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Local libraries’ see renewed interest in J.D. Vance book
SIKESTON — After Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump announced J.D. Vance as his running mate, Vance’s book, “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis,” has become increasingly popular with library patrons in Sikeston and the surrounding areas.
Lisa Munger, children’s librarian at Sikeston Public Library, said checkouts of the book have surged in recent weeks.
“Oh, we have definitely seen an increase in the popularity of the book,” Munger said.
According to Munger, she actually read the book herself when it first came out in 2016.
“I read the book when it first came out a few years back just because I am from Western Kentucky, and he is from Eastern Kentucky,” Munger said.
The memoir is about family and cultural crises, and Vance discusses his family’s Appalachian values from Kentucky as well as the socioeconomic problems in his hometown of Middletown, Ohio, where his mother’s parents moved when they were young.
“I have heard about Appalachia my whole life and have been through that area so I wanted to read it,” Munger said. “I read it because of the commentary that it is. At the time it was written, it’s pretty apolitical in all honesty.”
According to Munger, the library already had a few copies, but once Trump announced as his vice president pick, the book gained in popularity.
“People started calling to put the book on hold so we decided to find a couple extra copies and ordered them for a really good price,” Munger said. “Those; however, do not stay on our shelves. We are actually having patrons place the book on hold from other libraries.”
Munger said the Sikeston Public Library is a part of the Missouri Evergreen consortium, which provides library users with access to other books at libraries throughout Missouri.
“Since our copies don’t stay on our shelves because people are always checking the book, out and people have been placing holds, we are getting copies from other libraries for people,” Munger said. “We work with other libraries all across the state of Missouri, so if there is a book that someone wants and we don’t have a copy of, we can place a hold on it with another library, and that library will pull it and send it to us at Sikeston. Then we will let the patron know it’s available, and once the patron is done with the book, we send it back.”
According to Munger, the consortium is a free service to patrons, and if they have their library card number and PIN number, they can also access the Missouri Evergreen system via their personal computer or mobile device and place holds from there.
Munger also shared her personal thoughts and takeaways from the book.
“J.D. was pretty much raised by his grandmother because his mother, who is now 10 years sober, was on drugs, but his upbringing was just so rough,” Munger said. “You know Dr. Phil once said, ‘You have to rise above your raising.’
Munger continued: “I mean J.D. came from a horrible situation, below the poverty line, the Appalachians are very hardscrabble lifestyle, you have to be a tough person to live in that world. So what I took from the book was even if someone has a very rough early life, if you work hard, apply yourself and do your best, have a positive attitude, you can overcome it.”
At the Riverside Regional Library in Benton, the book has also been popular.
“We’ve seen an increase of people wanting the book, for sure,” Tina Powers, branch manager at the Riverside Regional Library in Benton, said. “I’ve had about four or five people ask about the book.”
Powers said they do not have the book at their library, but through Missouri Evergreen they have been getting the book from other libraries for people to check out.
Kim Butler, librarian at the Mitchell Memorial Library in East Prairie said people have also come into the library wanting to check out the book.
“Yes, there have been a few people put the book on hold because it is checked out, which I myself am kind of waiting to read it, too,” Butler said. “I hear it’s a great book.”