How to start a book/reading club
Before we jump into how a book club is started, it is important to define and understand what a book club is. A book club is a reading group consisting of people who read and discuss a specific topic(s) on a regular basis. It is a community made up of individuals who have a common interest and passion for literature such as reading and writing, sharing information and learning on a continuous basis. A book club also creates a social circle where members get to learn more as they engage and interact with others.
Anyone can start a book club. Whether you’re interested in meeting new people, creating a place where you meet other book lovers such as yourself or you need encouragement because you’re not reading as much as you’d like to then a book club is what you need. Follow the steps below for guidance.
- Identify the type of book club you want to create
- Give your book club a name
- Define your book club structure
- Decide where your book club will meet
- Recruiting members to your book club
- Decide on how books will be accessed by your members
- Create your session and meeting records
- Create a book roster
- Identify your book club activities
- Identify the Type of Book Club You Want to Create
Most book clubs are highly social, and others are very formal. Whatever the choice might be, it is important to define your type of book club. Do you want a book club with more flexibility and socializing, where members talk about topics which they consider fun, or do you want a more structured, academic, and formal book club? The choice is yours!
Remember, when deciding on the type of book club you want, you must choose a theme that relates to you, your style and personality.
- Give Your Book Club a Name
This is an exciting step!
Every book club deserves a name.
Consider it like this, a book club is an organization which has active members. It is important to give your book club a name because it gives people a sense of belonging and structure. Some ideas can be centered on your style, what type of vison you have and so forth. The name must be fun, relevant, and easy to remember.
- Define Your Book Club Structure
This step is very crucial. Even though the main purpose of a book club is to gather around and read books and discuss topics, there are logistics that need to be considered. A book club structure requires a director or owner who is responsible for the entire book club. Then the owner can appoint different positions to people who can assist him/her. Example, on days when the director is absent, there should be a deputy director to assist with the book club session.
Whereas in a school environment or where young people and children are involved, the book club needs to have the following positions:
- Director- he/she is responsible for running the entire book club and maintaining it in its entirety.
- Administrator- he/she will be responsible for all admin duties such as registration documents, scheduling, records keeping, reporting, etc.
- Facilitator/Coordinator- he/she is responsible for working and teaching learners and monitoring their progress.
- Decide Where Your Book Club Will Meet
This can be tricky because people have different schedules and preferences, but solutions are there. You can choose to meet in person or have a virtual session or even choose both.
When meeting in person it is important to know the number of people attending so that you can arrange a suitable place where people can be in a comfortable and spacious environment. A place where people can read, focus, and share their perspectives.
Since Covid 19, the younger demographic has opted to do most interactions on a virtual platform. As a book club owner, it is important to consider what works best for your members and adapt to those changes as well. A virtual book club can be conducted via Facebook or other online platforms. Please search and select the one that works best for your book lovers.
- Recruiting Members to Your Book Club
Attention all book lovers!
Finding people who have similar interests as you might be a bit challenging at first, but you can send out an invitation or alert on social media where you are most likely to find a group of people interested to be a part of your book club.
You can meet people at the library to entice and inform them about your new book club. Make sure you have pamphlets available stating your name, book club name, location, and contact details.
- Decide on How Books Will Be Accessed By Your Members
For your book club to flow with ease and have happy members, they must be supplied with enough literature resources. When a specific book has been decided upon as a monthly read, your members must have access to the book so that they can all read the same book at the same time.
One way to get books is to buy them from a local bookstore or ask for donations from certain bookstores. Your book club can have a library card which will give you access to a plethora of different types of literature. Another way is to purchase books from local authors. Some books are available online in pdf format for individuals who prefer eBooks.
- Create Your Session And Meeting Records
A session and meeting record is a document that indicates the type of activities that were done for each session, time, and place, and how many people attended. Example, when you meet up with your members after every 3 weeks, the session and meeting record sheet must indicate that as well as state the activity done for the day which could be a book review, library visit, picnic lunch, character development, creative or book writing and many more.
- Create a Book Roster
Remember when you decided on a great theme for your book club? Well that can help you decide on which books to select. Or another way to go about it is to put it to a vote and ask your members which books they are interested in reading and then next time select books via rotation. But when choosing books please consider the topic, length and reading levels to create an inclusive book club.
- Identify Your Book Club Activities
Here are some suggestions for your book club activities
- Book reviews, debates, and social discussions
- Reading competitions
- Creative writing
- Book writing
- Author invites and engagements
- Book exhibitions, book fairs
- Poetry fairs
- Storytelling, monologues, and performances
- Team building activities and outings
Attention book lovers!
Don’t you want to join a book club or rather start your own book club?
The Literary Outreach Incubation Programme is one of the tools that can help answer the above question. Our program is about encouraging reading and writing in indigenous languages through the establishments of new books clubs and capacitation of existing book clubs all over South Africa.
If you want to join one of the books clubs we have established, please follow us on Facebook @LiteraryOutreachIncubationProgramme or go on our website https://literaryoutreach.co.za/. Now if you need guidance on how to start your own book club please contact us at info@literaryoutreach.co.za where you will be provided with a Book Club document which is a step by step guide to running your own book club successfully well.
It’s as easy as A B C!
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