You know what other cultural institution never takes a break? Libraries. 

 ‘You Take My Hand and Drag Me Head First, Fearless’: Why Libraries Should Consider Taylor Swift

I was curious to find out how public libraries have catered to their Swiftie patrons. Offering programming related to Taylor Swift is a no-brainer—here’s why. 

“If nothing else, Swiftie programs are a great way for me as a library staff member to bond with patrons based on a common interest,” says Nicole Dykeman from Neptune Public Library. “The children get excited when they realize that I’m just as enthusiastic as they are, and it makes them feel more comfortable and shows them that the library is a place where they belong.”

Bill Kelly from Cuyahoga County Public Library echoes this sentiment: “Taylor’s fandom provides an opportunity to build community. Engaging with any art that is meaningful to us can be a profound personal experience. Discovering that others share that love can bring about a powerful, communal experience.”

Showcasing pop culture literacy can bring people into the library in new ways. “I think patrons like knowing that the library is current and up-to-date on what’s going on in the world pop-culture-wise. Kids are checking out more nonfiction books about Taylor,” two staffers from Woodridge Public Library note.

“Incorporating Taylor Swift’s music and writing into our programming, events, and curated content is all about meeting our customers where they are,” says Joe Armstrong from Cincinnati Public Library. “And given the size of her fandom, these events provide a great opportunity to show people using the library for the first time how a library card connects them to the stories, songs, and resources they love.” 

Staffers from Riverside Public Library feel the same way: “Libraries should celebrate Taylor Swift because she’s a great way to engage new audiences and showcase everything we have to offer. Taylor is a master storyteller—her fans connect deeply with her lyrics and analyze every word and line. That connection makes her the perfect bridge between pop culture and literacy. By tapping into her influence, libraries can foster a love of reading, writing, and creative expression in a fun and exciting way.”

Cora Schaeff, formerly of Bay County Library System, says her Taylor Swift programming “brought people together who shared a passion and introduced many to the library for the very first time. Several families who had never visited before came to that event and are now proud library families.”

This fandom brings new people in the door, and there’s no charge for celebrating Taylor. Minsu Song from Des Moines Public Library notes, “When library staff consider programming, a big part is making sure the funds and time are going to programs that people will be interested in and want to attend. And with someone like Taylor Swift, whose concert tickets have been known to break the internet and cost fans thousands of dollars to attend, having free, accessible local programming is invaluable.” 

Valerie Carroll from San Antonio Public Library agrees: “In a world where families may be concerned about increased spending, offering free activities or displays of library materials centered around what is popular in our communities can be a way to provide relief to patrons looking for ways to take part in their interests without stretching their budget.” 

Emily Allen and Loretta Zhang from Arlington Public Library bridged this idea of accessibility and outreach, saying, “Hosting a Taylor Swift [program] can showcase your library’s resources to a new crowd because we can use pop culture as a vehicle to bring people into the library. For example, one of the resources that we were excited to highlight was hoopla Digital, a streaming service that provides Taylor Swift’s albums for free. We could also introduce new people to the library and showcase our space. With everything as digital as it is today, it is vital that we can provide a free space for people with common interests to meet in person.” They underscore that this is particularly important for teens.

Katie Halama from L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library expands on the crucial social skills these programs build for that age group: “There were teens at the [library’s Taylor Swift] party who had never attended a library program before. Because of their interest in Taylor Swift, they were connected to the library and library resources. As a person who regularly programs for teens, something notable about this event was how quickly the teens warmed up to each other. They shared excitement about Taylor Swift’s life and music, and made and swapped friendship bracelets. This program was an avenue to participate in the excitement of the Eras Tour for teens who didn’t have the opportunity to attend the concerts, and a chance for teens who had to relive the fun.” 

Staffers at Tuscaloosa Public Library simply and effectively note that Taylor Swift “brings people together. She embodies community, self-acceptance, confidence for all ages.”

And Deana Hatfield from Mascoutah Public Library sums it up in the most 2025 way possible (complimentary): “One of the themes you hear over and over from Taylor Swift and Swifties culture is KINDNESS, and the world could do with a whole lot of that right now.”

‘Make the Friendship Bracelets, Take the Moment and Taste It’: A Selection of Taylor Swift Programs

Cincinnati Public Library’s Eras Tour Prep

Joe Armstrong, brand and communications director at Cincinnati Public Library in Ohio, says, “Any Taylor Swift-themed event we host is always well attended.” Although not actually programming, it’s worth mentioning that Armstrong published a blog post in June 2023 called “Ready For It? Prep for The Eras Tour at the Library” in anticipation of her tour stops in the area—dubbed “Swiftinatti”—to highlight “how fans can explore her full catalog, available for free with a library card. It was a great opportunity to remind our community that their card unlocks access to everything from her debut album to Midnights.” In addition, the library made “a short video for TikTok and Instagram showing Taylor how to sign up for a library card, find materials, and use our self-checkout prior to her concert, which garnered over 200,000 views.” He says many branches have celebrated the various eras with themed displays.

Bay County Library System’s Happy Birth-Tay Party

On Dec. 9, 2023, Bay County Library System in Michigan hosted a Happy Birth-Tay celebration in honor of Taylor Swift’s Dec. 13 birthday. Cora Schaeff, who is now the outreach supervisor at Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources in Florida, hosted the party. Her marketing manager at the time mentioned that the library should do something to leverage the popularity of the Eras Tour. Schaeff was immediately enthusiastic and threw herself into the planning. “Requests for Taylor Swift material had been up for a number of months, and I was adding more titles to keep up with the demand at our library,” she says. “Due to the timeline of our library event marketing, I looked a few months ahead and realized that her birthday was coming up. I knew I could put on a birthday party in celebration of all things Taylor.” She designed the party for children and tweens (and their adult caregivers), giving them the opportunity to make friendship bracelets, listen to her music, have dessert, and dance. They were encouraged to arrive in costume according to their favorite Taylor era. “Patrons were absolutely thrilled with the program,” Schaeff shares. “We heard over and over again, ‘I didn’t know the library did things like this!’ One standout feature was the karaoke, which was so popular that it inspired us to introduce summer lawn karaoke in 2024.”

Neptune Public Library’s Taylor Swift Trivia Night

Neptune Public Library in New Jersey held a Taylor Swift Trivia Night on March 14, 2024. Nicole Dykeman, assistant children’s librarian, says the event grew out of “a little display that I did based on [a Who Said It—Taylor Swift or Shakespeare?] BuzzFeed quiz. I used Canva to design a Shakespeare-themed Eras Tour poster and had little quotes posted to a board that could be flipped up to see whether they were Taylor Swift lyrics or Shakespeare quotes. It sat by the circ desk, and people of all ages loved doing the little challenge while they were in line to check out books.” Dykeman has been a Swiftie since Taylor’s debut album, “so putting together some trivia questions was simple and fun. All we had to do was buy some prizes! That program was geared toward teens and adults.” In May 2025, Dykeman hosted what she calls a Little Swifties program for elementary-age children so they could make friendship bracelets. “[E]veryone went home with a free Taylor Swift coloring book,” she says. “Patron response to both of these programs was great. The kids especially had a great time just listening to music and making friendship bracelets, and both programs were well-attended.”

L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library’s The Eras Party

L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Wisconsin hosted The Eras Party for grades 7–12 on March 27, 2024. Katie Halama, youth services coordinator, shares, “Before the party, the library had a Taylor Swift-themed book display. We decided to host The Eras Party due to the interest and excitement around Taylor Swift.” The program description pulls out all the Swift-reference stops, saying, “… Ready for it? Whether you’re a nightmare dressed like a daydream or just feeling 22, you’ll love our Swiftie celebration! Make the friendship bracelets, play Swiftie games and win Swiftie prizes, and come par-TAY in Style!” Halama notes, “The response from the community was very positive, with elementary-aged children and adults also expressing interest in Taylor Swift and Taylor Swift library programming.”

Tuscaloosa Public Library’s Album Release Party

On April 20, 2024, Tuscaloosa Public Library in Alabama celebrated the release of The Tortured Poets Department with an all-ages event featuring friendship bracelets and karaoke. Staffers share, “It is always a struggle reaching the teenage demographic. As a public library, we strive to provide programming that engages and serves the community. We had never done an album release party before and thought it would be a unique and fun way to celebrate a current event.” The response was “fantastic. The event started as an event for 50 and then proceeded to quickly expand to 200. We still hear positive things about the event today and have requests for more similar programming,” the staffers note.

Woodridge Public Library’s Swiftie Celebration

Jennifer Shunt, children’s services library associate supervisor at Woodridge Public Library in Illinois, worked with her colleague Carrie to throw their library’s first Swiftie Celebration on July 13, 2024. “We have previously not held any Taylor Swift programs, which is why we felt the need to do a big program, especially during the summer months when we are the busiest. We also felt that the Eras Tour was such a big hit and knew many of our patrons would not be able to attend a concert and still wanted to give them some of that magic,” Jenn and Carrie share. The program description leans into the references: “Celebrate all things Taylor Swift with us in Style. Come hang out with your fellow Swifties, sing along, and Stay Stay Stay for bracelet making and activities.” There were also displays for photo ops, a guess-the-album-from-emojis game, and a vote for favorite song; they even did a singalong with a small band and lyrics on a projector. Jenn and Carrie note that the event mostly drew children, but “there were also moms who enjoyed the program.”

Photos courtesy of Jennifer Shunt

Des Moines Public Library’s Taylor Swift Party

Des Moines Public Library in Iowa had a birthday party for Taylor on Dec. 13, 2024, that had the following agenda:

• Make and trade friendship bracelets. We will have supplies, and you can also bring bracelets from home!
• Dress as your favorite era.
• Get a printed photo taken at our Taylor Swift-themed photobooth.
• Decorate a frame to hang your brand new Swiftie photograph in.
• Dance to her iconic music from all 11 eras.
• Color Taylor Swift-themed coloring sheets.
• Bejewel your very own pair of tinted sunglasses.
• Win Taylor Swift-themed raffle prizes by completing a BINGO card.

Minsu Song, youth services librarian, says the party “came about due in part to my own love of Taylor Swift and the way her popularity has skyrocketed in recent years—it made sense to use her as inspiration to engage our cardholders. Because Swifties span across many age groups and I specifically work with youth, I partnered with Arlette (a member of our adult team) to create an all-ages program to open the celebrations up to all. She had previously done many K-pop programs and had wonderful ideas that we were able to tailor to … Taylor!” She says kids often come into the library looking for Taylor Swift biographies, “so anytime we saw anyone in Taylor Swift merch or requesting Taylor Swift books, we let them know it was coming up.” Song was impressed by the outfits the attendees arrived in; one group of middle schoolers wore matching sweatshirt and beanies (see the first photo). The Bingo activity “required them to socialize with one another to find people who matched prompts on their Bingo cards (‘wearing a cardigan,’ ‘has been to a Taylor Swift concert,’ ‘traded friendship bracelets with you,’ etc.),” Song says, “and though sometimes programs where strangers are meeting for the first time can be awkward, the Taylor Swift Party was just full of joy and community!” 

Photos courtesy of Minsu Song 

Mascoutah Public Library’s Taylor Swift Party

On Feb. 15, 2025, Mascoutah Public Library in Illinois hosted a Taylor Swift Party planned by cataloger Deana Hatfield and children’s librarian Ivy Cowen. The program description states, “Fans of all ages are invited to drop in anytime between 10 AM and 12 PM for a morning full of Swiftie fun. Enjoy crafts, activities, snacks, and celebrate your favorite Taylor Swift era—be sure to dress up to match! Whether you’re a longtime fan or new to the fandom, this is the perfect chance to shake it off and make some magical memories.” (No one can resist making those song references!) “I am a huge Swiftie, and I was looking for a reason to buy a glittery outfit and make friendship bracelets,” Hatfield says with a laugh. “For the more serious answer, there are a lot of Swifties who come into the library, and sometimes it’s fun to plan a program for something that you also enjoy.” She notes that the patrons loved it: “It was a non-stop time, and we were all exhausted by the end.”

Arlington Public Library’s Swifties Hang Out

Emily Allen, community programming librarian in youth services at Arlington Public Library in Texas, along with her librarian teen services colleague Loretta Zhang, ran a Swifties Hang Out program for teens on March 21, 2025, after a successful first event in summer 2024 to mark the release of The Tortured Poets Department. That featured “Taylor-inspired crafts, and a selection of Young Adult books inspired by each of her albums and eras but marketed as ‘Taylor’s Version’ and our ‘Tortured Reader’s Department’ at the library,” Allen and Zhang say. Attendees “could paint their own versions of Taylor’s albums. They could also make their own paper album by cutting out mini albums and CDs. On our TV, we hosted a Guess the Song game. There was also a photo booth wall with props and Taylor Swift coloring sheets. To tie the program back to reading and literacy, we researched her albums to get a general vibe of her books and put together book recommendations for each of her albums.” About 15 teens participated, which was a good number for a first-time program, according to Allen and Zhang. “[O]nce they are in the door, the likelihood of them returning for more programs and using the library increases.”

Allen and Zhang are not really Swifties themselves, but they “saw interest from our teens at the library and our teen advisory group for a Taylor Swift program.” After the event, “We received good feedback, and everyone seemed to enjoy the crafts and activities we had available and asked us to have another program again.” However, the 2025 Hang Out was scheduled for spring break, and Allen and Zhang were disappointed to only have two attendees. They had added karaoke and prize drawings this time, and even initiated a challenge encouraging teens to visit each library branch and take a photo of a branch-specific flier (and one at their school) that was themed to one of Taylor Swift’s albums. Each photo they took would earn them a prize-drawing ticket. Allen and Zhang chalk this low attendance up to timing: “Our other teen programs during this time had similar numbers. What we found with this was that teens are mostly traveling during this time. If we were to host this program again, we would probably return to doing it during the summer.” They say they hope to host a third program, even if “[i]t may look a little different.” 

Riverside Public Library’s Taylor Swift Party

Riverside Public Library in California held a Taylor Swift Party on May 24, 2025, which was spearheaded by library assistant Jade Molina. The program description states, “Calling all Swifties! Join us at the library for a magical afternoon filled with fun, crafts, and everything Taylor Swift-related. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or new to the Swiftie world, there’s something for everyone to enjoy,” which included trivia, friendship bracelets, mini-guitar decorating, and a make-your-own-album-cover craft. Attendees were encouraged to dress in Taylor Swift merch or create outfits inspired by their favorite era. Riverside Public Library staffers share, “Our library system had never hosted any Taylor Swift-related programs in the past, which is one of the reasons [we] wanted to create one.” Staffers wanted to “appeal to people who may not typically attend library events—especially teens and young adults. … [H]osting our own Taylor program would be the perfect opportunity to invite our community members to engage with the library and learn about what we have to offer.” The response was “very positive,” with about 65 attendees, which is a strong turnout for their small library branch. “People of all ages attended, many dressed in Taylor merch or Eras-themed outfits. The friendship bracelet station was especially popular, and we had a lot of fun with ‘Name That Song’ trivia. One of the best parts was seeing people who had never met before connecting with one another. Several attendees expressed interest in attending similar programs in the future,” the staffers note.

Cuyahoga County Public Library’s The Stories Behind the Songs Author Talk

Bill Kelly, adult programming manager for Cuyahoga County Public Library in Ohio, partnered with Annie Zaleski, author of the book, Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind the Songs, to hold a talk and a book signing on June 11, 2025. The program description notes that Taylor Swift’s “songs are masterclasses in storytelling about growing up and self-discovery. Her songs are rich with elaborate metaphors, religious allusions, historical and literary references, and detailed bridges full of plot twists. … In this lively, informative presentation from author Annie Zaleski, we’ll celebrate all of Swift’s eras—and some of her biggest hits—with music, visuals and (of course) friendship bracelets.” Kelly calls Zaleski “a terrific storyteller [who] has presented other programs for the library. Coupling the massive popularity of Taylor Swift with Annie’s expertise was sure to resonate with the community.” Zaleski has presented this program at multiple Cuyahoga County branches, “and it has proven to be incredibly popular,” Kelly says. “Of course, the attendees are also diehard fans with their own expertise so there is also the opportunity to meet like-minded fans and participate in the community. We discovered that fans were driving from other cities to attend these free programs, reflecting the fandom of this tightknit community.”

‘Hell Was the Journey but It Brought Me Heaven’: What’s on Deck for The Life of a Showgirl 

San Antonio Public Library’s Taylor Swift Trivia

San Antonio Public Library is planning an all-ages Taylor Swift Trivia event on Sept. 27, 2025, to celebrate the release of Taylor Swift’s 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl. “Trivia questions will span Taylor’s entire career and discography,” the programming description notes. “Participants can sign up for a trivia team at the door (limit six teams—smaller groups and individuals may be combined). Meet other Swifties, make friendship bracelets, and compete for first place.” Valerie Carroll, children’s librarian I, teen liaison, and volunteer liaison, says that the library has hosted other Taylor Swift-themed events—trivia for the release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) in June 2023 and an album-listening party for the release of The Tortured Poets Department in April 2024, to name two—and they had a “good mix in demographics. We have moms with their kids bonding over their love for Taylor Swift. There’s teen and young adult friend groups coming to meet other Swifties like them and to celebrate a new album together.” After hosting events around two previous albums, Carroll knew she would do something for the next album. “Before Taylor announced that she was able to buy back her original masters this summer, I was mentally preparing for the next event to focus on the re-recording of Reputation or her debut album, but a completely new album is also great! Out of the formats I’ve tried before, trivia is the one that gets requested for a repeat the most, so it was an easy choice to bring it back as a lead-up to The Life of a Showgirl,” she says. “For this event, I foresee friendly competition but also a chance for fans to meet up and forge friendships. I have three rounds of trivia planned (general trivia questions, finish the lyric, and guess the song) with the chance to win prizes. For the less competitive, we’ll also have supplies for friendship bracelets and DIY masquerade masks that folks can decorate as their own showgirl mask.”

Cincinnati Public Library’s Album Release Party

Joe Armstrong from Cincinnati Public Library shares, “Just like Taylor, we always have something up our sleeve! One of our branches is hosting a prep party for the album release, complete with trivia, custom stickers, music, and materials to decorate showgirl-colored sunglasses. We also may have some more surprises in store on our social media accounts. Keep an eye out @cincylibrary on Instagram and TikTok on Oct. 3!”

Tuscaloosa Public Library’s After-Hours Trivia

Tuscaloosa Public Library pulled together a trivia event after-hours on Oct. 3. “We plan to decorate for the new album, but have questions from all the eras! There will definitely be a new album listen,” the staffers share.

Not Programming, but Displays

“We will continue to offer programs on Taylor,” Bill Kelly from Cuyahoga County Public Library promises. “However, we plan so far ahead that we finalized our fall programs long before the album was announced. There is certainly massive anticipation and excitement.”

Minsu Song from Des Moines Public Library is in the same boat: “We usually plan programs three to four months out. Due to Taylor’s more recent trend of announcing release dates with little notice (or even dropping surprise albums!), we have yet to be able to plan a program that can coincide with the next era. … But our marketing team was able to whip up a social media post highlighting books featuring showgirls as a fun way to engage fans with the announcement of the new album!”

Deana Hatfield from Mascoutah Public Library says, “We are not planning a program, but I will have a display with previous albums, biographies, and ‘tie-in’ books.” Nicole Dykeman from Neptune Public Library is doing the same; the display will be “something along the lines of book recommendations based on your favorite Life of a Showgirl track.”

Staffers from Riverside Public Library has a plan to bring back the eras theme with books paired to each era: “For example, love stories for Lover, books with red covers for Red, or poetry collections for The Tortured Poets Department. I would also like to set up an interactive display board where patrons can add their favorite Taylor Swift lyrics.”

‘When We Go Crashing Down, We Come Back Every Time’: Advice for Hosting Taylor Swift Programming

Gather the Library Swifties

“Enlist staff members who are Swifties themselves, and just have fun with it,” Deana Hatfield from Mascoutah Public Library suggests. “My only advice is to have fun,” Bill Kelly from Cuyahoga County Public Library agrees.

Nicole Dykeman from Neptune Public Library shares, “Don’t overthink it! If you've got a Bluetooth speaker, pony beads, and string, you can do a budget-friendly friendship bracelet program easily. When in doubt, find the resident Swiftie on staff and ask for their input/ideas.”

Valerie Carroll from San Antonio Public Library also says, “Don’t overthink it! Find one facet of the fandom that you and your community enjoy (like friendship bracelets, the music, or Easter eggs and elaborate puzzles) and build around that. Bonus points if you have a Swiftie on staff. Fans of Taylor Swift just want to be excited with other fans, so having staff at the program who are at the same level of enthusiasm as your patrons gives it an extra layer of appeal.” 

Partner With Other Library Departments

Minsu Song from Des Moines Public Library says, “Plan, plan, plan! Preparation is key. It sounds so basic, but because of the overwhelming attendance, we ended up having to rope in other staff members last minute, despite having all the crafts and activities set and prepared. Also, just know that it is going to be so fun and worth the energy!” She continues, “By working across departments, we were able to provide Swifties of all ages a chance to celebrate their favorite singer. We had kindergarteners getting help on their Bingo cards from adults. Strangers meeting and trading friendship bracelets!” 

Emily Allen and Loretta Zhang from Arlington Public Library bring up another important partnership: “If you have a Teen Advisory Group, we would definitely recommend asking their opinion if they think this type of program would work for your library and teen community. If they can help with planning, such as providing book recommendations or creating samples of the crafts, even better! This helps build investment in the program and its success.”

Assume It Will Be Popular

“Plan ahead of time for big numbers,” Jenn and Carrie from Woodridge Public Library assert. “We originally planned [ours] to be a small program for 30, but were told our numbers would be increased to 250; we had 401 attend.” 

“While I typically try to avoid registration barriers, we required it [for our program] due to limited space and the need to purchase materials in advance. Looking back, I wish I had offered additional sessions to meet the demand,” Cora Schaeff, formerly of Bay County Library System, says.

“Taylor Swift fans are a diverse group, and the excitement around the Eras Tour and the related traditions like making friendship bracelets creates a natural community,” Katie Halama from L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library says.

Decide on the Structure Ahead of Time

Schaeff also shares, “I structured the event using activity stations, which allowed participants (it was a family-friendly program, so parents managed their kids) to go at their own pace. This setup also helped accommodate a smaller staff and allowed us to focus on relationship-building activities, like running the karaoke machine or dancing with attendees.”

“This [type of] program could work for the tween age (9–12-year-olds) but make sure that the crafts and activities available are doable for that age group and can all be completed within the amount of time you are offering the program,” Allen and Zhang note. “For instance, in 2024, we offered it as a 1.5-hour program, and we were asked to make it a 2-hour program. This year, we made it a 2-hour program but had a low attendance due to the timing of spring break vs. summer.”

Don’t Stick to the Obvious Activities

Riverside Public Library staffers encourage outside-the-box thinking. “There is so much you can do when planning a Taylor Swift-themed program,” they say. “Her lyrics, eras, concerts, and fandom offer a wide range of ideas to work with. You can incorporate crafts like bracelet-making or interactive activities like trivia. You can even go a more literacy-related route and offer songwriting activities. Also, since Swifties span a wide age range, think of different activities kids, teens, and adults would all enjoy, and/or offer different activity options. Have fun and go all out—that’s what Taylor would do!” 

Become Well-Versed in the Songs

Allen and Zhang note, “During the program, we played Taylor’s music. We screened the songs we selected for our playlist before the program to ensure none of the songs had explicit words. The goal was to maintain a family-friendly environment. We also enjoyed working on reader’s advisory based on her albums. If you are not familiar with her music, don’t stress! There is a lot of great information online. We researched and reviewed books that seemed the vibe of each album, such as through Epic Reads, Reddit, Simon Teen, Penguin Random House, and Teen Librarian Toolbox.”

Joe Armstrong from Cincinnati Public Library builds on this advice, saying, “Make clear connections between Taylor Swift and your services. Her lyrics make countless references to literature, making it easy to build themed book lists. Swifties love a good Easter egg, so we embed fun references in displays and social posts, often linking back to how a library card gives access to those materials.”

In Conclusion

Tuscaloosa Public Library staffers have advice that turns out to be a good summary of everyone else’s: “Expect a lot of interest. Offer a variety of activities to encourage engagement. Get creative. Be flexible to a variety of ages. We were so surprised by how many mothers and daughters were there together. We were thinking it was more for teenagers, but having activities that mothers and daughters can do together was such a hit. We had friendship bracelet making, as well as a photo booth. Another suggestion is to plan ahead and make sure you have non-explicit music. We did a social media push a month in advance and had fun pairing her songs with library books. Letting people know ahead of time allowed for patrons to plan costumes and gather their friends! It never hurts to have snacks, especially on theme!”

‘Our Song Is a Slamming Screen Door’: Sharing Favorite Songs and Eras 

To close, I asked everyone what their favorite songs or eras are, listed here in rough chronological order.

Minsu Song, Des Moines Public Library: “Fearless and Speak Now both have special spots in my heart because they were the ones I listened to most during those formative middle/high school years. But I recently read There’s Nothing Like This by Kevin Evers that discusses Swift’s many evolutions and business savvy in terms of navigating the industry. Reading through her different eras, you see how she fought back against each accusation/criticism/hurdle in her career and came back stronger. Reading this gave me a newfound appreciation for every one of her eras—from strengthening her singing voice to taking on the rise of music streaming platforms, she has always found a way to dominate the music industry.”

A Riverside Public Library staffer: “That is hard question! There are so many great eras, but I would say my favorite is Fearless. I had the CD when I was younger and played it on repeat. It was one of the first experiences I had truly listening to an artist’s lyrics and thinking about what they mean and how they related to my own life. Listening to that album now makes me feel very nostalgic. A very close second would be the 1989 era—‘Blank Space’ is iconic!” 

Emily Allen, Arlington Public Library: “This is a hard one for me!  I listened to her a lot when I was in high school and when she was in her ‘country’ style of music (Fearless with ‘You Belong With Me’ and ‘Love Story,’ but I really love her Lover era with ‘Cruel Summer’ and ‘Lover’; the 1989 era with ‘Wildest Dreams’; the song ‘Red’ and finally ‘Willow’ on her Evermore album. Thus, I am all over the place! I highly respect Taylor Swift, her creativity, and her ability to be so open in her songs and shows. Her songs impacted me when I was in high school, and even now, there are songs that speak to me as her music has evolved.”

Nicole Dykeman, Neptune Public Library: “I’m a Speak Now girl! ‘Long Live’ is my favorite song—it gives me such nostalgia for when that album first came out, and the line about fighting dragons makes me think of the fantasy books I read as a kid that made me into the reader I am today.”

Cora Schaeff, formerly Bay County Library System: “I love all things Taylor, but I’m especially partial to the Speak Now era, thanks to my daughter. We attended her June 11, 2011, concert at Ford Field in Detroit, which was not just a concert but a full-scale production! One of my favorite songs is ‘Anti-Hero.’ For our [library] event, I wore a bright, fun skirt with a T-shirt that read, ‘I’m the problem, it’s me.’” 

Valerie Carroll, San Antonio Public Library: “Speak Now has always been my favorite album since high school, and at this point probably always will be for the nostalgia (though The Tortured Poets Department gave it a run for its money). My favorite song changes almost weekly.”

Loretta Zhang, Arlington Public Library: “I never actively listened to her music until I had to start planning [our library] program. My favorite has to be ‘I Knew You Were Trouble.’ It’s very catchy! It hits the right beat for me, so it’s very easy to listen to and just zone out on.”

Bill Kelly, Cuyahoga County Public Library: “‘All Too Well’ is a standout track for me as it demonstrates Taylor’s acumen for weaving a complex narrative into the framework of a pop song that is deceptively simple. As for a favorite era, I appreciate the indie-folk vibe of the Folklore and Evermore era.”

Deana Hatfield, Mascoutah Public Library: “1989 is probably my favorite era, because my daughter bought the album for my birthday and we listened to the songs over and over again. My favorite song changes daily—probably just whichever one is playing at the time.”

Joe Armstrong, Cincinnati Public Library: “That’s a tough question! From a literary perspective, all her eras have been full of references to explore and examine. Personally, 1989 is a favorite, and I think it showed the breadth of her talent, shifting from mainly country into pop, rock, and dance.”

Tuscaloosa Public Library staffers: “One of the reasons Taylor Swift has such a magical appeal is that people can find themselves represented in any song, album, and/or era. Because she writes about her personal experiences, fans can connect to her music at various points of their life. But if you must twist our arms, a favorite with a lot of us is ‘Wildest Dreams’ and Reputation era.”

Katie Halama, L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library: “My favorite Taylor song is ‘Cruel Summer’ and my favorite era is 1989. I like Taylor music that’s upbeat and fun but still deals with big topics like love, heartbreak, uncertainty, and change.”

Jenn and Carrie, Woodridge Public Library: “Carrie says ‘Cruel Summer’; Jenn says ‘Anti-Hero.’ We aren’t your typical Swifties, but we enjoy her.”