Columbus resident Dan Pelzer passed July 1 at 92 years old, but it’s what he’s left behind that has inspired many across the country.
Pelzer volunteered for the Peace Corps, and was stationed in Nepal in 1962. While there, he started to work through the small library of paperback books, recording the titles of those he read. However, Pelzer never stopped documenting the books he read, amassing a list over 60 years in the making and 3,599 titles long.
Pelzer later became a social worker for the Ohio Department of Youth Services, working at the Training Institute of Central Ohio, a juvenile correctional facility. Pelzer’s wife of 52 years, Mary Lou Pelzer, dies last year in 2024.
After his death, Pelzer’s family published his list to a website titled “What Dan Read” which starts with an article written about Pelzer in 2006 by The Columbus Dispatch. In the article, Pelzer is able to recall what he was reading during major life events, like the births of his children.
The list was mostly handwritten, save for a few years written by typewriter in the late 60s and early 70s. Pelzer read just about every genre, from books on religion to celebrity memoirs, classic fiction to political science analysis.
Pelzer frequented the Whitehall and Barnett (formerly Livingston) branches of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, frequently reserving new titles.
“He is a staple in our brand and in our community,” Barnett Branch Manager Eternity Ballour, said. “He's not very talkative, but if you've got the opportunity to talk to him, he's a great person and he was just someone who you knew you'd see him every week or at least every other week.”
Ballour said that she always saw Pelzer with his list of what books he wanted to reserve next, and a bag full of books that he had finished and wanted to return.
“It was actually funny, we had seen a few of those lists because he typically brings them in and will ask for help reserving those items from other libraries and other systems,” Ballour said. “So when I’d seen the list and I’d seen Dan, for me personally, I just kind of got emotional that we had lost one of our lifetime patrons, more than I was a little excited about the list. But the list was beautiful and it was amazing. And it was just a great resemblance of Dan.”
The Columbus Metropolitan Library was also impacted by the loss of a frequent patron. Ballour described the heavy hearts staff at the Barnett branch have had from Pelzer’s death. However, Pelzer’s list has offered a way to honor the prolific reader.
The Whitehall and Barnett branches, along with the main library branch, have set up displays featuring books from the list, along with a sign explaining Pelzer’s list. The displays include memoir titles such as Jennette McCurdy’s “I’m Glad My Mom Died” to horror titles like Stephen King’s “Cujo.”
At the Barnett branch, Ballour said the display includes many of the nonfiction books Pelzer read. Some of the titles Ballour handpicked based on past positive reviews from Pelzer.
The Columbus Metropolitan Library has also fully digitized the list in a 98-page document, and you can also see which books are available to check out from that list.
When asked if she recommended any books to Pelzer, Ballour’s answer was a fond, “I tried.”
“Dan always knew what he wanted to read and he always had a list,” She continued. “I will say there were times where I recommended a book and he'd say, ‘No, not today, I got this list that I'm trying to get through,’ but I've seen it on a later list. And so I knew I planted the seed and I was okay with that.”
There were definitely books that Pelzer didn’t enjoy. His obituary says he found Ulysses by James Joyce to be “pure torture.” But books he didn’t like didn’t slow Pelzer down.
Pelzer’s story, and reading list, has spread across the internet, appearing in articles from The New York Times, People, and even being featured in the Smithsonian Magazine. Comments online range from awe at Pelzer’s dedication to reading, to sparking friendly competition for those wanting to increase the length of their own lists.
Ballour said that Pelzer’s story resonated with her not just for his love of reading, but also his love of the library.
“Dan just reminded me of something magical about the library,” She said. “He was introverted, he was not super chatty, he did not sit for every program or talk to every staff member, but he loved his library and he impacted his library and now he's impacted all of America with how much he loved this library and how much he loved to read.”
It’s clear Pelzer made an impact on his local library and community, but now his impact is felt across the country.
“One thing that I know about Dan is he was not planning on being famous,” Ballour said chuckling. “I think that was the best part about what he was doing, is he was genuinely just doing this because he loved the library. I think he was just genuinely just keeping track of his reading interests and the things he was going because he was proud of himself for being a lifelong learner and for engaging and keeping his mind sharp.”
Pelzer's obituary said that a way to honor Dan would be to read “a real page turner.”
