Pollard Memorial Library

Book Groups

Online Book Clubs

Tips on Starting a Book Group

Think about the following early on to create a group that is well run, interesting and rewarding: (From readinggroupchoices.com)

• The Group - What is the ideal size of your group? If you need to find members, how will you do so? What requirement(s) do you have for membership in the book group?
• The Books - What types of books will you read? Will you focus your reading to specific topics (women's issues, classics, etc.) or genres (mystery, science fiction, and historical fiction)? How will you choose which books to read? How far in advance will you plan? How will members obtain the books?
• The Meetings - Where will you meet? When and how often will you meet? How long will meetings last? Will you meet in the same location or rotate meeting places? Will refreshments be served and by whom? What time will be designated for socializing (first 15 minutes, refreshment break, etc.)? How will members know about the meetings/discussions (phone reminder, yearly mailing, etc.)?
• The Leader - How will each discussion be lead? Will you designate a leader? Who is responsible for obtaining author information and/or introducing the discussion each meeting? What ground rules will be established (invited guests of members only, etc.)? Can members who haven't read the book attend? Will guest speakers be invited?

Reading Group Guides