Many seniors have fond memories of participating in book clubs. You know, the kind of club where you meet in a friend's living room to talk about a book everyone has read, enjoy treats, and chat about everything under the sun. It may be impossible for some seniors to enjoy in-person book clubs due to mobility issues or lack of transportation. Enter the Zoom online book club.
Libraries throughout the country host book clubs and many of them are available through Zoom. The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system offers an assortment of book clubs on a variety of topics. The Detection Book Club, for example, meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month to discuss mystery books. We touched base with Nancy Lingle, an adult services librarian at the Davidson Branch of the CM Library, to learn more. Nancy said all are welcome to sign up for the book clubs at no charge. You don't need to be a library card holder or even live in the library's service area.
The various book clubs are moderated by library staff, volunteers, or occasionally by the book's author. Nancy said the book clubs usually draw 6 to 12 people and sometimes as many as 20. "We have a handful of regulars who make it most months," she said. "We also have a handful of people who are in more than one of my book clubs, so they see each other across genres. Some people join because they want to discuss a particular title and only come sporadically."
"We try to pick titles that are available in many formats such as large print, audio, and e-books. I think most, if not all states, have libraries for the blind and sight impaired. Local librarians can help patrons access those resources," Nancy said.
We asked Nancy if she had any tips for older adults thinking about signing up for a book club. "I would say don't be shy - just give it a try!" she said. Even if you don't feel comfortable participating in the discussion, please join in to just listen. I have had people in my groups who have not read the book and were wondering if they should, so they come to listen."
"One concern that some people have expressed is not being able to chime in because there is one person who tends to take over the discussion. I do try to temper that and ask people to raise their hands or type in the chat the message they are trying to get across. We do ask that everyone be respectful of the opinions of others - even if they don't share that same opinion. Some of the most interesting book club conversations have been over books that some people love, and others did not like at all."
You can learn more about the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system's book clubs on their website.
Another Reading Opportunity: Learn about the Aging Well Learning Community at the King County Library System.
Commenti