Some ideas are so perfectly aligned with their purpose that they demand to be realized. Hiding Where’s Waldo? books in libraries is one of them.

You may be thinking to yourself, "Why such a specific request? After all, these are just simple libraries!" Well, let me answer your question with a question. Why do grocery stores put fruit in the produce section? Because that's where customers expect it to be. If I walked into a Walmart and asked them where their apples were, and they told me they were in the freezer aisle next to the frozen pizzas, I’d start questioning their entire decision-making process. It would feel unnatural, as if they fundamentally misunderstood how people shop. The same logic applies to Where’s Waldo? books—if the entire point is to search for something hidden, then finding the book itself should follow the same principle. A Where’s Waldo? book that isn't hidden is like a puzzle that comes pre-assembled—it completely misses the point.

The reality is, sometimes it's perfectly OK to judge a book by its cover. If my intention for checking out a book is to have an engaging searching experience, I expect that experience to begin the moment I step into the library. And while at the end of the day this is just the humble opinion of a Waldo enthusiast, it just makes sense, and I hope it makes sense to you too.