Re: [LM_NET] Faculty book club

[Amy McCracken <mommyattorney@YAHOO.COM>]

Hello Mary and other interested LM_Net folks - 
   
  Many of you may remember the HIT about this topic that Seantele Foreman 
(Librarian, C.J. Harris Elementary, Pearland, TX) was kind enough to post on 
November 19, 2007.  (I saved that post in my "ideas for the future" folder - I may 
need it when I finally get to be a media specialist!)
   
  I'm reposting it below in case you are unable to find the post in the archives.
   
  Amy McCracken
  FSU MLIS Candidate 2008
  Media Parapro
  Roswell, GA
   
   
  Ms. Foreman's November 19, 2007 post:
   
  A few weeks ago, I sent out a target on faculty book clubs. I got
 several replies, as well as several requests for hits. Below I will copy and
 paste what I received. 

There are 22 members of our staff that are presently reading The Memory
 Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. With so many members, it seemed like
 the only place we could all meet is the library. I sent out an email
 on Friday to vote on a date before we leave for the Christams holidays.
 I also hope to have suggestions for our next book at this meeting. With
 so many people, it is not easy to agree on books, dates, and locations
 but I am very excited! We are trying to come up with a cute name (our
 lone male teacher is also joining us -he is our art teacher) for our
 group. We have even thought of having shirts made. So if you have any
 cute names come to mind, please let me know!

Seantele Foreman
Librarian
C.J. Harris Elementary
Pearland, TX
4sforeman@sbcglobal.net

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We have a professional faculty book club and are currently reading
 "Fair Isn't Always Equal" by Rick Wormli.
We meet once a month at 7:30 to 8:00AM.  On or two of the teachers
 bring a snack and we have the meetings in one of the classrooms since the
 LMC is far too busy before school.
We usually read 3 chapters per month (as it is a very dense book with
 much discussion points); however, I think with a fiction book one could
 read the entire book and discuss it all at once.

We have had a faculty book club for probably around 4 years now.  I
 just 
sent a generic invitation to anyone who was interested.  I send a new 
invitation each August.  We used to vote on books but we would end up
 taking 
the entire meeting deciding what to read next so now I talk with our
 local 
bookstore owner and look at popular book websites and have the books 
available for purchase at each book club.  The local bookstore gives us
 a 
discount and she lets me return the books that aren't purchased.  We
 have 
read all sorts of things and it is so fun.  It also gets teachers who
 don't 
usually discuss reading with students excited about books.  We even
 have 
read books like "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer which is also available
 in our 
library for middle schoolers.  Any reason I can get them talking about 
books.  It's one of the best things I have done in my seven years in
 the 
library.


I just started a faculty book club this fall. We meet at lunch twice a
 month. The first meeting we just talked about books and discussed
 selections. Some of our selections are The Innocent Man by John Grisham; A
 Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini; The Worst Thing I've Done by
 Ursula Hegi; The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold; Love in the Time of
 Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez; and Fireweed by Cynthia Kabhota, a
 OneBookArizona children¢s book nominee.
 
We meet once a month to discuss the book we have read then once a month
 we meet and have potluck for lunch and discuss any books in general
 that we've read. We plan to read the Marquez book and see the movie. We
 try to keep it very relaxed. It's a no-pressure "club," and I always
 invite the entire staff if they want to come just to eat and not read. We
 just like to do something social. Good luck with your club. We're
 having fun and hope you do, too. I must admit, however, that I'm not excited
 about reading the Marquez book. I read 100 Years of Solitude for an
 English class in grad school and wasn't too excited about that. :)

We are in our seventh year I think. I'll attach some notes but 
absolutely on of the best experiences. Also really helps PR on my side.




We all bring our suggestions in August and we choose for the year as a 
group. BTW we only use books someone in our group has read.

I run a faculty book club at school.  We meet after we have had a
 school vacation, so we meet in late September /early October, late Nov/early
 December, mid Jan before exam and the end of our quarter, after our
 Feb vacation, after our April vacation.  By meeting after vacations,
 people have time on their vacation to read the book.  We have been doing
 this for three years now with great success.  Even retired member come
 back.  We let our member know by email and we also give out the
 information through our faculty newsletter encouraging people to attend as often
 as they can.  Hope this helps.

I just started one this year.  I simply sent out an email to the entire
staff asking if anyone was interested in joining one.  Those who were
emailed me back.  I then set up a distribution list with those names.  
 I
made the first selection and then picked several dates for people to
 choose
to meet.  We are meeting in local restaurants to eat and discuss our
 books.
I can always find discussion questions online so there really is no
 prep
work on my part..other than reading the book.  At our meetings we end
 by
talking about new books to read.  I then go back to school and email
 out a
list of choices and they vote (by using the voting buttons on Outlook).
   We
are meeting every six weeks.  Once a month would be better but everyone
 is
always so busy we felt this didn't put any pressure on anyone.  I have
 about
15 in the club, but have only about 12 show up...things always come up.
   Our
next meeting though, we are doing a pot luck at one of our assistant
principals house.  Yes, she is in the book club and volunteered to host
 us.
It is Dec. 10th so we felt like doing a little holiday celebration.  
 But
meeting in a restaurant is so easy...no one has to prepare...and it
 makes it
so informal and everyone likes to eat!  Good Luck!

Oh, I made buttons that say I belong to the CHHS Faculty Book Club for
 them
to wear on the days we meet. Staff and students have asked about it..so
 it
sparks interest.  I am also going to make some posters like the ALA
 READ
ones, to hang up in the halls with book club memebers on them.  I also
 just
now started a student book club and I have 35 students to sign up.  We
 have
our first meeting this Wednesday.  We are meeting on a regular club
 meeting
day..so no staying after school.  Oh, I am in a high school and most of
those 35 students to sign up were Seniors and Juniors.

We have a small but active book club here (entirely women although they
 tell me that had a man once).  We meet once a month in the evening in
 someone's home and discuss the "book of the month" -- along with
 noshing and a bit of a tipple.  Seriously, we have good discussions on a
 variety of books.  Last month, the read was Glass Castle; this month it's
 History of Love; January is Lady Chatterly's Lover.  Starting off with a
 book to read over the holidays to jump start your club is a good idea.
  We meet September - June.


We have an active one here. We meet in August for the first meeting of
 the year. At that meeting we bring books we have read and enjoyed over
 the summer. We chose the book for September. Then, at the September
 meeting, we voted on the ones we most wanted to read. We have a list from
 now through May. In December, there is no book...we do gift exchange.
 Each teacher belonging to the group takes a turn as hostess. Each member
 helps her out by bringing additions to her menu such as salad, bread,
 etc.
 
This group has been going strong for 13 years now. The fellowship is
 enjoyed as much as the book discussion itself.
 
This month's selection was Rasputin's Daughter. Next month's book is
 The Worst Hard Time since it is the Oklahoma Centennial in November.
 
Past books include Eats, Shoots and Leaves, Memory Keeper's Daughter,
 and My Sister's Keeper.

I host a monthly book club but we simply bring what we are reading and
share. There doesn't seem to be much interest in reading just one book
collectively. We do it monthly on the first Thursday of the month, I
provide goodies they provide their coffee and book. We usually have
approx. 6-12 (out of 50 staff) and usually the same faces. I try to get
more people but not much luck. Those of us who attend have a great
 time.
We do it during our common planning time 7:45-8:15 am. No interest for
after school.


I started one in my school this year.  Pick two of the favorite titles
from the book fair, send out a notice/email with the choice of the two
most popular titles and go from there.  If you initiate it, they will
follow.


 








   
   
   
  Mary Knopp <knoppm@OPTONLINE.NET> wrote:
  The teachers in my school would like to start a faculty book club.  I would like 
to get some book suggestions, find out when/how often you meet, the format of your 
book club and any creative ideas you have for promoting it.    Thanks in 
advance!Mary Knopp, MLSLibrary Media SpecialistAcademy of Mount St. Ursula330 
Bedford Park BoulevardBronx, NY  10458718-364-5353 x225knoppm@optonline.net

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