A Virtual Book Club: It’s Easier Than You Think

Have you ever thought about creating a virtual book club? Or, is your existing book club looking to go 'digital'? Your Library is here to help.

There are some great benefits to taking your book club online:

Readers can participate from the comfort of their own homes.
It’s a great opportunity to socialize with friends who share your love of reading.
The Library has plenty of digital titles that have unlimited access for multiple users (this means no waitlists).

Free digital books with no waitlist

You may be thinking, “books with no holds and no waiting?” It’s true; all you need is a library card.

hoopla

hoopla is a digital media service that allows you to instantly borrow e-books, audiobooks, comics, movies, music, and more with your library card. Alongside thousands of readily-available books, hoopla selects one title each quarter to spotlight on their Book Club Hub., opens a new window The book is made available in both e-book and audiobook formats, and comes with a number of useful resources, including discussion guides and exclusive author interviews

Unlimited Classics Collection on OverDrive and Libby

If your interests fall more in line with the books of yesteryear, check out our Unlimited Classics Collection, opens a new window on OverDrive or your Libby app. Choose from great classics like Little Women, Great Expectations, or Anne of Green Gables. There are more than 3000 titles waiting for you.

Stay Home, Read Atlantic on OverDrive and Libby

During April and May 2020, library users in Nova Scotia get instant access to a new Atlantic Canadian e-book, opens a new window every Thursday for one week. Be sure to visit OverDrive or your Libby app to borrow these great local reads.

Let’s talk books

So, now that you know how to find books for your club, what's next?

Taking your conversation online

Some book clubs are creating Facebook groups or using various social media channels to discuss their selections.

Other groups are meeting live via online video conferencing tools. Some potential options include:

Google Hangouts, opens a new window, a free video/chat/voice conferencing tool that does not have a time limit.
Skype,, opens a new window a service that offers free group video calling for up to 50 people and is available for free.
Zoom, an online video chat tool that provides unlimited one-on-one meetings, and up to 40 minutes of group discussion (longer group meetings require paid accounts). Read our Zoom How-To blog here.

Finding your discussion questions

Next, come up with some discussion questions. You can create your own or find some online.

NoveList is a free Library resource that provides discussion questions and articles for a variety of different books. Use your library card to sign in and find Book Club Resources under the Quick Link tab.
If you are looking for general questions that can apply to any book that your club might be reading, check out these 40 questions from Book Riot, opens a new window.
And, of course, we love to chat about books, so you can always contact the Library for assistance using our Ask the Library phone service.

Happy team-reading!

Extra help: Online resources

Need a little extra help using the E-Library online resources mentioned above? Check out our Niche Academy tutorials, opens a new window for quick how-to videos to get you started!