MINNEOTA PUBLIC LIBRARY

A year ago, I started a subscription to “Bookmarks,” a magazine that describes itself as “for everyone who hasn’t read everything.” It gives great reviews of books, old and new, and it highlights the work of an author in every issue. It also provides insights to writing styles of today’s most popular authors. I love to read the article that interviews book clubs, called “Book Group Profile.”
No two book clubs are alike, and it’s fun to read about what some book clubs do to keep things interesting. One book club that was interviewed was a group of four couples who lived near each other and they met every other month, with the hosting couple choosing the book. Another book club gave itself the title “Books and Brews” and they met in a local bar. A group that calls themselves “The Literary Ladies” consists of women of a certain age, all are grandmothers, and all have similar occupations. Another club that was interviewed by the magazine was a group of readers devoted to discussing just one book: James Joyce’s Ulysses.
Book clubs can meet in homes or places like the library or a restaurant. Some clubs have the person whose turn it is to choose a book also bring a snack or dessert. Some meet through Zoom on their computers, which became popular during the pandemic.
We’ve been asked if the library would sponsor a “community” book club, and the answer to that is: Yes! Of course! What we need is to find enough people who are interested, then pick a day of the week and a time. There could be daytime book clubs if those joining were retirees, or evening book clubs for those who work.
The library already allows two private book clubs to meet in the Library meeting room, and there are enough days in the month to schedule more. If anyone is interested in joining a community book club, stop by the library to sign up. When enough people are interested, we’ll give them a call to come to an organizational meeting.
Something added to Santa’s Visit: The Friends of the Minneota Library will hold a fundraiser and have a “silent auction” on the same day that Santa comes to town: Saturday, Dec. 9. The silent auction will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. Santa will arrive around 10:30 a.m.