Book Club Discussion Session

For some time now, students have been eagerly requesting that the library start a book club. They yearn to be part of a community that honours books and shares a love for literature. November 2021 saw the Department of Library Services (DLS) officially launching the Book Nook on in the Merensky 2 (main) library, providing users with a wider range of books for recreational reading. Given the increased interest in the Book Nook and leisure reading, now is the ideal time to initiate the book club that was requested by the students. Thus, on March 16 2023, the library initiated the first step towards realizing this goal by hosting a focus group session led by Adrienne Warricker, Munaka Muthambi, and Zenzile Ntshabele.

The lively discussion aimed to dive into the specifics of the proposed book club by addressing crucial questions such as the possible target audience, book selection criteria, meeting times, and most importantly, access to books. In the end, it was agreed that the book club would be open to all staff members and students at the Merensky 2 Library, with the potential to expand to other campuses in the future. 

Other details decided upon include:

• The selection of books will be done through polls on the Book Club WhatsApp Group Chat. 
• The club will focus on fiction as it is the most popular genre among the students. 
• Meetings will take place once a month on either a Friday or Saturday afternoon (between 12 and 4 p.m. at the library auditorium. 

Despite the challenge of providing access to books for all members, it was heart-warming to see that students and staff members were willing to procure their own books. The library is exploring interlending options from other libraries to expand book availability.

The focus group session was a resounding success, and we are thrilled to announce the launch of our book club in the upcoming weeks. With an enthusiastic and committed team and a clear vision for the future, we cannot wait to see what literary adventures lie ahead for our members