In 2016, 80% of U.S. teens reported consuming digital content online daily, versus only 20% who reported reading a book, magazine or newspaper. This 20% figure is the lowest ever recorded. It’s a conversation heard all too often: technology, and in particular social media, is the enemy – a modern pollutant dumbing down people’s intelligence. So at a time when many believe we’re witnessing the death of literature at the hands of social media, it would seem counterintuitive for a library to embrace a digital-first philosophy. Yet that’s exactly in tune with the Library’s mission to “advance knowledge by providing free and open access to materials and information…”

Rather than resist the undeniable shift from paper to screens, The New York Public Library wanted to meet people exactly where they already were: their phones. Insta Novels is a simple idea. We uploaded full books directly into Instagram Stories, thereby hacking social media to further the Library’s public promise to “advance knowledge by providing free and open access to materials and information...” The program created an entirely new experience in e-reading, one that mimics the familiarity of paperback novel but for today’s audience.

First, we selected some of the greatest works of classic literature that would resonate with today’s teens. We then worked with Insta-famous illustrators to reimagine each cover for our digital audience. Once the Insta Novel was complete, we saved each title to the Library’s Instagram Highlights, thereby turning the feature into a digital bookshelf that anyone could access, any time.

The New York Public Library hacked Instagram Stories, arguably one of the most democratic storytelling tools of today, to further the Library’s public promise to “advance knowledge by providing free and open access to materials and information...”. It’s an idea that builds off the belief that people today aren’t rejecting great storytelling, they have just found better ways to consume it. So instead of changing the content to fit the format, we changed the format to fit the content, thereby getting people to change their behavior on Instagram and actually slow down to spend time with some of the greatest stories ever told. We posted a series of classic novels right to Instagram Stories, complete with unique and engaging design elements. With a PR budget of $0, we leveraged earned media and social influencers to help spread our message.

Each book in the Insta Novels program is uploaded directly into Instagram Stories, complete with unique and engaging design elements. From the color of the page, to the placement of the thumb rest, to the soundtrack, we thoughtfully sweat over every detail of this new format with an actual reader in mind. The Instagram-specific design includes stills and videos that mirror the unique layout of the original works. The background is a warmer white that’s easy to read on screen, and the font is Georgia, a typeface that pays homage to the history of the written word in both print and digital (it was one of the first serif fonts designed for screen to make long form text more pleasing and legible). Custom animations include stills and videos that mirror the unique layout of the original works. Readers rest their thumbs on the screen to hold the page. They lift their thumbs to turn the page. The thumb holder also doubles as a flipbook: if a reader lets the book run they see an animation. Using the “Highlights” feature, each novel is saved as a work of digital literature that readers can access at any time. This essentially turns “Highlights” into a digital bookshelf. Even the music for each promotional video was created using the sound of real books.

We promoted the project organically through press and social platforms, for a total media spend of $0, the same price as a library card. The user response the day Insta Novels was released exceeded any of our wildest expectations. Clearly, people were ready to read something with more substance on Instagram. Since Insta Novels launched, @NYPL’s Instagram following grown over 80%, exposing 155,000 more people to The Library’s efforts to inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge, and strengthen different communities. To date, over 300,000 Insta Novels have been read. With our focus on the future, we’re now in conversations with Instagram to have the platform optimized for long-form content and literature. While we seem to have found a new home for literature, we know the work here is not done. But at least the future of books isn’t an open and shut case.