Why do I need a NetID to submit a book recommendation?Though we would like to open recommendations to a larger audience, the NetID requirement ensures recommendations are real, not spam. It also helps the project facilitators purchase new titles that are relevant and important to the current Yale community accessing material through the library catalog.
How do I make a purchase request, in general?If you would like to make a general purchase request (not through the Reading Resilience Project), use Yale Library's purchase request form (requires NetID authentication).
How often does the library purchase recommendations from the Reading Resilience Project?Recommendations are reviewed bi-annually by librarians in Bass Library.
Do you purchase print or electronic books?We purchase both print and electronic books from the Reading Resilience Project's recommendations. If a title is available in both formats, we will review the availability from the publisher and make a purchase decision based on the library's current holdings. For instance, during COVID-19 closures, Bass Library acquired the Project's recommendations as e-books to provide patrons with immediate access to new titles.
How did this project get started?In the fall of 2015, students at Yale University erupted in a years-long debate over the renaming of Calhoun College, an undergraduate residential college named after John C. Calhoun (read the Yale News story about the official renaming to Grace Hopper College in 2017). During this time, student groups approached librarians at Bass Library, Yale’s undergraduate library, for a show of support toward Black students and students of color. The Reading Resilience Project was born from this inquiry.
What is the most recommended book?Between 2015-2022, the Reading Resilience Project received 330 recommendations, of which 209 were unique. The three most recommended books are Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. The complete book list on this website has been de-duplicated.
Who is the most recommended author?To date, the complete book list includes 216 unique authors, with Toni Morrison, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and James Baldwin as the most recommended authors.
