Readers > Talk it Up! > Common questions
Common questions
How many members should my book group have?
Ideally, your book group will have 3-20 members. Three members can make up a good discussion if all are interested in the book. Limiting the group to 20 members or less ensures that each person will have a chance to voice their opinion.
How frequently should we meet?
Many book groups choose to meet once a month. For a more intense book group, consider meeting every other week. For less of a time commitment, try meeting every other month. Once your book group gets started, you will soon learn what works for the majority of the members.
How do we get multiple copies of the chosen book?
If you have access to a large public library system, you can put holds on multiple copies of the book. You could also try to interlibrary loan copies from area libraries. Another option is to get a small grant to purchase paperback copies. Depending on your group, you can decide whether you are going to gather the books or have the members be responsible for getting their own copy.
How do you advertise your groups?
You may want to ask neighbors, friends and classmates to join your group if you want to control who joins. You can also advertise at local libraries and book stores and school and community newsletters. If you are a librarian or are working with a librarian, consider advertising for the group through flyers and publicity releases.
Does the librarian always host the group?
Many book groups are led by the same facilitator at each meeting. Ideally, leadership should be rotated amoung the members. "Leadership" can be defined by hosting the group with snacks, creating discussion questions, or designing activities for the group to enhance the reading experience. A group can chose to designate one host to do snacks and another to lead the discussion. All groups benefit from an experienced facilitator being present and moderating the group.
What is a good age range to have?
Deciding on an age range to target for your book group often depends on the goals you have for the program. Mother daughter book groups can often span three to four grades. After school book groups might be more narrowly focused. Because reading ability starts to level out a bit more in older grades, high school book groups can span 9th to12th grade. If you find that your group is divided into two distinct camps of maturity or reading abilities, you may want to consider dividing into two groups.
Do you allow younger readers to join?
Often younger brothers or sisters may need to attend due to child care restraints or family preference. Staying flexible and communicating expected behavior to the group can help you keep your book group on track while also potentially recruiting the next generation of members. If the book you are discussing has content that may not be appropriate for younger readers, make this clear to the adult responsible for the child attending.
What book would you suggest we start our group with?
The best way to start a book group is with an organizational meeting. Advertise some books that you are going to book talk, and use the first meeting to get to know each other and to vote on what books you are going to read. If possible, gather multiple copies of two or three titles so that members will have easy access to the first month's choice. If you feel you must select a book for the first month, consider a title with some name recognition, excellent writing, and enough action to keep the reader interested in returning.
How do you start the discussion?
A wonderful way to start the discussion is to simply say: "So, what did you like about this book?" Once everyone has weighed in with their opinion, you can use prepared discussion questions to continue the conversation or, you might find that participants have enough to say to carry the entire meeting.
What if nobody talks?
One mistake facilitators often make is not allowing time for members to collect their thoughts and share them. Often facilitators mistake silence for a lack of opinion. Allow time for contemplation, and don't feel you need to fill every moment with talking. If it appears that no one has read the book, redirect the discussion to other books they are reading, new books that have just come out, or more universal questions that relate to the book that might get them interested in eventually finishing it.
In parent-child book groups, how do you discourage adults from dominating the discussion?
If a parent or adult is dominating the discussion, find a moment to step in and say, "I would like to hear what the students think about this book," or "As teenagers today, what do you guys think of this?
" Redirecting the focus to the younger members often works. If the problem persists, it is your job as facilitator to address the issue with the adult, in private outside of the group.
Should members attend if they haven't read the book?
Hopefully, enough members will have read the book to keep the conversation vital. One rule your group might decide on is that if you haven't read the book then you can't disrupt the conversation of those who have. Members often will want to attend the group just to see the other members or to vote on the following months' books. That is just fine. Make sure you talk with your group ahead of time on how you want to handle this issue and then stick to it.
I would like an author to visit my group. How do I plan this?
Multnomah County Library has hosted many authors - some who have donated their time and others who have received an honorarium. You may choose to pursue a local author or bring in an author from out of town. What you can do depends on your budget and resources. Author visits can be very expensive if the author is charging a fee. Contact area book stores and libraries to tap into their author visit schedule.
Created in part with funds granted by the Oregon State Library under the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Oregon State Library. Send feedback to Katie O'Dell, Reading Promotions Coordinator