Posted March 10, 2006.

Damon Read Poster Becomes Hot NYC Commodity

An American Library Association Read poster that features former Boston Red Sox center fielder Johnny Damon is fast becoming a favorite among New York–area school and public libraries, thanks to Young Adult Librarian Laura Bernheim of the Waltham (Mass.) Public Library. After Damon enraged Sox fans by signing a contract with the New York Yankees in December, Massachusetts library patrons haven’t been too pleased with the poster’s visibility.

After 40 out of 53 responses to a poll of Waltham patrons on whether or not the poster should stay in the library’s young adult section strongly urged its removal, Bernheim decided to see if any New Yorkers were interested. She sent the poster to a Queens school librarian who responded early to an online discussion list posting, but the message inspired other Damon poster seekers.

As of March 7, six New York school libraries had e-mailed Bernheim asking for a poster. “I posted on a Massachusetts listserv to see if anyone else wanted to give any of their posters,” she said in the March 9 Boston Globe.“Oh my gosh, I just got another one. This is insane.”

A Read poster from Wayland Public Library is on its way to Woodhaven School in Queens, and another from Stoneham Public Library will find a new home at Midwood High School in Brooklyn.

“I’m not getting as much of a response as I would like,” Bernheim added. “I think a lot of people threw it out right away.”

Posted March 10, 2006.