The 10 Most Checked Out Newport Public Library Books Of 2020

NEWPORT, RI — Out of the thousands of books checked out from Newport Public Library last year, some titles appeared more often than others. Kirby Lee, the head of collection management at Newport Public Library, compiled a list of 2020's most popular titles.

According to Lee, the single most checked-out item in 2020 wasn't a book at all, rather a pass to the Audrain Automobile Museum that went out about 30 times over the course of the year.

"While on quarantine, we saw longer requests lists for more popular authors, as people lost some discovery capabilities while the building was closed, they fell back on old favorites and bestsellers with high publicity," Lee said in an email. "We purchased more of popular titles than we would have normally."

Unsurprisingly, patrons were less interested in travel books, with stay-at-home orders and travel restrictions canceling vacations and squashing travel dreams. Instead, the library saw more requests for books on home-based activities, such as bread making or language learning, as well as "cozy feel-good stories."

While the building was closed, library patrons took advantage of digital collections and services more than usual, though that trend is evening out now that in-person visits are allowed again. To help residents keep busy while stuck at home, library staff added games and puzzles to the items available to check out and enjoy at home.

Ten of Newport Public Library's most popular books of 2020 are listed below, in no particular order.

• The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
• So You Want to Talk about Race by Ijeoma Oluo
• The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larsen
• The Guest List by Lucy Foley
• 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand
• American Dirt by Jeanne Cummins
• Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
• All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny
• Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
• The Dutch House by Ann Patchett