What began as a creative way to keep patrons engaged during quarantine has lingered far past March of 2020 and is now part of Marshall County Public Library’s regular programming.
The library’s virtual book club “meets” in a Facebook group under the name of MCPL Book Club, where patrons are often given the option of voting for which book they would like to read and discuss online bi-monthly. Book discussion questions are posted by library staff throughout the day of the scheduled meeting and any participants are encouraged to comment on the posts.
Library patron Rachel Solomon said being part the library’s book club gives her something to look forward to each month, and that she has found it to be an incredibly convenient option.
“I love the sense of community that comes with the book club and getting to hear various perspectives from members to help broaden my understanding of each book,” Solomon said.
Since March of 2020, the library’s virtual book club has chosen over 14 different titles under a variety of genres to discuss. Patrons have chosen everything from historical fiction and romance novels to memoirs and thrillers. Titles such as The Hating Game, The Woman in the Window, Lovecraft Country and The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek have been book club selections.
“The online book club has become a great way for us to reach outside the building of the library to patrons who love to read,” said Benton Branch Manager Lenisa Jones. They can participate and comment from the comfort of home and we love how far this reaches since we usually find we have several that enjoy book club even outside of the state of Kentucky.”
Book club titles are always available by download through the digital library, either in audiobook or e-book format, so patrons don’t need a physical copy of the book to participate in discussions.
For more information about how to join the Marshall County Public Library’s online book club, search for the page “MCPL Book Club” on Facebook and request to join, or call the library at (270) 564-9969. To borrow an e-book or browse the digital library, go to marshallcolibrary.org.