June 2006

Jacqueline B. Riley is a librarian in the Prince William Public Library System in Manassas, VA. In this interview, Jacqueline shares details with ReadingGroupGuides.com on how she conducts the library's Science Fiction book club.  She stresses the importance of being open minded in every aspect of the reading group --- from book selection to discussion topics, from opinions to recommendations. She also touches on how to improve the relationship between the library and its patrons.

Q: Does your library host any book clubs? If so, are they based on a certain theme or genre (ie, mystery)? How often do the groups meet?

A: Our library system hosts a number of book discussion groups. The group that I work with is the "Science Fiction Discussion Group," which meets once a month.

Q: How many members are in each group? How many men, how many women? What ages are most of the members? Are the groups open to accepting new members?

A: We have about 16 people on our email listings. The split is about even: 7 men, 9 women. It is listed as an adult program, as opposed to teen or children's. Most of the group is over the age of 40, but no one has reached 60 yet. We are always open to new members --- we add them to the email list and hope they come back. Some members come as a couple, some are there every month and others are more sporadic.

Q: Who leads the book discussions? Are reading group discussion guides used?

A: I lead the discussions, but the floor and table are open for all to talk and make their views known. We don't use discussion guides and we have been known to sidetrack into "how the author should have written this section" or how this book's characters or themes relate to other books or SF media.

Q: How are books selected? Is a new one chosen at each meeting, or are they chosen for a number of meetings ahead of time?

A: Books are chosen by group consensus. We try to choose at least 6 months ahead of time so that we can get flyers printed and send out press releases. If a member has an author or title that he/she really loved, we'll usually put that on the list. We have been known to slide away from pure Science Fiction into Fantasy or Speculative Fiction.

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

A: Some of our favorite books were Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold, Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon, and Infinity Beach by Jack McDevitt. Some of our liveliest discussions were sparked by Vigilant by James Alan Gardner, Jennifer Government by Max Barry and Kiln People by David Brin.

Q: How are book club meetings kept interesting and fun?

A: With this group, the trick is keeping the volume down and generally more or less on topic.

Q: What advice would you give to other libraries that would like to start hosting book clubs, or provide resources for ones in the community? What are the benefits to hosting book clubs at a library?

A: Choose a genre that the facilitator enjoys. Choose a facilitator who loves books and talking about them. Do not limit the discussion to that book and that book alone. One of our members left a discussion group that would only accept comments dealing with the specific book being discussed, which blocks the purpose of libraries.  Having book clubs and discussions at the library increases library statistics, gives the public a positive library experience and helps foster good community relations.

Q: What general advice would you give to book club members? Any specific ideas for making reading selections?<

A: Read, and keep reading even if the book starts off badly. Come to the discussions and let us know why you hated the book; maybe someone loved it for the same reason. Choose a variety --- new, old, classic, cutting edge, or something someone loved. Reading keeps the mind open and young.

Q: How can book clubs better utilize resources at their local libraries?

A: Let us know you exist. Come in early and talk to the staff about your needs. Many libraries will reserve books for groups, but reserving the current "hot" title or something that's still on a bestseller list can create problems. Ask us for suggestions --- most librarians enjoying talking about the good book they read last week.

Q: Does your library offer anything special for book clubs?

A: We offer "Books to Go," which is described in the catalog as follows: "The 'book discussion kit' is a box containing a book discussion notebook and multiple copies of one title for reading groups or book club discussions."

Q: Do you have any horror stories, amusing anecdotes, or other tales to tell that you have heard from book clubs?

A: Just the above mentioned story of the book discussion group that was limited to talking about only the title being discussed. We've had a few cancellations that are amusing in hindsight, but weren't at the time. We had to postpone our second meeting because our roof, which was in the process of being replaced, began to leak suddenly. One discussion was canceled because I was ill and it turned out that a number of other members were ill as well, but luckily there have been no real horrors.

Q: Are you a member of a book club? If so, what do you enjoy most about the experience from a reader's perspective? Does being in a book club enable you to better suggest both titles and discussion ideas to reading groups?

A: I'm only a member of the group I work with. There isn't enough time to join another club.