From the classics to new reads making waves, Dan kept track of more than 3,500 books in a handwritten list that has now been shared around the world.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Storytime at the Whitehall branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library gathers families and future readers, welcoming the youngest learners in our community to a lifetime of discovery.

“I like mermaids,” said Yael Solomon, describing the kind of books she likes at 4 years old. “I like catching a dinosaur.”

A visit to the library inspires readers of all experience levels, including one who has gone viral for the list of a lifetime.

Dan Pelzer, a Marine veteran and Peace Corps volunteer, was a lifetime patron of the Columbus Metropolitan Library — most recently at the Whitehall Branch. He passed away on July 1, leaving a list of the 3,599 books he read during his 92 years.


“You know, I just keep thinking about how crazy it is that we’ve spread the list to so many people,” said Marci Pelzer, Dan’s daughter, in a Zoom interview from her home in Wisconsin. “Our intention was to hand it out at his funeral. Then, we got the idea to have a QR code. Then, I put it on LinkedIn and it kind of took off and then when the library got a hold of it, it just went crazy.”

“My dad, Dan Pelzer, died July 1 at the age of 92, leaving me the list of the thousands of books he read since 1962. ALL…

Posted by Columbus Metropolitan Library on Monday, July 21, 2025

“What Dan Read” is now going viral.

“In the first year, he read ‘The Odyssey,’” Marci said. “So, he was all over the place every year on his book list, and that’s what makes it fun to read.”

From the classics to new reads making waves, such as Nickelodeon star Jennette McCurdy’s memoir “I’m Glad My Mom Died,” Dan kept track of each book in a handwritten list that has now been shared around the world.

“He wasn’t interested in important books,” Marci said. “He was interested in someone being able to tell a good story.”

Dan instilled a love of reading in his family by bringing Marci and her brother to the downtown Columbus library every Saturday, enrolling them in the Summer Reading Challenge and simply sharing the joy of a good book with everyone he knew.

“Dan would always want you to know when he read a ‘real page turner,’” Marci said. “So, we hope people who are inspired by Dan‘s message will also read a real page turner.”

That was the message shared after Dan’s passing earlier this month as a way to honor a life well-lived and well-read.

“The last book he read was ‘David Copperfield,’ which I think is so appropriate,” Marci said.

“What Dan Read” is inspiring more readers, including young Yael as she begins her reading journey.

Motivated by hearing about Dan’s 3,599 books, she is proud to show off all the different kinds of books she wants to read, including “Peppa Pig” and “Transformers” — even though they had never met.

“I haven’t read this one,” Yael said brightly as she picked up a book about Princess Tiana.

Dan Pelzer’s motto was “Read what you love,” and that’s what Yael said she plans to do.

“It’s amazing,” Marci said. “It’s like the dialogue with him about books can continue indefinitely and spread around the globe.”