This week’s featured Book of the Week was selected by Deborah Gamm, Senior Library Technical Assistant at the North-East Branch of the Kansas City Public Library.

She chose “The Library Book” by Susan Orlean.

“‘The Library Book’ is the account of how the Los Angeles Public Library came to be involved in the fire that destroyed over 400,000 books and damaged 700,000 more,” Deborah said. “Ms. Orlean became fascinated with this story after her interview with Ted Brecher revealed another disaster that overshadowed the library’s fire; the Chernobyl nuclear disaster had occurred 3 day previously. A world-wide view of libraries, fires, and the ultimate renovations is fascinating.”

This book is available to those with a Kansas City Public Library card as an eBook, paper copy and audiobook.