Vinyl records have surged in popularity in recent years. One local resource that might go overlooked is the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, which is looking to expand its collection for public use.
The library wants to expand its collection because a growing number of young people are buying turntables and supporting more offline activities, Marketing Manager Sean Piazza said.
“Folks in Gen Z want intentional, offline experiences. So really, growing up in a digital age, a tangible relationship with music and a different listening experience," he said. "We felt we were uniquely positioned to support and expand access to those experiences.”
More than 18,000 records make up the library’s collection, and it isn’t limited to music.
The most popular records are "Devil Got My Woman" by Skip James, and Bill Withers' "Live at Carnegie Hall," but there also are classic comedy recordings, and stories from Vincent Price.
“There's the serendipity of experiencing a song that you love, that you might not otherwise have bumped into," Piazza said. "I think that there's that element that really aligns well with just wandering the stacks of a library where you see a book you might not have bumped into online.”
Many of the records are available for checkout, but some of the older or more rare ones are only available within the library.
