New Online Book Clubs - Anytime, Anywhere

By the end of November, Emma Clark Library patrons will have access to multiple, low-commitment online book clubs, in which readers can log on and participate anytime, from anywhere.

After signing up online, patrons will receive a daily email from one or more books clubs they have chosen to join.  The email will include a short, 5-minute excerpt from a book.  If they like the “teasers” they’ve read that week, they may stop by the library to borrow the book and finish it.  If they are not impressed by the excerpt, there is no pressure to read more.  They can simply wait for next week’s book.  Each week a different book is highlighted through the service provider, DearReader.com.  Participants may choose from genres such as Classics, Fiction, Mystery, and Non-Fiction.

These book clubs are perfect for people who would love to join a club, but do not have access to one through family and friends.  Or for those whose schedules do not permit them to join a regular book club.  There is no obligation to read the book or attend meetings at certain times.  Readers may comment and discuss online – anytime, at their convenience – with other booklovers from all over the United States and Canada.

As a bonus, sometimes the authors are encouraged to join discussions of their books as well.

“We are excited that this will be a gateway to reading and discussing great books for our patrons who may not have had this opportunity previously,” says Connie Roberts, the Reference Librarian who spearheaded the project.

The book club will be easy to find on the library’s homepage, www.emmaclark.org, starting the end of November.  Click on “Online Book Clubs” and register your email.