DeKALB | An individual’s choice of reading material is often reflect a person’s interests, emotions and personality.

The NIU Founder’s Memorial Library is taking this idea one step further: by putting employees’ favorite books on display.

“Books: the quietest and most constant of friends” features literature selected by the library staff. Accompanying the display is a personal message explaining their choices. Everyone interested in the exhibit was able to have their selection featured, using either their personal copy or the library’s edition.

Besides showing the more personal side of reading, the display provides an opportunity to get to know the library staff better, said Elizabeth Fenwick, a library operations associate.

Although this was the first time an exhibit like this has been done at the library, it seems to have yielded great results in participation based solely on the fact that 40 employees participated.

“It was kind of fun and interesting to see the books people chose,” Fenwick said.

Fenwick’s choice was One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez because it brought back fond memories of sharing that book between friends.

Other picks ranged from American classics such as Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery to modern-day classics like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling and sci-fi reads that include Dies the Fire by S. M. Stirling to childhood favorites like Richard Scarry’s Best Storybook Ever by Richard Scarry.

Viewing these selections can offer ideas for future readings or may even bring back cheerful memories of your own.

The exhibit will run until Jan. 31.