Got a hobby?  According to Statista (our statistics database) - the most popular hobby in the U.S. is cooking and baking.  About 41% of survey respondents in 2024 fill their spare time in the kitchen.  The second most popular hobby is reading at 36% (we in the library approve of that one).  After that comes Pets, Video Gaming, and Outdoor Activities.

Hobby is defined as a “favourite occupation or topic, pursued merely for the amusement or interest it affords” (Oxford English Dictionary).  

The word hobby first appears in English about 1400, meaning a small or middle-sized horse; a pony.  By 1778, the phrase hobby-horse came to be, which was a straight stick with a small horse's head made of wood or stuffed fabric.  From that came the expression “to ride one's hobby horse” meaning to do something for fun.  By 1816, a hobby was associated with recreation and leisure, first appearing in print with the sentence “I quarrel with no man's hobby."

If you have a hobby or are looking for one, try out our Hobbies and Crafts Source database.  In it are full-text hobby and craft magazines, hobby profiles, recipes and videos to inspire creativity and nurture your interests.   You will also turn up some hobby e-books.

January is National Hobby Month.