KQED's Forum Mychal Threets on Reviving 'Reading Rainbow' And Tech Titans and Trump Want National Guard in SF
Oct 16, 2025
Mychal Threets, a librarian turned social media book-champion, is the new host of the revamped Reading Rainbow, celebrating childhood literacy and community engagement. He shares his love for reading and discusses how libraries serve as essential, inclusive spaces. Marisa Lagos, a KQED politics correspondent, dives into the controversial discussion about bringing the National Guard to San Francisco, analyzing tech leaders' motivations and potential political implications. The duo highlights the intersection of literacy advocacy and civic discourse.
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Raised In The Library
- Mychal Threets grew up spending every week at his local Fairfield library and got his first library card at age five.
- He credits family and librarians for instilling a lifelong love of reading that led him to become a librarian and host Reading Rainbow.
Becoming A Librarian By Showing Up
- After a period of personal setback, Threets returned to his Fairfield library and asked how to work there, starting as a shelver.
- That entry-level role introduced him to 'library joy' and set him on the path to becoming a children's librarian and advocate.
Library As A Radical Third Space
- Threets frames the public library as a 'third space' where diverse community members intersect without expectation.
- That inclusivity makes libraries uniquely punk and vital for providing access, belonging, and different formats for all readers.
