Meet me at the club!

Have you ever wanted to start or join a book club? CALS can help you get started! We have book club kits in a wide variety of genres. Let’s get started! Reach out to friends who enjoy reading and gauge their interest in joining a book club. Once you’ve got your group together, it’s time to set the ground rules and dive into the CALS catalog for your first book club kit!

The Basics:

• How many members do you want? Our book club kits contain ten (10) copies of each title.
• How often will your club meet? Flexibility is important so adapt your schedule and book choices based on group feedback.
• Where will your club meet? Options include a member’s home, a coffee shop, or a CALS meeting room.
• Will your group have a defined host or a rotation of hosting duties? This can help spread the responsibility of organizing meetings.

Establish guidelines:

• What are your participation expectations? We recommend keeping it casual as you begin. Don’t put too much pressure on in-depth analysis, focus on enjoying the conversation and sharing perspectives.
• Should everyone contribute to the discussion? How will you manage differing opinions? A key factor in the happiness and success of the club is encouraging everyone to participate and be respectful of different viewpoints.
• How you will choose future books? (voting, rotating selection, share list with random selection)

Hosting a meeting:

• Allow everyone to share a bit about themselves and their reading interests.
• Facilitate a thoughtful conversation by asking open-ended questions about the book.
• Consider incorporating themed snacks or drinks related to the book.
• We recommend choosing a book that appeals to a wide range of interests to engage everyone. Rich themes and characters that can spark interesting conversation.

Book clubs at CALS branches:

Looking to join an existing club? Several branches have monthly club meetings that are open to the public!

Nixon Book Buddies meets the third Thursday each month at 1PM at Nixon Library in Jacksonville. After the discussion, the new titles are distributed for the following month’s session. For more information contact Opal Mitchell at omitchell@cals.org or 501.457.5038.

Thompson Library has a monthly adult book club that meets every third Thursday at 3PM. Copies of the book are available to borrow from the Thompson front desk. No registration is required. For more information contact Brittany Garner at bngarner@cals.org or 501.821.2060.

Maumelle Library Book Club meets every first Thursday at 6:30PM. The new title is distributed after the discussion. If you want to start now, drop by the front desk and request your copy! For more information contact Anne Weaver at aweaver@cals.org or 501.851.2551.

 

PUBLISHED 03/03/2025 10:03AM