Ideas! I’ve been brainstorming ideas to hopefully build a book club for the library. Been meaning to have one but I admit, I feel like I’m trying to put all these ideas into play in so little amount of time. It’s time to sit down, focus, and breathe. Make a 5 year plan. Not a 1 year “do all the things” plan!
How I think I see myself:
How I really am:
I compiled a list of resources that I perused in hopes of grabbing that spark and emulating the awesomeness of book clubs for teens.
Starting a Book Club by I Love Libraries, an initiative of the American Library Association. Causes you to brainstorm the purpose the book club (courtesy of litlovers). The page is great on thinking about book clubs for all ages!
Ideas on Starting a Teen Book Club in Your School Library by Lucas Maxwell of Book Riot. Mentions the important aspect of giving teens a voice by naming the book club as well as showing the power of food to get participants.
Teen Book Clubs in Your Library by YALSA The Hub. This is a great read because the post has perspectives from multiple librarians in both school and public libraries!
Teen Book Club – Creating a Place to Read and Belong! (a guest post by Sheri Schubbe) by Karen Jensen of Teen Librarian Toolbox. This gives more insight from a school library media specialist. Wonderful with great ideas (author talk, t-shirt, personal invite to teens throughout the year)!
How to Run a Teen Book Club by Jenni Frencham of Teen Services Underground. Gives great insight from a former English teacher-turned-teen librarian. An important piece of advice I got was that it’s okay to not finish the book. A lot of patrons tell me at work how embarrassed they feel when they do not finish a book. That’s okay! Let’s bring that into the book club!
Book Club Resources by Penguin Teen. Good tips to consider when creating a book club for teens.
Book Clubs by Penguin Random House. A more in-depth page from the aforementioned Book Club Resources by Penguin Teen with recommended reading guides and books.
Now… to let all these ideas stew. Let’s see what I can come up with for the future. Thanks to all these valuable resources that helped inspire me, it is possible!
Island Librarian 