How to Start an African American Book Club
Figure out where to meet., Set a meeting time., Determine how often to gather., Set a few ground rules to get running., Be prepared to lead.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Figure out where to meet.
The meeting place you choose will determine the tone and size of your group.
If you plan on keeping it in your home, or among the homes of your members, you should try to keep it a more intimate group consisting of no more than eight people.
If you decide to use public space, like a library or a restaurant with a meeting room, you can open membership up to 12 or more members., The meeting time may need to be altered depending on what is most convenient for your members, but having a meeting time pre-determined can give prospective members an idea of whether or not they can fit the club into their schedules.
Meeting at night will open up club membership to working parents.
Weekends are generally out, though, since most people prefer to have weekends to themselves.
If you do choose a weekend day, opt for Sunday over Saturday. , Giving your members a month to read a book makes it easier for busy members to finish the reading, but if you do not mind meeting to talk about the book as you read it, you could try meeting every week or every other week.
Just realize that busier members may not be able to make a weekly meeting.
Make sure to meet at roughly the same time each week or month.
For instance, if you only meet once a month, you could hold your meetings on the second Thursday of every month.
If you meet twice a month, you could choose the first and third Tuesday of every month.
This consistency makes it easier for members to plan around the meeting. , You do not need anything too elaborate or strict.
You should consider setting rules about how many meetings members can miss or how often members can show up to meetings without doing the reading first.
Exceptions can always be made, of course, but having ground rules will help your members treat the club seriously. , As the founder of the book club, it will likely fall to you to moderate discussions.
Make sure that the members stay on track and that conversation does not stray too far from topic.
Also be prepared to ask insightful questions to spur discussion. -
Step 2: Set a meeting time.
-
Step 3: Determine how often to gather.
-
Step 4: Set a few ground rules to get running.
-
Step 5: Be prepared to lead.
Detailed Guide
The meeting place you choose will determine the tone and size of your group.
If you plan on keeping it in your home, or among the homes of your members, you should try to keep it a more intimate group consisting of no more than eight people.
If you decide to use public space, like a library or a restaurant with a meeting room, you can open membership up to 12 or more members., The meeting time may need to be altered depending on what is most convenient for your members, but having a meeting time pre-determined can give prospective members an idea of whether or not they can fit the club into their schedules.
Meeting at night will open up club membership to working parents.
Weekends are generally out, though, since most people prefer to have weekends to themselves.
If you do choose a weekend day, opt for Sunday over Saturday. , Giving your members a month to read a book makes it easier for busy members to finish the reading, but if you do not mind meeting to talk about the book as you read it, you could try meeting every week or every other week.
Just realize that busier members may not be able to make a weekly meeting.
Make sure to meet at roughly the same time each week or month.
For instance, if you only meet once a month, you could hold your meetings on the second Thursday of every month.
If you meet twice a month, you could choose the first and third Tuesday of every month.
This consistency makes it easier for members to plan around the meeting. , You do not need anything too elaborate or strict.
You should consider setting rules about how many meetings members can miss or how often members can show up to meetings without doing the reading first.
Exceptions can always be made, of course, but having ground rules will help your members treat the club seriously. , As the founder of the book club, it will likely fall to you to moderate discussions.
Make sure that the members stay on track and that conversation does not stray too far from topic.
Also be prepared to ask insightful questions to spur discussion.
About the Author
Sarah Cole
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