“Insta Novels” der New York Public Library

From Antje Passenheim

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Colorful and enjoyable in bites: literary classics such as “Alice in Wonderland” are being presented anew on the New York Public Library’s Instagram account. (New York Public Library / Screenshot Youtube))

The New York Public Library is bringing the book to the screens via Instagram. In her “Insta Novels” she publishes excerpts from literary classics, portioned in bites. This means that in some cases they reach more than 300,000 users.

A bit of Christmas fairy tale. One for the subway. A slide during the lunch break. And a piece of “A Christmas Carol” while standing in line in the supermarket. Literature goes Insta. Instastories tell stories. And nowhere are there more of them than in a library, explains Lynn Lobash of the National Public Library in New York: “We all have stories here in the library.”

But in the age of Kindle and social media, the world-famous library in the heart of Manhattan is attracting fewer and fewer smartphone users. So the books come to them, says the library reading advisor. “We like to pick you up where you are – when you look at your smartphone and scroll through Instagram.”

The “Insta Novels“have their own language: excerpts from classics. Virtually bound by modern design and musical intro. The Public Library has brought an advertising agency on board for this purpose.” We have selected very short pieces. Portioned into small parts, “says Lobash. And young readers put them imperceptibly into their everyday lives.” The stories are perfect for Instagram. And the attitude behind it: you browse your way. And don’t spend a lot of time. “

An absolute hit

“Alice in Wonderland”, Kafka’s “Metamorphosis” or Edgar Alan Poe’s “Raven” – they are among the stories of #Instanovels. When the project started a year ago, the response was overwhelming: “It was incredibly successful – we didn’t expect it. It was an absolute hit,” enthuses Lynn Lobash.

300,000 readers per “Insta Novel” and over 130,000 new followers for the National Public Library’s Instagram account. The comments went wild, reports Lobash: “The best thing for me was when people wrote: I’ve been reminded how nice it is to read.”

Return to intensive reading

And the “Insta Novels” remind you of something else – media researcher Jeremy Caplan believes: “When you see these small bites of delicate stories visually, they remind you of the power of the narrative.” The professor at the City University of New York insists that the small bites in the end will whet the appetite for whole books in many readers.

“I think the pendulum is swinging back again: people will want to read more again. They notice: They won’t get enough of the small bites. Social media makes me just as unsatisfied as fast food. I am convinced that they are in a return to intensive reading a few years. “

The “Insta Novels” are something of an appetizer: “You always have them with you. In your pocket, in your hand. And when you feel like it, you get a bite. And maybe you get hungry for the whole book. “

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