The World Series of Book Sorting

For library fans Wednesday was the World Series of books — the fourth annual book sorting competition to see how many book requests can be sorted in an hour. As rivalries go, it's not the Red Sox versus the Yankees, but King County Public Library System in Washington State has beaten New York twice, while New York's public libraries have taken the trophy just once. 

In the basement of the Library Service Center BookOps in Long Island City, Queens, where every book and DVD request in the city is processed before being sent to local branches, Salvatore Maggadino is the coach, and deputy director. He pumps up his team with ear-splitting jock jams.

"When I look at the individuals and teams how quickly and how accurately you guys sort, its amazing to me," he shouted at his sorters. "Whatever happens, we're definitely the best team in the country."

Book sorters at the Library Service Center BookOps in Long Island City, Queens competing in the fourth annual book sorting competition against Washington's King County Public Library.

(Stephen Nessen/WNYC)

The rivalry began when the New York Public Library decided to buy the same sorting machine as the one used in Washington. It's a 238-foot long contraption with a conveyor belt that whips around the basement scanning books and flinging them into boxes that go to each branch in the city. On a regular day it processes 8,000 to 9,000 items an hour with the aid of several workers who place the books and DVDs face down on individual "pads" on a conveyor belt.

Michael King, 22, grabs books and DVDs from a dumpster-sized bin and smacks them face down on the conveyor belt, which is moving at 3.5 miles per hour. He wears headphones and listens to jazz to keep his head clear. "If you kinda get like sidetracked or distracted then you're gonna get dizzy and loopy," he said. "So I try to keep focused and put the books on the pads."

Books with bent covers, or damaged bar codes are rejected and flung to the floor. When boxes get full they're sealed and stacked on a pallet ready to be shipped out.

After an hour of furious sorting, the results are tallied on a computer: 12,570. Better than last year, 12,396, but less than the all-time high score of 12,818. Still, it's enough. Washington only sorted 11,868 items. The series is tied, 2-2.

Library workers cheer for the book sorters competing in the fourth annual book sorting competition.

(Stephen Nessen/WNYC)

Michael King wears headphones while sorting books to help him stay focused.

(Stephen Nessen/WNYC)

A high tech book scanner scans each book before it's deposited in a box to be sent to the individual branches.

(Stephen Nessen/WNYC)

A high tech book scanner scans each book before it's deposited in a box to be sent to the individual branches.

(Stephen Nessen/WNYC)

Book sorters competing in the fourth annual book sorting competition against Washington's King County Public Library.

(Stephen Nessen/WNYC)

Books that have damaged barcodes or are too thin to be read by the book scanner are tossed aside so as not to slow down the sorters during the fourth annual book sorting competition.

(Stephen Nessen/WNYC)

NYC book sorters competing in the fourth annual book sorting competition against Washington's King County Public Library.

(Stephen Nessen/WNYC)

The New York and Brooklyn Public Library BookOps sorting facility in Long Island City, Queens, where about 30,000 books and DVDs a day are sorted and sent to libraries across the city.

(Stephen Nessen/WNYC)

NYC book sorters competing in the fourth annual book sorting competition against Washington's King County Public Library.

(Stephen Nessen/WNYC)

The bins for local library branches where books and DVDs that have been sorted end up before being shipped out.

(Stephen Nessen/WNYC)