Are you one of the millions of Americans who belong to a
book club? Does your group struggle to
find titles with enough copies for each member to read before the next
meeting? Here are some tips from the
Virginia Public Library for making it easier for club members to have their
books read before the discussion.
One which will become obvious once you have tried it often
enough, is to not choose the most recent bestseller. Sure, it looks like a great book, but
everyone else in the Arrowhead Library System feels the same way. For example, John Sandford’s Extreme prey
has been on the shelves since April yet still has nearly 30 people waiting to
get it from their libraries. Instead,
choose books that have been available for at least six months.
Another stumbling block can be a lack of titles in the
library system. You may have the perfect
title in mind, one that you are sure everyone in your group will love, but if
there are six copies in the library system and five of them are owned by high
schools—which are closed for the summer—it may not be the right choice.
Are you out of luck if your choice isn’t readily available from
the Virginia Public Library or the Arrowhead Library System? Most titles are available for purchase
online, but not all book club members want to buy books that they are only
going to read one time. There is an
alternative:
Call your library.
Yes, the reference librarian at the Virginia Public Library
can usually find a way for each member of your book club to borrow a copy of
the selected title. Once you have a
title in mind, find out how many copies are available in the Arrowhead Library System. If there aren’t enough in the system for your
group, call VPL’s reference librarian to find out if there is a way to request
enough for everyone to read without being on a long waiting list. She will be happy to do so.
Books should be requested four to five weeks prior to the
discussion date. This allows enough time
for the books to arrive and be read, without having to be returned before the
discussion is held.
If you have questions about finding a way for all of your
book club members to have access to copies of the titles you select, or if you
are having a hard time coming up with a title when it is your turn to choose, give
us a call at 748-7525. We’re here for
you.
