Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
The NYPL Ran Out Of Copies Of '1984'
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 30, 2017
Modified Jan 30, 2017
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Jan 30, 2017
Modified Jan 30, 2017
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
It's been well established that everyone in the as-of-now free world is rushing to read 1984, our handbook for surviving and understanding the dystopian landscape being created by President Gaslight. There's a book club, there are a lot of Amazon reviews, and Angela Montefinise of the New York Public Library tells us that they're fresh out of copies.
As of mid last week, the NYPL had 326 English copies of 1984, with 37 holds. They also have 40 Spanish copies, with 6 holds. This means all of their copies are checked out, and a waitlist has been started. In addition, the NYPL recently placed orders for 24 new copies of the book, to deal with the increase in demand. Their e-book numbers also showed growth, with 20 e-copies of the book and 107 holds on it. Montefinise says to have that many holds on a book indicates that there has been an increase in demand.
In December, there were 216 checkouts of the physical book, while in all of 2016 there were 1,542. The NYPL did not have numbers of checkouts for previous years.
Still, Fifty Shades of Grey had more holds when the books hit their height of popularity in 2012; at the time, the final book in the trilogy had 1,427 holds.
If you're on the waitlist, Lynn Lobash at the NYPL's Readers Services team recommends: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, Memory of Water by Emmi Itäranta, or The Sunlight Pilgrims by Jenni Fagan. We recommend The Little Kitten and some wine.
Tagged
1984
george orwell
nypl
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Ever wish you could get paid to walk through a stranger’s house? ‘The Scout’ is for you.
A new film focuses on the strange career of a location scout in New York City.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Sep 26, 2026
There are 100s of places to visit during Open House New York. Here's 5 of our favorites.
See the entire lineup for the weekend when the city opens its doors.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Arts & Entertainment
There are 100s of places to visit during Open House New York. Here's 5 of our favorites.
See the entire lineup for the weekend when the city opens its doors.
By
Hannah Frishberg
A massive MTA archive ended up in a Virginia warehouse. A Brooklyn man brought it home.
By
Hannah Frishberg
How a Harry Styles pop-up in the East Village led to a nearby bookstore owner's arrest
By
Sonia Rao
NYC’s creative workers are increasingly self-employed, report says
By
Hannah Frishberg
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .