Salem's 2022 most checked-out books for kids, teens and adults

The Salem Public Library has seen a steady increase in returning visitors since reopening following COVID-19 closures, according to librarian Kim Carroll. And the use of the digital collection that took off during the pandemic also continues to grow.

But there's more in the works.

The library recently eliminated fines and increased the number of events for all ages, including storytimes, performers and book groups. The library renovation included the addition of study and meeting rooms open to the public.

"We will soon be launching a pilot program with book lockers at the Main Library," Carroll said in an email to the Statesman Journal. "Patrons will be able to put items on hold and pick them up 24/7 from the book locker."

A new Library of Things collection is expected to fully launch in March. Patrons will be able to check out WiFi-enabled Chromebooks, metal detectors, video projectors, ice cream makers, outdoor games and other equipment.

Carroll also said there hasn't been an increase in the number of challenges of controversial books at the Salem library, but other libraries have seen challenges particularly to books addressing racism, people of color and the LGBTQ community.

"The Salem Public Library is committed to centering, equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging for all members of our community," Carroll said. "One powerful way we do this is by providing a wide variety of stories that explore the human experience."

She said literature is intended to act as a mirror, a window and a sliding-glass door.

"A mirror is where we see ourselves in the characters and experience. For me, a cisgender white female with four sisters, I can see myself mirrored in the experience of Jo from Little Women.

A window allows the individual to view someone’s else experience. For some, that can be anything from Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime, which recounts his experience as a young boy growing up in South Africa under apartheid,d to Maia Kobabe’s journey through gender identity in the autobiographical graphic novel Gender Queer.

"A sliding glass door expands on the concept of windows," Carroll said. "Sliding glass doors create empathy and understanding by impacting one’s perspective in a profound way. For me, Trevor Noah’s and Maia Kobabe’s work offer a doorway into someone’s life experience that I can share even though it is different from my own.  I care about their experience and this caring is what creates meaningful connections. This is the power of literature."

Carroll said these are the books Salem residents checked out most in 2022.

Most checked-out titles

• Dog Man by Dave Pilkey (juvenile graphic novel)

• Rescue on the Oregon Trail by Kate Messner (juvenile fiction, Oregon Battle of the Books)

• Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah (This year's Salem Reads selection)

• Dog Man: Fetch-22 by Dav Pilkey (juvenile graphic novel)

• The Match by Harlan Coben (fiction, thriller)

Top fiction for adults

• The Match by Harlan Coben

• Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson

• Dream Town by David Baldacci

• The Maid by Nita Prose

• The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

Top non-fiction for adults

• Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

• Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michelle Zauner

• Atomic Habits: Tiny changes, Remarkable Results: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear

• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van der Kolk

• The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber

Top teen fiction

• The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

• A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas

• Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

• Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

• A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah Maas

Top teen non-fiction

• Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

• All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson

• The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater

• Ain't Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds

• Dungeon Master's Guide by Mike Mearls

Top children's fiction

• Dog Man by Dav Pilkey

• Rescue on the Oregon Trail by Kate Messner

• Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories by Jeff Kinney

• The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui T. Sutherland

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway by Jeff Kinney

Top children's non-fiction

• Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2020

• Unofficial Minecraft STEM Lab for Kids: Family-friendly projects for exploring concepts in science, technology, engineering, and math by John Miller

• The Unofficial Minecrafters Master Builder Workshop by Megan Miller

• Star Wars: The Secret Life of Droids by Jason Fry

• Star Wars, The Force Awakens: The Visual Dictionary by Pablo Hidalgo

Top children's picture books

• Pete the Cat and the Perfect Pizza Party by Kimberly and James Dean

• Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo Willems

• The Pigeon Needs a Bath! by Mo Willems

• Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes by Kimberly and James Dean

• The Pigeon Has to Go to School! by Mo Willems

Alia Beard Rau is the senior news editor at the Salem Statesman Journal. Reach her at arau@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Looking for a good read? Here's what Salem residents are digging into