By Amanda Wheatley, Outreach and Engagement Coordinator & Liaison Librarian

This year, to raise money for Centraide of Greater Montreal, the Library offered a one-time book box subscription service to the McGill community. We are so grateful for the overwhelming support of this new initiative. Together we raised $1,073.71 for Centraide from 101 boxes! 

How it worked

For a minimum donation of $5, participants were able to fill out a questionnaire with their reading preferences so that our librarians could pick out the perfect library book for them.

The Book Boxes include:

• A library book borrowed to each participant’s account
• A list of personalized reading suggestions
• A holiday cards made from a McGill Book Arts Laboratory’s printing press
• Customized notepads
• A handmade crocheted keychain in the shape of a book
• And other various goodies!  

Our findings

Over the past week, Library staff worked hard to pack 101 Book Boxes (see time-lapse below!). Along the way, we learned a lot of fun facts about the students and staff at McGill. We started by asking people what their favourite genres were. This is what they said.

Top 5 Genres McGillians Love to Read 

1. Mystery 
2. Classics  
3. Science Fiction
4. Historical Fiction 
5. Fantasy 

Books and Authors Most Loved by McGillians 

• Jane Austen 
• Harry Potter 
• Lord of the Rings 

Movies Most Loved by McGillians 

• Mamma Mia 2
• Little Women 
• Marvel Cinematic Universe  
• Lord of the Rings 
• Parasite 

We also asked participants to rank four Montreal iconic locations from favourite to least favourite as everyone knows this is a crucial determining factor in one’s reading tastes 😉

Most Iconic Locations in Montreal as Ranked by McGillians 

1. Old Montreal
2. Mont-Royal
3. The Biodome  
4. The Olympic Stadium 

Heartfelt thanks

A huge thank you for your support! We had so much fun and were delighted by the response from you, our community. Ok, we’re off to watch Mamma Mia 2 and read Pride and Prejudice in Old Montreal!

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Library staff compiling the 101 boxes