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ILA presentation 10/14/14
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The Care & Feeding of Book Clubs
Tish Calhamer--Gail Borden Public Library Lynnanne Pearson--Skokie Public Library Carol Shoenthal--Bartlett Public Library
Why are Book Clubs Necessary?
Strengthen community ties
Through engagement with reading and discussion, book clubs:
● introduce people of varied backgrounds whose paths might not have crossed● build trust and understanding between fellow readers, who are all part of the
whole community● support their public libraries--Book Clubs participants are some of the
greatest library advocates you can cultivate!● add to everyone’s enrichment and understanding of literature● encourage community building through the sharing of personal stories● may lead to participants becoming involved with other local groups and being
more active in the community
Promote literacy
Book Clubs
● challenge readers to read a book that may be outside of their regular reading tastes
● motivate readers to finish a common book by a select date
● encourage active use of the public library
● encourage members to read and suggest titles they read independently
● reinforce the habit of reading for pleasure
Helping your book clubs to succeed
Develop library resources and services for book clubs
● Advise clubs on good, discussable books● Buy or ILL multiple copies of books● Write discussion questions or link to sites with good
questions● Establish Book Club Collections
What is a good, discussible title candidate?
● At least 2 years old if planning to ILL● Consider length of book
○ 500+ page titles may not be completed - gauge your group or make it a 2-month read
● An enjoyable reading experience does not always lead to a good discussion title○ It doesn’t have to be painful or depressing, but it
needs to have “tooth”
Use Social Media
● Use Pinterest to create book discussion boards
● Use #bookdiscussion for tweets about your picks.
● Use Skype to have a virtual author visit
Book Club meet-and-greets
Author Visits
Writing Good Discussion Questions● Turn your opinions into questions
● Edit publishers questions so they’re short
● Ask open-ended questions
● Focus questions on themes and characters not plot
● Select your first question beforehand.
● Never ask “What did you think of the book?”
● Prep enough questions (10-20) so you feel comfortable
o Don’t force the discussion to get to every question
● Group questions by subject, theme or characters
The Leader/Reader dynamic
Leading with style
● Analyze your book discussion leadership style: Are you a leader, a member, a facilitator, or a professor?
● Strike the balance between leading/guiding and letting your readers come up with their own insights and observations.
● Avoid the temptation to “teach” the book.● Use phrases of encouragement to lead a thread without
dominating it.
Discussion Stoppers
Member who can’t stop “contributing”
Wait until they take a breath and say...
● “You’ve made an interesting point about X. What does everyone else think?
● “Let’s hear from someone who hasn’t had a chance to tak. What do you think of X?”
● “Hang on, so-and-so was saying something. Let’s hear her finish”
Member who uses any opening to carry discussion off topic
Wait until they take a breath and say…
● “Thanks for sharing. Let’s get back to the book.”
And/Or
● Build in time to exchange personal stories and gab at the beginning or end of the discussion
Let Me Tell You About My Grandchildren!
Shy People
● Pay attention to body language. Sometimes quiet people won’t jump in, but want to talk.
● Observe the room and be prepared to draw the shy people in by calling directly on them.o I’ve noticed that you’ve been quiet (insert name
here), what did you think of X?
Introduce the “Talk About”● Begin session by going around the circle ● Each member comments briefly (<minute) on reaction
to book and 1-2 pointso Just don’t open with “What did you think of the book?”
● Open discussion is fueled by points raised● Ice is broken for reticent members making them more
likely to contribute
Shy GroupIf the whole group is quiet…
● Don’t be afraid of silence. Sometimes people need time to formulate their thoughts.
● But don’t answer your own questions or allow the discussion to become a Q & A with you. If the group asks you questions, turn it around: “Wow, that’s a great question. What do you folks think?”
● Try a smaller room. It will be more intimate for your members.
When talk becomes heated
● “There obviously are strong opinions about this topic, but I don’t think we’ll come to an agreement today. Let’s move on to…”
● Stop anyone who makes offensive remarks.
Fixing a Group
One librarian’s story of what went wrong and how she tried to fix it
Once Upon a Time…
So What Happened?
With apologies to Elvis
We're caught in a trap, but we can’t walk out Because I love you too much, book discussions.
Time
Classroom
Boredom
Time to shake things up!
Goals of Shake-Up• Engaged, respectful conversations• Diversity in book selection• Diversity in discussion participants • Reasonable amount of staff time expended• Engaged, enthusiastic discussion leaders
What to change
• Change books discussed• Change when meetings are held• Change where meetings are held• Change frequency of meetings
Changes made
Branded GroupsChapters
Reads literary favorites, award-winners, and thought-provoking nonfiction.
Top ShelfReads popular recent fiction and under-the-radar gems
Retraining Staff
Patrons’ Reactions
Lessons learned
• Change is hard (duh)
• Have a plan and believe in your plan• Be flexible with plan and modify as year
goes on• Don’t be afraid to experiment!
Breaking the Book Discussion Mold
Location,Location,Location
LitLounge• Monthly group• Meets in a bar• Reads hipper books• Skokie Public Library and Morton Grove Public
Library in partnership
Other Barfly Book Discussions• Genre X from Oak Park Public Library
• Book Lovers Club from Berwyn Public Library
• Books on Tap from Northbrook Public Library
• Books & Brews from the Ela Area Public Library
Science Park Book Discussion• Meets at Searle Science Park In Skokie• Quarterly lunch time book discussion• For employees of this Park• Reads a mix of fiction and nonfiction
Senior Centers: opportunities for service Book Talks delivered with a selection of titles
Select a variety of genres ■ Ask! Do not guess what would appeal to seniors – they’ll
surprise you■ Leave genre/title/author suggestion forms
Vary the format ■ Large print■ Audio books
Keep it brief or you’ll lose them!■ Be clear and concise■ Slow down and enunciate
Deliver fewer titles more frequently■ Gives feedback on what circulates■ Reduces loss
Building resident-led discussions
● Encourage○ Explore genre options with group at the start○ Cover the suggestions for selecting discussible titles
● Facilitate○ Provide list of successful titles that meet their genre○ Offer to ILL titles for them ○ Provide discussion questions if desired○ Offer to have a librarian train them or to do a book talk
Change what you read
Pages Through History
Down to Business• Quarterly discussion group• Led by Business Librarian for business community• Reads business books
Trashy Book Club
Culinary Clubs & Cookbook Discussion Groups
• Cookbook Club of LaGrange Public Library
• Culinary Book Discussion Group of the St. Louis Library
• Cookbook Book Club of Massillon Public Library, OH
Other Ideas to Try • “Real Stories”
–Biography/Memoirs, narrative nonfiction, microhistories, etc.
• YA for adults• Doorstop Discussions • Book/Movie Discussion Groups• Intergenerational discussions
One Book, One Community Programs
One Book, One Community Programs
• Apply for the official NEA “Big Read” grant • Develop your own local, grassroots community
reading event• Partnering is the key to success• Choose a title or topic that will involve all ages
and backgrounds
Big Reads: Go Big & Go Out Into Your Community
Hispanic Heritage Month bilingual book discussion
2 languages + 2 cultures + 1 book = 1 wonderful, insightful discussion:
Coming Together in Skokie
What is it
• Exploring a culture through one common book• 6 week program • Events are held at different locations throughout
Skokie• Events allow for further engagement and
education about the culture
Every CTIS has:
• Big Kick-off event in late January• Authors visits in late February/early March• Program booklet• Book discussions• Multi-civic agencies collaboration
Book Selection• Living author• Author able to travel to library and schools• Author from chosen culture• Needs to appeal to broader readership• Needs to be discussable• 300-400 pg in paperback
Let’s kickstart some ideas! Q & A
1. What are some great ideas for book clubs that your library already does?2. What are some fabulous things for book clubs you wish you could do?
Contact us @:
Tish CalhamerGail Borden Public [email protected]
Lynnanne PearsonSkokie Public Library [email protected]
Carol ShoenthalBartlett Public Library [email protected]
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