Mychal Threets spent 11 years as a librarian at the Fairfield Civic Center Library in Solano County, California. His uplifting videos about books and kindness have reached millions of people on social media. Mychal has loved books ever since he was a kid. He was born in Fairfield, California on February 13, 1990. As a child, he was very shy and dealt with anxiety and depression, according to Mychal. He was homeschooled in elementary school, and that made him feel like he didn't always fit in with other kids.
But there was a place where he did feel safe. It was the public library in his hometown. He has called Fairfield Civic Center Library his "home away from home." The shelves, the stories, and the quiet corners helped him feel less alone
At the library, young Mychal could travel anywhere without leaving his seat. He could visit outer space, walk through forests, and meet kids who felt scared or different just like he did. Books helped him see that his feelings were real and that other people had them too.
Mychal's family is Black and Mexican. His dad is African American and his mom is Mexican. He has talked about how books helped him learn about his culture and feel proud of who he is. He has also shared that music by Selena was a big part of his childhood and made him feel seen. As he grew up, he kept going back to that same library in Fairfield, and it did not matter how old he was.
Mychal studied communications at the University of Phoenix and later earned a master's degree in library and information science from San Jose State University. When Mychal was 23 years old, he got a job at the Fairfield Civic Center Library, the very branch where he had spent so many hours as a child.
But he wasn't in charge yet. He was the person who put every book back where it belonged. That work felt special. He knew that each book he shelved might be the one a child really needed that day.
Over time, he moved up. In January 2023, he became the supervising librarian of that same branch. Then the world changed. During the COVID 19 pandemic, many people felt scared and alone. In 2020, Mychal started making short videos about the library for TikTok and Instagram. He talked about "library joy," kindness, and the power of stories.
The videos were simple. Sometimes he would tell a story about a child who was worried about library fines. Sometimes he would remind people that the library is still there for them. His posts went viral and by late 2023, he had hundreds of thousands of followers on each platform. Mychal eventually reached well over a million followers across social media.
In his videos, Mychal did not try to be perfect, and he talked openly about his mental health. On his social media, he reminds his his audience "You are NOT alone." That simple but powerful message reached kids, teens, and adults who were fighting their own quiet battles.
Mychal made a hard choice in early 2024. He resigned from his job at the Fairfield Civic Center Library so he could focus on his mental health and on new projects. Not long after, he started working as a PBS resident librarian. Mychal created videos that help families discover books and reading together.
On September 29, 2025, Mychal Threets was announced as the new host of the iconic children's series Reading Rainbow. The show first aired in 1983 and was canceled by PBS in 2006. For more than 20 years, the show helped children develop a love of reading with LeVar Burton as its host.
"I was raised on Reading Rainbow, LeVar Burton is my hero. I am a reader, I am a librarian because LeVar Burton and Reading Rainbow so powerfully made us believe we belong in books, we belong everywhere," Mychal said on his Facebook page.
Now, the new Reading Rainbow reboot is getting huge attention. With only five episodes released, it has already garnered over 3 million views on YouTube. The reboot is distributed on the Kidzuko YouTube channel, and episodes also appear on the official Reading Rainbow YouTube channel.
The first location featured in the reboot is the West Branch Library in Berkeley, California. The community there was honored to be the first location highlighted in the new Reading Rainbow series.
Reading Rainbow will continue its mission to inspire curiosity and a love of reading. Mychal Threets grew up watching the show, and now he is the one carrying it forward. A boy who once found belonging in books will now help a new generation find it too.
Watch episodes of Reading Rainbow on the official YouTube Channel.