Mychal Threets

Mychal Threets is the 2025 Honorary Chair of Preservation Week, April 27 – May 3. He is a librarian, literary ambassador, and the library’s number one fan (according to himself, admittedly). He grew up in Fairfield, CA, right between Sacramento and San Francisco. He was raised in his local library as a home-school kid.

The 2025 Preservation Week theme is Preserve the Past, Shape the Future: Inspiring the Next Generation of Preservation Professionals. Cultural stewards both in and outside of libraries play an important role preserving the historical materials and knowledge that are key to understanding one’s identity. Equally important is finding ways to inspire the younger generation to think about preservation and the role it could play in their lives–now and in the future as possible preservation professionals. Mychal is a library enthusiast whose work around libraries and library joy highlights the importance of letting kids know their voices and their lives are significant.

“What an honor to serve as honorary chair for Preservation Week! Where we’re at currently, I can’t help but to think of how vital it is that we preserve stories and history. Preservation is limitless, especially in the form of stories, of history. Stories about libraries, stories about cooking, stories about gardening, stories about sports, stories about YOU. In thinking of preserving stories, I think of my parents, of my grandparents. They are history, their stories are a legacy. We all have a voice, we are all part of preservation. How do you start preserving your story of history? It could be as simple as asking yourself… what is preservation to me? Happy Preservation Week! (:”

Mychal got his first library card at the age of five and was hooked on libraries from there. He got his first library job as a library shelver at the library he grew up in and worked his way up to become Supervising Librarian of that very same library.

He is very open about his mental health. He talks about it in hopes that it’ll help others in their mental health journey. He is adamant about encouraging people to believe him when he says he’s happy they are here.

He considers it an honor to the library people who raised him that he is a recipient of the 2024 “I Love My Librarian” award from the American Library Association, one of School Library Journal’s 2024 Movers and Shakers, and one of TIME Magazine’s 2024 Next Generation Leaders.

As honorary chair, Mychal Threets will appear in Preservation Week artwork and programming and will promote preservation activities through a range of platforms, including social media. Follow him on Instagram @mychal3ts, Threads @mychal3ts, TikTok @mychal3ts, and Facebook mychalthreets.