During a press conference in the middle of the heavy snow storm on Jan. 25, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani recommended a book to his viewers in order to stay safely at home. Urging New Yorkers to stay indoors and wait out the storm, Mamdani suggested reading the New York Public Library’s free digital copy of “Heated Rivalry” by Rachel Reid.
The endorsement caused a surge in library card applications and e-book downloads.
“Heated Rivalry” is the second installment of Reid’s “Game Changers” series. The story follows a romance between hockey players Shane Hollander, captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, and Ilya Rozanov, captain of the Boston Bears. Though the two closeted captains are publicly rivals, away from the ice and flashy lights, they are secretly in love.
From Jan. 24 to Feb. 14, the NYPL is offering the entire “Game Changers” series as an e-book and audiobook to anyone with a library card with no wait time for holds. Mamdani took this opportunity to endorse the series, which was recently adapted into a Canadian drama series.
“The snow is coming down heavily across our city, and I can think of no better excuse for New Yorkers to stay home, take a long nap, or take advantage of our public library’s offer of free access to Heated Rivalry on e-book or audiobook for anyone with a library card,” Mamdani said.
Mamdani’s endorsement caused a 529% surge in downloads, with 86% of downloads on Sunday happening right after the press conference, according to The New York Times. NYPL Chief librarian Brian Bannon said 2,000 people applied for a library card during the winter storm, doubling the number of applicants for the same time last year.
NYPL has had positive reception to the news of the applications and downloads. Lizzie Tribone, a spokeswoman for NYPL, told The New York Times that they “expect this number to continue to climb.”
The endorsement helps people recognize the importance of libraries for providing accessible and affordable resources for the general population. Though NYPL operates in Manhattan, the Bronx and Staten Island, “anyone who lives, works, attends school or pays property taxes in New York State can apply for a card,” providing a wealth of resources and information for anyone interested.
Dora Pekec, a senior spokesperson for Mamdani, said she is “very excited to see so much enthusiasm about using the resources of the public library.”
