The links to the right will provide more information about starting a book club, but here are a few tips to get you started.
Step 1: Brainstorm
- Do you want your book club to be academic, social, or somewhere in the middle?
- How many members would you like to have? Many guidelines recommend 10-15 members, but larger or small groups may suit your needs.
- How much time do you want to commit to the book club? This may impact the type of books you read, leadership style, and frequency of your meetings.
Step 2: Recruit Members
- Coworkers, friends, and family are great starting places.
- Posters throughout the community can increase diversity of your group.
Step 2: Set Guidelines
- How often will you meet?
- How will books be selected?
- Where will meetings be held?
- Who will lead discussions?
Step 3: Select a Book
- Use one of the Book Club Kits available at the library or search best seller lists and the library catalog to find interesting titles.
- Avoid choosing "favorites," as this can lead to hurt feelings.
- Read widely! Expore a variety of genres and themes.
Step 4: Read
- Read as much of the book as you can...
- Remind members that even if they don't finish the reading, they are still encouraged to come to Book Club!
Step 5: Discuss
- Many resources exist to help guide book discussions. One place to start is the Discussion Questions portion of this guide.
- Encourage Book Club members to come to meetings with questions of their own for discussion.
