Building a Community of Readers (Calling all book groups)

Our librarians want to reach out to the good readers of Watertown. Read this post from our Supervisor of Adult Services, Jill. 

Are you a member of a book group?   We know there are a number of book groups in and around Watertown, and we want to connect with those dedicated readers.    At the WFPL, we’ve been thinking strategically about how we can best encourage growth in our community of readers, and we have some ideas!

First we’d like to know about your group!   Please write to us WatRef@watertown-ma.gov and tell us how many people are in your group, how often you meet, where you meet, and if you have restrictions on what types of books you read (i.e., Fiction, Mystery, Non-Fiction, etc.)   Be sure to include a contact name and email, so we know how to reach you.

Second, did you know that we can help you secure enough books for your group?    We can!   Once you know your upcoming titles, let us know what you’ll be reading, when you plan to read it, and how many copies you’d like:  we’ll have them brought here from other libraries and can keep them here for your members to pick up at their convenience.

Third, we want the ardent readers in town to stay connected.   We promise not to clutter your inbox with SPAM, but we’d like to keep you apprised of great events!   What if two book groups in town independently choose to read the same book?   Mightn’t it be cool to combine forces for one read?   What if an author your group read 3 months ago is going to be speaking locally?  Wouldn’t it be nice to be in the know?   What if the library were going to sponsor a series of author talks?   Wouldn’t you like to have input into who we bring in?    Perhaps all of the small book groups would like to band together to read our annual Community Read choice (One Book, One Watertown)? 

There are so many wonderful possibilities; but the first step is getting connected.   Please contact us, and tell us what we can do for YOUR group.   Or if you’re an individual in search of a book group, let us know that, as well!  And, of course, if your group would like to meet here at the library, we’d be happy to help reserve a room for you at a convenient time.

We look forward to hearing from you, and reading with you!