Stress Versus Libraries

ABSTRACT: As the world we live in changes, due to global crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and factors such as politics and poverty, people are experiencing increasing levels of stress in their daily lives. Stress also plays a key role in what people choose to read. With this in mind, how exactly does stress and mood affect one’s reading habits? This paper is a deep dive into how significant cultural events and personal stressors have impacted reading/library usage for patrons and library personnel and how library workers connect with communities. Additionally, this paper will also explore how genre interest has emerged and changed over time. This research will aid library staff with their readers’ advisory endeavors and help readers better understand how their reading interests and habits change based on external and internal factors.