Library offers book club help
A recent meeting of the book club in Quincy.
SOUTH COUNTY - Staff at the North Central Regional Library in Wenatchee are offering assistance to library patrons in Mattawa and Royal City who would like to start book clubs.
According to Book Clubs Coordinator Paula Walters, if you are you someone who likes to discuss the books you read with others, you might also be someone who would like to join book club. In this case you would be starting a book club.
Coming to your library soon will be a free class about some guide lines on how to start and maintain a book club. Watch for posters in your library that will be announcing these programs.
North Central Regional Library started its book club service in the early 1990s. Initially there were less then 10 groups, mainly in Wenatchee.
The NCRL now has hundreds of book clubs throughout the region. It has a book club collection of more than 1,000 titles. At the beginning of each month, it purchases books that the clubs are requesting.
One of NCRL's first book clubs was the Mary Kazda Book Club in Quincy. It was started in the early 1970s. Mary Kazda was the co-founder. The club met at the Quincy Public Library.
Mary was the leader, and she wrote her own discussion questions to share with the group. Mary had been an English teacher and a high school librarian. So she was very qualified to lead the group.
In 1993 Mary became ill and the book club members decided to name the club after her. This decision was shared with Mary before she passed away.
The group has grown over the years to 18 members. Normally a book club likes to stick to 10 members, but this club does quite well with more than 10. Everyone is comfortable with speaking and everyone gets a chance to speak.
The members share the responsibility of leading the monthly discussion. After their meeting they have lunch together at a restaurant. Twice a year they meet at a member's home for a potluck.
The club takes a short break in the summer. At the June meeting they share ideas on what books they will read in the coming months.
The Mary Kazda membership is still at 18 members. Most members attend the discussions each month.
"I have been privileged to attend two of their meetings," Walters said. "Both were enjoyable because of the lively discussion of the books they were reviewing, but also because of the true friendships between the club members."