How to Run a Book Club Meeting

Running a book club, like running any organization, is demanding. It requires committing to attending the meetings, organizing the agendas, selecting the assigned books and reading the books. You also act as the leader of the meetings, helping to provide a foundation for fertile discussions. If you let up in any of these areas, then the book club will suffer in quality. Organizing a book club only takes a few minutes. However, the real time commitment is throughout the lifespan of the club. Here are some helpful tips to get started.

Instructions

1. Decide what type of book club you want to start. This step is made easier by considering what types of books you like to read. If the assigned reading in your book club aligns with the books you enjoy reading anyway, you will be much more likely to be active in the book club.

2. Start a group for your book club on an online social networking portal, such as Meetup. If you choose a specialized category, such as philosophy, psychology or romantic fiction, your book club will stand out more sharply.

3. Pick the first book that will be discussed. Make sure that the book is one that is inviting and easy-to-read to help sway those those who aren't sure whether they want to join.

4. Decide on a time and place for your first book club meeting. Make it a fairly central location in your city which is easily accessible. Bookstores and coffee shops are good selections. Avoid sit-down restaurants, as they include implicit time and money commitments that people might not be willing to make for a book club.

5. Advertise your book club on bulletin boards in local libraries, bookstores and coffee shops. Make sure that the ad gives a specific time and place where the first meeting will be held. It should also feature the book that will be discussed so that people can read it beforehand.

6. Arrive early for your first meeting. Being late to your own book club meeting gives a bad first impression. Bring notes that could be beneficial to kick-starting the discussion. Jot down some open-ended questions before the meeting.

7. After kick-starting the discussion with open-ended questions, sit back and enjoy the meeting. Leading a book club involves more than simply telling all of your members what the book meant to you. Listen to others and give them an open forum to speak.

8. Repeat the process of picking a book, time and place for each future meeting. Allow members to give feedback about the books they would like to read and discuss, as well. This feedback can be solicited through the online interface of your book club.

Tips & Warnings

• Solicit feedback as much as possible. Your book club cannot survive without club members, and you will retain your club members most successfully if you get their honest feedback about what could be better.

Resources

• Meetup.com
• Yahoo! Groups
• Readers' Circle