Santa Monica Public Library has made starting a book group as easy as 1-2-3

September 9, 2019 12:20 PM
by Karen Reitz

Whether or not you are an enthusiastic reader, book groups can be a fun way to connect with friends, meet new people, and share ideas.

Follow these five tips for starting a successful book group:

  1. Think about the type of book you’d like to start reading. Is the focus on popular fiction or a specific genre?
  2. Select when and where to meet. Pick a specific date and time, being realistic about your schedules. Meeting every month may be too often for some; you could opt for meeting every six weeks, instead. Decide where the group will meet. It could be someone’s home, at the library, or in a park.
  3. Invite people to join. Aim for between eight and sixteen members. A great way to gather a large diverse group is to invite three to five people and ask each of them to invite a few friends.
  4. Plan for time to mingle and nosh. Food and drink act as an ice breaker and give everyone time to decompress after their day. 
  5. Check out Santa Monica Public Library’s NEW Book Group in a Box. Each kit contains nine copies of a popular title, discussion questions, an author biography and information on how to lead a book group. Kits are loaned for six weeks and can be checked out at any Santa Monica Public Library location.

For more information about Book Group in a Box and the Library’s book groups, visit smpl.org/Book_Groups.aspx or call (310) 458-8600.

Authored By

Karen Reitz
Librarian III Adult Services & Programs Manager