Janan Hudek Foster is an associate librarian as well as the library liaison and organizer for “The Messenger Library Book Group” in North Aurora, IL. In this interview, Janan breaks down the types of titles her group reads and shares some information about her community’s “Fox Valley Reads” program, which organizes programs and events based on selected titles. She also talks about ways in which her group enlivens their discussions, such as incorporating thematic food and projects into their meetings.

Q: Does your group have a name and/or a theme? How long has your group been in existence?

A: The Messenger Library Book Group was started when our new facility opened in 2003.

Q: How many members do you have? How many men, how many women? What age are most of your members?

A: The Membership core is seven, with another five or six who attend periodically. One member is a Trustee of the Library. All regular members are women; most age 50+, but some younger women. We have had two men attend for two different meetings.

Q: How often do you meet? Where do you meet?

A: We meet once a month at the library.

Q: Do you eat at your meetings? What do you eat? Who brings the food?

A: Different members bring food to most meetings. The food is usually related to the title we’re discussing.

Q: Who leads the discussion? Do you use reading group guides?

A: The library’s staff liaison led the group until this year. Now members take turns leading the group, though the liaison still provides reading guides (with the books when they are picked up).

Q: What kind of books do you read?

A: Fiction accounts for about 60% of our selections; memoirs and biography about 25% and nonfiction about 15%. Once a year, we read and discuss a “Library Pick,” which is for our cooperative “Fox Valley Reads” Program where, with two other area libraries, programs are presented in conjunction with the selected title (2006 --- Rocket Boys; 2007 --- My Antonia; and 2008 --- A Farewell to Arms). For 2009, a series of books about Chicago, celebrating the Burnham Plan for the city, has been chosen and the book group will discuss The Devil in the White City.

Q: How do you choose your books? Do you choose one new book at each meeting, or do you choose the books for a number of meetings ahead of time?

A: Members each suggest three or more titles for consideration. Twice a year, we discuss the list and make choices for the next six to eight months.

Q: What were some of the best discussions or favorite books the group read?

A: The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt elicited a lot of interest, despite the fact that we agreed the writing itself was not high caliber. Nickel and Dimed had perhaps the most profound effect upon our members. Light reading seems to leave most members with little to say. Most of our members like “books that make you think.”

Q: How do you keep things fun?

A: Sometimes, besides food, we’ll have a small project. For The Tale of Genji, one of our members brought in origami paper and with some instruction sheets and library books on the subject. Though rarely planned among members in advance, food, activities or table decorations usually add to the enjoyment. A small upholstered chair for the tabletop with a full figure cut-out of Eleanor Roosevelt accompanied the discussion of her autobiography.

Q: What advice would you give to other reading groups?

A: Keep things fun. Let everyone have their say. Encourage the shy.

Q: Do you have any horror stories, amusing anecdotes, or other special tales to tell?

A: We meet in a closed room off the library lobby, but once we got to laughing so loud, a staff member had to ask us to keep it down.

Q: Is there anything else unique or noteworthy about your group that you would like to share?

A: As mentioned above, we are a pretty serious group, but somehow we also seem to have a great deal of fun.

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