Brian Lerer on WNYC.

It's National Library Week, an annual celebration of everything that libraries and librarians bring to our communities.

Earlier this week, If you were listening,

you heard us ask callers for unexpected ways that they use their libraries, things other than books.

You included checking out musical instruments, practicing yoga, getting help with your student loans,

and more. Today we'll talk about the raise on debt of libraries' books.

To commemorate the United States turning 250 years old this July 4th, the Brooklyn Public

Library has curated a list of 250 books that have impacted American culture and history.

So here to tell us more is Linda E. Johnson, the library systems president and CEO.

Hey, Linda, thanks for joining us. Welcome back to WNYC. Thanks, Brian. My pleasure to be here.

Why did you include books as an important part of the nation's anniversary celebration?

Well, that's our business, and we wanted to be part of the celebration, and we could think of no

better way than to ask our

librarians to curate a list of books that they felt shaped our culture over the last 250 years.

And they jumped on the project with Glee, I will say, which isn't always the case.

I mean, everybody is into this right now, including me.

So it's a pleasure to be here talking about it.

And there are 250 books on the list.

I'm going to read out the top 10.

So our listeners have a bit of a sense,

common sense by Tom Payne,

the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin,

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