It is such a terrible feeling when you want to talk to someone about something you just read and no one else you know has read it yet. We are here to help give you solace in those times of need. You are always welcome to come talk to us about your new favorite (or most hated) books, but sometimes it’s nice to have a group. Enter book clubs. No one book club is the same. They change depending on the personality of the members, where and what time of day they meet, and what is on the docket to read. We at the library love book clubs. We have some clubs that meet at our branches and beyond, and we also have some great tools if you already have a group together.

For those of you who already belong to a book club or already have a group of people who are looking to start one, the first thing we can offer is space. Wirt, Auburn & Pinconning branches all have study rooms (and all branches have much larger community rooms) that are available to reserve. These are available from open until close to give you a wide variety of time options. Our big initiative specifically for book clubs is our Book Club Connections bags. In each bag, you will find ten paperback copies of the same book and a list of discussion questions. These check out for six weeks and are housed at the Wirt branch (though they can be sent to any branch for pick-up). We have over 100 titles to choose from ranging from fiction to nonfiction. If your group is set on a title that is not available as a bag, ask your local librarian and we can get multiple titles put on hold for you looking to see where the book is available to borrow from. 

Okay so that is all very good if you already have your group together, but what about for those who aren’t part of a group yet. Each of our branches offers at least one monthly book club (Wirt has three!) that meet at a variety of days and times. To join, stop in to the branch you would like to attend book club at  and they will get you all signed up and set up with the current book. This program does not have online sign up because we need we get you the book in person. We are always happy to have new voices, perspectives and energy in our clubs. It doesn’t matter if you have never been in a book club before, or if you belong to two others right now, if you are looking for a place to discuss books with other readers then we are looking for you!

Finally, this month we are beginning to branch into trying an offsite book club, meeting at a local restaurant instead. This new book club also marks a different style as well. Instead of everyone reading the same title, we are instead reading different titles within the same theme. As we go into the future we will announce the new theme at book club and then readers can pick a title that calls to them and bring it to the next month’s meeting to discuss and compare with what everyone else brings in. Since everyone is finding their own book this program will have online sign up. And while I talked a bit about getting physical copies, remember digital and audio copies are just as valid at book club.

Regardless of which book club you would like to join, just know that you are welcome and we are happy to have you there!