Public Libraries and Virtual Book Clubs

      In the previous post, I introduced the topic of virtual book clubs. To recap, virtual book clubs are a huge success within the digital age while traditional book clubs are suffering from a lack of participation. Factors such as user’s convenience, diverse audience, and celebrity presence have all contributed to this success. So, if virtual book clubs are such a huge hit, the obvious solution would be to incorporate this trend into the sphere of the public library. Are public libraries starting virtual book clubs? And if so, how are public libraries implementing this resource into their traditional programming schemes?
       Major libraries such as the Toronto Public Library, New York Public Library, Greene County Public Library, and the Chicago Public Library have started virtual book clubs in addition to physical book clubs. Various reasons have been cited for implementing virtual book clubs. The most common reasons being to increase diversity, and extend reach. Another reason is simply the convenience for patrons. For instance, patrons don’t have to worry about travel time and set meetings each month. Interestingly enough, virtual book clubs tend to be more successful because they are catered to patron’s interests. To illustrate, one study by the Toronto Public Library sent out online surveys to see what their patrons wanted to discuss in a book club, and to find out more about their target audience. The Toronto Public Library then used this information to plan a book club targeting the mass majority of their audience's needs. They also used the information gathered about their demographic to design the webpage, and to plan the role of a book club facilitator/moderator (AuYeung, Dalton, & Gornall, 2007, p.3 -13). 

Photo courtesy of Chicago Public Library

     Yet another major library, the Chicago Public Library, used the success of a city-wide initiative called One Book, One Chicago to launch their first virtual book club in February of 2015. The book club books depend upon the book chosen by the One Book, One Chicago program. One Book, One Chicago began in 2001. According to the site’s homepage, the program was started “as an opportunity to engage and enlighten our residents and to foster a sense of community through reading” (OBOC, 2016, pg. 1). The first selection to coincide with the launch of the virtual book club was Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. Participants can read the book online, and discuss via a twitter account @1book1chicago (White, 2015, p.1).

      Another popular online book club is hosted at the New York Public Library and it’s called, Reader’s Den. As the website explains, “Reader’s Den is an online book discussion group offering library readers with busy lifestyles a convenient way to connect with books and The New York Public Library. This virtual discussion is accessible 24/7 and gives readers an opportunity to spark insightful discussions with the surrounding community by reading at his or her own pace” (Soule, Butler, Salmon, Scheurer, Baer, & Waters, 2016, pg. 1-3). Currently, the group is reading Robert E. Howard’s The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian. To access Reader’s Den click here. 

Photo courtesy of New York Public Library

    One final public library that is worth mentioning in regards to online book clubs is the Greene County Public Library in Ohio. This library offers an online book that is unique in that every book that they choose also has a corresponding movie adaptation. The librarians contribute by posting related videos, pictures, and questions on the book club blog. Recent reads include The Giver, Me Before You, and A Christmas Carol (Green County Public Library, 2016, p.1).


 

Bibliography:

AuYeung, C., Dalton, S., Gornall, S. (2007). Book buzz: Online 24/7 virtual reading clubs and what we’ve learned about them. Partnership: the Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research, 2(2), 1 - 19.

Greene County Public Library. (2016). Greene county public library online book club. Greene County Public Library. Retrieved from http://greenelibrary.info/discussion-groups/gcpl-online-book-club/

OBOC (2016). About OBOC. Chicago Public Library. Retrieved from http://www.chipublib.org/about-oboc/

Soule, J., Machlin, S., Butler, A. E., Salmon, L., Scheurer, M., Baer, B., Waters, E. (2016). Reader’s Den. New York Public Library. Retrieved from https://www.nypl.org/voices/blogs/blog-channels/readers-den

White, L. (2015). Chicago public library unveils virtual book club. Chicagoist. Retrieved from http://chicagoist.com/2015/02/04/chicago_public_library_unveils_virt.php

Picture links:

http://www.chipublib.org/about-oboc/
https://www.nypl.org/voices/blogs/blog-channels/readers-den