Reading Together: How Campus Book Clubs Transform Academic Library Readers’ Advisory Services

ABSTRACT: Library-led book clubs are becoming increasingly popular, but many in the academic library field might not know where to start and what to do. This article lays out the creation and maintenance of a faculty-led book club at the University of Idaho that the author developed. In addition to the practicalities of starting and running a book club, the author presents the foundational talking points regarding the benefit this type of programming can offer the library and the larger university campus. Mainly focused as a case study on the University of Idaho’s Hit the Book(s) Club, the author also discusses observations derived from the program and the benefits seen from student testimonials. The hope is that anyone reading this article will gain the knowledge and confidence to start their own library-led book club.