From page to person

This spring, 67 seniors each submitted a short list of books to recommend to other readers as part of the library’s annual Senior Bookmark program. The colorful bookmarks featured enticing titles — including “I Paused My Game to Read These,” “Grey Morals, Grey Skies” and “Metamorphosis” — and were prominently displayed in Rockefeller Hall in the Class of 1945 Library. “I had to get creative to put all the bookmarks out because we had way more students this year than usual,” Metadata Librarian Abby Payeur says. “And we make sure we own or purchase all the seniors’ recommendations if we are able. This year, seniors recommended 500 books, 100 of which we don’t own already and will be adding to our circulating collection.

We asked Aliyana Koch-Manzur ’24 to share the inspiration behind the books that made her list, “(This Is What It Means) to Grow.” “My process for creating the bookmark was simple,” she says. “I sat in front of my bookshelves and wrote down the names of every book that either had a lasting impact on me or simply told a story good enough that I wanted to share it. As I began to narrow down my list, a theme emerged on its own — a theme of growth, of the end of youth, of discovering yourself.

“The bookmark ultimately describes what it means to grow. Some titles, like A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, are quintessential coming-of-age stories that I believe will resonate with everyone. Others, like Imogen, Obviously and The Egg are less universal but are pieces of my personal exploration of identity and faith that I wanted to share. I hope this bookmark is able to convey the messiness of growing up, but also the excitement of discovering who you are and who you want to become. “I am so grateful to the librarians for creating and maintaining this tradition!”

This story was originally published in the summer 2024 issue of The Exeter Bulletin.