Happy (Almost) 1st Birthday, Threaded!

Can you believe that The Threaded Global Book Project will be ONE on October 5, 2024? This year has been one of incredible growth, luck, serendipity, and fun. Follow along on the Loom and on Instagram and help us celebrate this important Threaded milestone!

Let's revisit some fun memories from the past year.

What event inspired The Threaded Global Book Project?

The idea for Threaded was born on October 5, 2023 in Meredith's high school English classroom in Southern Illinois. She is writing the origin story and will publish it on Threaded's birthday (October 5).

The Not So Secret Book Club's Original Sticker

What was The Threaded Project's original name and why did it change?

The Threaded Global Book Project's original name was The Not So Secret Book Club. We changed the name to play on the "thread of fate" metaphor which was more appropriate for our project, since our mission is to connect readers with the books they are destined to discover. The Not So Secret Book Club wasn't a club nor was it secret, so it was confusing to users.

As you can see from this original sticker, users wrote their names and drop locations by hand.

What was the first ever Threaded book? Was it successful?

The first Threaded book was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone which was dropped at the IMU student union on the campus of Indiana University on December 16, 2023. It was not successful. With this drop, we realized that the books needed clear and inviting front-of-book stickers. We learned that strangers are much too polite to touch someone else's book let alone open it.

What was the first Threaded book to be found?

The first found Threaded book was The Thing About Jane Spring by Sharon Krum. It was found at the John Hancock Center Starbucks (in Chicago, Illinois, USA) on New Year's Day, 2024! To say we were excited is an understatement. We were thrilled and felt like it was a sign of a great year to come!

How far has a Threaded book traveled so far?

So far, we have had books Threaded in the USA, England, and Italy, and the one that has travelled the farthest was The Book of the Dun Cow which travelled from Illinois (USA) to Ireland to Germany! We're waiting for it to be re-Threaded!

Where is the greatest concentration of Threaded books at the moment?

As of today, the greatest concentration of Threaded books is in San Diego, California, thanks to @littlefreelibraryxo and @linkleaderdave. Neighborhood free libraries are great spots to Thread books!

Into what genre do most Threaded books fall?

We're happy that the Threaded books in the world span all genres including children's literature like Charlotte's Web and classics like A Farewell to Arms. Many people Thread books that are symbolize a special memory, time, or person. However, the most popular books Threaded are popular fiction like this and this.

There you have it: The first edition of Threaded trivia is a wrap. Thanks for celebrating with us!

XO