Before the pandemic, there were ongoing conversations about the rewarding possibility of a library book club. Once the campus population started working largely remotely, it became apparent that it was a great opportunity to launch a book club online. User Services staff members Arlysse Quiring, Jennifer Hall and Corina van den Berg began to brainstorm logistics.
The primary goals were to create a community that shares a love of reading, as well as outreach to the campus community during times of great uncertainty and isolation anxiety. An online LibGuide page was created, highlighting the main features of the club with individual tabs for each monthly reading selection. Online video meetings were arranged, and an email outreach campaign inviting staff, faculty and students to join the club began.
The first meeting was held in June 2020 to a warm reception from campus participants both in Regina and across the province. The Archer Book Club was born. With three monthly meetings every semester, the club continued through Fall 2020 and Winter 2021. Selections were carefully curated by staff to include a spectrum of interests, genres, new books, classics, diverse authors and reader audiences.
Meeting conversations have incorporated engaging questions moderated by the hosts, creating lively and interesting discourse. Campus members have also reached out to the club organizers to have email conversations about selections when they couldn’t attend directly.
For the last meeting of the Winter 2021 semester, the club participated in the Saskatchewan Library Association One Book One Province selection of Blanket Toss Under Midnight Sun by Paul Seesequasis, opening the meeting to the public and inviting Dr. Sherry Farrell-Racette to lead a fascinating dialogue.
The Archer organizers of the Book Club have been elated by the enthusiastic response from the campus community, and look forward to the club’s second year, beginning in May 2021. Visit the Archer Book Club page.