How one librarian's love radiates outward, touching lives across the world · Click Mychal's photo or
Mychal Threets — known as Mychal the Librarian — is a librarian, author, mental health advocate, and the new host of Reading Rainbow. Born February 13, 1990, in Fairfield, California, he grew up homeschooled and practically raised by his local library, spending days, weeks, and years in the Solano County Library that would later become his workplace.
He started shelving books there at 23, worked his way to Supervising Librarian, and began sharing stories from the stacks online in 2018. In March 2023, a single TikTok about a child worried about library fines went viral — and the world discovered what library workers had always known: Mychal is human sunshine.
He is known for his afro, his colorful shirts, his literary tattoos — Arthur Read's library card, Where the Wild Things Are monsters — and his unwavering message: you belong here. He openly shares his own struggles with anxiety, depression, and panic attacks, breaking stigma so others feel less alone.
In 2024, he stepped back from the library to care for his mental health, partnered with PBS as Resident Librarian, and launched the Thoughts About Feelings podcast with Blair Imani Ali. His debut picture book, I'm So Happy You're Here: A Celebration of Library Joy, was published February 3, 2026.