Story of Columbus man who read more than 3,500 library books in his lifetime nominated for international award

Photo courtesy of Marci Pelzer

Before the age of cataloging sites like Goodreads, Columbus native Dan Pelzer sought to memorialize the stories he’d read throughout his life.

And he succeeded the old-fashioned way: In over 100 handwritten pages, Dan kept a detailed log of the whopping 3,599 books he’d read since 1962, nearly all of which were borrowed from the library.

Dan, who passed away at 92 in July of last year, was as dedicated and diverse a reader as they come, consuming everything from American classics like Moby Dick, Fahrenheit 451, and The Great Gatsby to tomes on world religions, philosophy, and mythology.

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And his literary legacy lives on, courtesy of his daughter Marci, who first shared his original book log through the website their family created in his honor, What Dan Read.

A page of Dan’s handwritten log. | Courtesy of Marci Pelzer

“Our most precious inheritance: the detailed chronological list of the thousands of books he read over the past 60 years, with every page documenting the popular tastes of the day,” Marci wrote in a LinkedIn post last year. “Making Dad’s reading list available to family, friends—and now colleagues—was a labor of love.”

Now, Dan’s story has added a new chapter. The viral short-form video by the Columbus Metropolitan Library recounting Dan’s life has been nominated for the Public Service, Social Impact & Activism Webby Award. Readers can vote for Dan’s story through April 16, according to a CML Instagram post.

“People are captivated and inspired, grateful for the reminder that something as simple as checking out a library book can bring so much joy,” Marci said. “He would have been so thrilled to have a part of getting people excited about the library.”

You can peruse Dan’s reading list yourself through this digitized archive made by the library. And for those checking it out for the first time, Marci encourages you to treat the list like a time capsule.

“Think about the most important moments in your life and check out what he was reading then. Maybe you’ll find a book that unlocks a memory that you forgot about or brings greater insight about what was happening in the world at that time,” Marci said.

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