For the past few months, a shadowy patron of the public library in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, has been hiding books that either advocate for progressive causes or are critical of President Trump. Now the phantom librarian-annoyer has made a very powerful enemy: Stephen Colbert.
The late-night host was incensed—well, more amused, to be honest—to learn that his Trump-mocking book Whose Boat Is This Boat? was among those deliberately misshelved by the library scofflaw. So he hatched a plan, which he revealed to viewers of his show on Friday.
“We have decided to help out the readers of Coeur d’Alene by sending them an unhideable edition of Whose Boat Is This Boat?,” Colbert said, as two of his staffers brought out a comically large copy of the book. “Good luck hiding this one, sucker.”
Coeur d’Alene Public Library director Bette Ammon told KREM 2 News that she hadn’t yet decided what the library will do with the huge book, which Colbert equipped with an anti-theft garment tag.
“People are going to want to turn the pages and experience it,” she said, adding that she wasn’t sure where it will be displayed.
Colbert isn’t the only author targeted by the mysterious reshelver who has been inspired to donate books to the Coeur d’Alene library. Author Rick Reilly, whose Commander in Cheat: How Golf Explains Trump was also among the hidden books, wrote in the Washington Post that he plans to visit the library this week and hide 10 copies of his book himself.
“You can hide one of my books ... but can you hide 10?” Reilly wrote.
Michael Schaub is an Austin, Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.
