friend years before. Toru begins to adapt to campus life and the loneliness and isolation he faces there, but Naoko finds the pressures and responsibilities of life unbearable. As she retreats further into her own world, Toru finds himself reaching out to others and drawn to a fiercely independent and sexually liberated young woman.

Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld
Prep follows former scholarship student Lee Fiora (now 24) as she looks back over her years at a prestigious prep school in Massachusetts. Perpetually an outsider, Lee watches from a distance as those around her interact and forge relationships, and proves herself to be particularly competent at observing how class distinctions play out on campus. When she finally does decide to participate more fully in campus events, it is with decidedly mixed results.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
A teacher at a girl's school in Edinburgh during the 1930s comes into conflict with school authorities because of her unorthodox teaching methods.

The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
Practical American Bex Porter, who unexpectedly falls in love with crown prince Nick while attending Oxford.

The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis 
Set at a small, affluent liberal-arts college in New England at the height of the Reagan eighties, The Rules of Attraction is a startlingly funny, kaleidoscopic novel about three students with no plans for the future or even the present, who become entangled in a curious romantic triangle.

Scholomance series by Naomi Novik

1. A Deadly Education
   Galadriel "El" Higgins, a loner with an affinity for dark magic, just wants to survive until graduation, but the heroics of her classmate, golden boy Orion Lake, may prove more lethal than the maleficaria that infest the school
2. The Last Graduate
   Dark sorceress Galadriel "El" Higgins is determined to get herself and her classmates to graduation day without getting killed by monsters.
3. The Golden Enclaves 
   This conclusion to the Scholomance series follows El's post-school life...such as it is.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt
When Richard Papen arrives on Hampden College's Vermont campus, he feels as if he's entered a different world. He's also drawn to the five close-knit, intelligent, and somewhat eccentric students in the Classics program led by a brilliant scholar. Once he's joined their exclusive group, however, he finds cracks under their sophisticated exteriors as secrets--and murder--threaten to tear them apart. If you enjoy psychological suspense and brilliant, self-indulgent characters, you'll likely also appreciate Marisha Pessl's Special Topics in Calamity Physics, which stars a bright female high-school student who falls in with a similar crowd, with similar devastating repercussions.

A Separate Peace by John Knowles
A conflict of loyalties between prep school students Gene and his fearless friend, Phineas, leads to tragedy.

Solace House by Will Maclean
An addictive and brilliant puzzle box of a novel following a group of university students who discover an astonishing secret while clearing out a neglected Victorian mansion. As the students gradually uncover the house's secrets, the rift between those who want to delve further and those who believe they've already gone too far grows ever wider.

Teachers in Love series by M.A. Wardell

1. Teacher of the Year
   Teacher of the Year is a vivid character study of a lovable, neuro-spicy, Jewish, queer kindergarten teacher, falling for the dad of one of his students.
2. Mistletoe and Mishigas
   This spicy and swoony romance follows two men with opposite personalities as they pretend to date during the holiday season.
3. Napkins and Other Distractions
   Principal Kent Lester is proud of Lear Elementary School, but seven years after his divorce, he's finally ready to focus on his personal life. Things get off to a rocky start with his first date—although that doesn't stop them from spending the night together. Vincent Manda never seems to be able to move past the friend zone, and besides, he's not sure anyone can handle his OCD anyway. When his school buys new computer software, Kent’s alarmed to discover that his one-night stand is working on the installation.
4. Husband of the Year
   Olan Stone wants nothing more than to spend the rest of his life with kindergarten teacher Marvin Block. And his daughter, Illona, can't wait to call Marvin her stepfather. They're bashert-meant to be. However, as the big day approaches, family tensions and unresolved issues put their future together in jeopardy.

These Dreaming Spires: A Dark Academia Anthology edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane
Twelve original dark academia stories from bestselling thriller writers, featuring darkened libraries, exclusive elite schools, looming Gothic towers, charismatic professors, illicit affairs, and the rivalries and obsessions that lead to murder.

The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones by Lex Croucher
Former childhood best friends reunite at magical boarding school after years, only to find themselves enemies on opposite sides of the ugly secrets hidden within the gilded walls.

The World According to Garp by John Irving
T. S. Garp, a man with high ambitions for an artistic career and with obsessive devotion to his wife and children, and Jenny Fields, his famous feminist mother, find their lives surrounded by an assortment of people including teachers, whores, and radicals.

The World Cannot Give by Tara Isabella Burton
Arriving at St. Dunstan's Academy in Maine, shy, sensitive Laura Stearns falls under the spell of charismatic, neurotic overachiever Virginia, who gives her purpose until the new school chaplain challenges Virginia, forcing Laura to decide how far she will let her devotion to Virginia go.

Annotations from Novelist -- find your next great read with NoveList Plus!