Book clubs: libraries love them, and with good reason. Reading groups are a great way to bring communities together, highlight collections and share our love of reading.
There are many different twists on the familiar book club, from clubs without required reading to those that incorporate films or food. We have highlighted several creative book club models on Programming Librarian; here are a few of our favorites.
Image
| Who has time for required reading? The No-Pressure Book Group simply gives members the chance get together and share what they’ve been reading. Many people love this type of club because members get to share their favorite titles and go home with ideas for what to read next. |
Image
| Was the book better than the movie? There’s only one way to find out. The Book-to-Movie Club reads books with film adaptations so members can experience the title in both formats. Choosing books/movies for this club can be challenging because meeting times can run long; offering food is a nice addition. |
Image
| It’s no secret that college students do a lot of reading, but how much of that reading is for leisure? Katy Kelly of the University of Dayton shares three ways her library encourages pleasure reading on campus — including Porch Reads, an undergraduate book club that has been meeting for more than a decade. |
Image
| The Silver Fox Audiobook Club meets at a senior care center, giving older adults the opportunity to listen to audiobooks and watch the movie adaptations of books. They listen as a group so ensure everyone is in the same place in the book and ready for discussion. |
Image
| This book club geared toward teens takes books and pairs them with one of the things teens like best: food. Choosing books that feature unique foods give you the opportunity to re-create these snacks for your book club; for example, if you read Harry Potter, you could make Cauldron Cakes. Check out the featured Pinterest board for more ideas. |
With clubs across the United States and abroad, Next Chapter Book Club is a book club for adults with physical and intellectual disabilities. This particular club, held at Loudoun County (Va.) Public Library, offers bi-weekly opportunities for members to read and learn together, regardless of reading ability. |
