Is Nancy Pearl America’s most famous librarian? “Ms. Pearl’s fame has its roots in the most elementary function of the librarian: pressing a book into a patron’s hands and saying, ‘Read this.’ She fills many roles, but in each of them Ms. Pearl returns to the same transaction. At the Washington Center for the Book, part of the Seattle Public Library and a sponsor of author readings and events, she oversaw the ‘If All Seattle Read the Same Book’ program, which is essentially one gigantic book recommendation. (The program has since been tried by other cities, including New York and Chicago.)”