It’s that time of the year again! Yes, Agnes Scott’s own McCain Library is having it’s annual Blind Date with a Book. When you swing by McCain the first thing you see past the front doors is shelves of colorfully wrapped books.
What a sight! Each book comes with a card with the genre of the book and a short blurb about its plot. I pulled this card:
[Text: Hello, My Genre is Fiction/ Fantasy/ Parallel Novel. Something about me… I am a smart and creative woman who has wrongfully been accused of wicked behavior. I am looking for someone who can disregard the rumors and listen to my story.]
The book inside was:
Wicked! Both in the sense that that is the title and that it’s very cool.
The blind date with a book project at Agnes was suggested by our Chaplain, the Rev. Kate Colussy-Estes, and began in 2013. Librarian Casey Long and student aides lead the project every year. At first, the books were chosen by staff, but aides began to submit their suggestions as well as witty descriptions of the books. Last year, a student began making tags that included where books were from in order to connect with the journeys of the first years. The list of books for the program now has more than 100 entries. Books are wrapped and given tags based on what’s available at the library, and some are put in bags sewn by Ms. Long. Ms. Long is also interested in how the blind date with a book program can be improved. She is considering putting out a suggestion box for books or having a bag sewing event for more book bags.
Now, if you’re not a Scottie or have missed the window for blind dating at the library, there are also websites that offer similar services. For instance at blinddatewithabook.com you can buy a book for relatively cheap based just on the title and a short bulleted list. Otherwise, I suggest going to a local library and seeing if they have a similar program or if a librarian would be willing to give you a suggestion. The website whatshouldireadnext.com can also give you suggestions based on books you’ve read before.
Happy reading!