We at Hoopla are big fans of Mychal the Librarian (aka Mychal Threets), and it turns out he’s a big fan of Hoopla! We’re grateful to him for answering some of our questions about books, libraries, and how he Hooplas. 

Q. What is one thing you wish more people knew about libraries?  

A. It would be enormous if more people knew how much it helps local libraries for as many people as possible to get library cards! It’s even okay if you get a library card and don’t use it all the time (or hardly ever, though you SHOULD).  

The more people in communities with library cards means it’s that (much) more evident that the library is important, it is valuable. Decision makers factor in library card numbers when it comes to funding and keeping the library open. If the whole world had a library card, libraries would flourish in full bloom.  

Q. How do you Hoopla—what content do you most enjoy on Hoopla?  

A. My favorite content on Hoopla is the music! I love telling people that Hoopla has music from their favorite artists of all genres, along with all sorts of the latest music soundtracks from our favorite films.

Though things like Spotify and Apple Music are not wildly expensive, they are not affordable enough for everyone. Hoopla is available at many libraries with a library card. You can’t beat that!  

Q. How has representation in children’s literature evolved since you were a library kid?  

A. It’s changed SO much! I loved books as a kid, I even attempted to read every single book in the children’s section. (I completely failed, but that’s okay!) But there were almost no books with characters who looked like me. Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis is the first one I remember. But now there is so much representation!  

More and more authors from all walks of life are telling stories, telling their stories. And library kids are noticing and reading more and more. It is one of the most beautiful aspects of literature today.  

Q. Is there a book that you read over and over again? If so, what is it and why?  

A. Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary (narrated by Neil Patrick Harris) is a book and audiobook I borrow frequently. It is one of my absolute favorite books from when I was a kid. It is so nostalgic, and is just a fun set of stories of kids being kids, people being people, neighbors being neighbors. And there’s a dog called Ribsy!  

Q. Is there anything you wish you had known prior to your rise to fame?  

A. What a question! I wish I had known I was going to acquire any sort of fame, and I probably would not have made the decisions that made me this far. I am a true introvert, I have my struggles. Being perceived is very, very difficult. Yet, with all of those feelings, I am tremendously thankful to be here, to have had so many cool opportunities in life. 

It’s incredible to see libraries and library workers amplified in today’s world. They deserve it and so much more. While fame is a tricky thing to face, I will always be willing to be a part of it if it means good things happen for literacy, books, and the friends of literacy and books.  

As a kid, Mychal Threets—known to millions as Mychal the Librarian—spent lots of time at his local library, the Fairfield Civic Center Library. The same place he loved as a kid was where he started his library career, first as a book-shelver in 2013, then rising to supervising librarian in 2023.  

After announcing a PBS partnership in 2024, he stepped away from the library to focus on his mental health. In 2025, he headlined a mental-health event, revealed his first children’s book, and was tapped to host PBS’s revived, beloved Reading Rainbow.