Mychal Threets Announced as 2026 Convocation Speaker

The Harvard Graduate School of Education announced that Mychal Threets, widely known as “The Internet’s Librarian,” will deliver its 2026 Convocation address.

Threets, formerly a librarian in Solano County, California, rose to fame online as a library and literacy advocate, amassing more than 2 million followers across platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

“It is a massive blessing to be part of the 2026 Harvard Graduate School of Education commencement. What a celebration!” said Threets. “These future educators deserve to be celebrated, loudly and proudly. I raise my library voice for them. They deserve wild applause for such an exceptional accomplishment; we need more educators.”

Threets began his work as a librarian in Northern California in 2013, working at a library he often visited as a child. His joyful advocacy for the benefits of having a library card, literacy, and inclusivity was taken to the internet during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, Threets began posting short videos on TikTok of him reading books or telling stories about his time at the library, gaining hundreds of thousands of followers as his videos achieved viral fame.

“I am absolutely delighted that HGSE will host librarian Mychal Threets as our Convocation speaker this year,” says Dean Nonie Lesaux. “Mychal is a unique and influential educator whose work promotes children’s literacy and positive mental health outcomes. He is a champion of the library as one of America’s last ‘third spaces’ and articulates the role of the library as an indispensable community resource.”

In 2025, Threets was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential creators. That same year, Threets was announced as the host of a reboot of beloved children’s programming Reading Rainbow. Seen by many as the spiritual successor to the original show’s host, Levar Burton, Threets’ impact on childhood literacy and mental health serves as inspiration to a new generation of learners.

“Through his writing and speaking, Mychal enlightens and engages audiences around the world,” says Lesaux. “I know he will inspire our class of 2026, and I can’t wait to hear his message.”

Threets’ has also made a significant contribution to libraries with a book of his own; I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy was published earlier this year. A strong advocate for his own mental health and honest conversations, he also has a mental health-focused podcast, Thoughts About Feelings with Blair Imani and Mychal Threets, which started in 2025.

In many of his videos online, Threets stresses that everyone belongs at the library. He also shares affirmations that people’s mental health always matters, something he hopes to echo in his address to the graduating class of 2026 this spring.  

“Life seems so bleak these days, I hope I’m able to deliver a message of hope and gratitude to them for their commitment to being helpers,” says Threets. “They give me hope, and on their worst and best days, I hope they believe they are making a difference.”

HGSE Convocation will take place Wednesday, May 27, at 3:30 p.m.