Planning and Starting a Book Club
Decide Where and When to Meet and How to Structure Meetings
An important part of planning a book club is deciding how often and where the group will meet and how the meetings will run. There are a number of formats to choose from.
Deciding where the club will meet, the frequency between meetings and the logistics of running the meetings is important. Getting a framework set before inviting people to join is a good idea to ensure that potential members know what to expect and to avoid finding yourself in the position of trying to manage 15 different people’s ideas!
Where?
A club can meet anywhere, as long as it is dry, warm and suitable for several people to exchange thoughts and ideas. Most libraries nowadays have a more relaxed view on noise and would make a good venue. Other ideas include;
- Taking it in turns to meet in member’s of the book club’s homes
- Meeting in a club, café or bar and making the meetings into a more social event
- Schools often offer rooms for use by community groups for little or no charge
When?
The frequency of the meetings will depend on the group and the books read. Typically monthly meetings are a good frequency to start, this can be varied as the club gets going if required.
How are the Books Chosen?
This is an extremely important point to consider early on! Again, you do not want to find yourself in the position of having to choose from several people’s nominations randomly as you will only be letting the majority of people down! Some ways to consider are:
- Members take it in turn to nominate a book
- Follow the reading list of one of the national book clubs such as the Richard and Judy book club
- The book is nominated by the host of that month’s meeting
- A list is published at the start of the year (this can be good as it gives people the opportunity to keep a look out for cheap books in thrift stores and charity shops, etc)
Getting the broad ‘where’, ‘when’ and ‘how’ framework together early on will help manage member’s expectations and allow the club to grow in a common direction.
Reviews, Discussions and Questions
This is the meaty bit! A strong book club has good expansive discussions about the book. Not everyone will agree all the time and this is what makes a club interesting! However to ensure that the discussions are kept on track it is important to have a framework to follow. These could include:
- Book club notes and discussion documents are provided by many publishers.
- Large online book clubs offer reading notes and questions.
- People write their own questions and discussion documents when it is their turn to host a meeting.
Which ever method is chosen it is important not to let a meeting simply become a free for all. All that happens is that some people get heard, others don’t and frustrations can creep in.
Following these simple points above will help you set up a great book club – remember to make sure that you enjoy it and have fun!
