Oct 17, 2022
We here at OPL know that every month is library month but the powers-that-be make October the official month to celebrate and bring awareness to the role libraries play in people’s lives. What better way to recognize the impact of libraries than to read about them for your book club? Here are some great digital reads featuring libraries with plenty of copies for everyone.
In eBook there is Janet Skeslien Charles’s The Paris Library, an uplifting book based on the true story of the American Library in Paris and events that took place there during World War II. This book explores the geography of resentment, the consequences of terrible choices made, and how extraordinary heroism can be found in the quietest of places. There are many copies available in our Digital Express Collection using the cloudLibrary app.
If you’d rather listen this month then OPL has The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek to recommend. This Always Available title by Kim Michele Richardson is about the Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project and the traveling librarian, Cussy Mary Carter. It’s a story of raw courage, fierce strength, and one woman's belief that books can carry us anywhere -- even back home
For book clubs in French, here are some titles that are sure to inspire great discussions!
L’appel de la route follows the story of Quebecer Philippe as he travels to faraway places such as Iran and Turkey and meets unique people on the way. Experience the feelings of hope and dreams in this book set in the 1970s. The author, Denis Bachand, is professor emeritus at the University of Ottawa and this is his first novel.
In Les ombres blanches, Governor General’s Literary Award-winner Dominique Fortier continues the exploration of Emily Dickinson’s poetry that she started in the book Les villes de papier. Anyone looking for fresh perspectives on life and literature need look no further. The audiobook is skillfully narrated by Marianne Marceau, who also narrated Les villes de papier (link to this audiobook is also included).
This October there will also be great programming and prizes to commemorate Library Month – keep an eye on the OPL website for updates. This year’s theme “Read between the lines /Lire entre les lignes” will highlight how OPL can help counter disinformation and misinformation.
Suggestions and Resources for a successful online Book Club
In order to have your Book Club take place online you can try creating Facebook groups, or using various social media channels to discuss books. Or you could try meeting live via online video conferencing tools. The following tools are free:
- Google Hangouts provides free video/chat/voice conferencing and does not have a time limit
- Jitsi is a free open source video conferencing tool
- In French, there is a platform built by Les libraires that allows book clubs to meet online! You can request to create your own club, or there are groups that are already running that you can join.
- All book clubs, including the current book club picks and comments, are visible to anyone accessing the site Le Regroupement des éditeurs franco-canadiens is offering a monthly book club called D’un océan à l’autre – here is more information (in French only), and the books available at OPL!
Finding eBooks and eAudiobooks for your Book Club
- Always Available eAudio from OverDrive – many great Book Club reads in this list
- Books with 100 simultaneous checkouts -- this new format offered by publishers to libraries lets your whole book club borrow a book at once!
- Always Available ebook Classics from Duke Publishing
- OPL streaming eBook and eAudio collections
- Some French publishers OPL purchases from through Cantook Station offer many loans of the same title at once. You can search the Cantook platform for these publishers and make your choice. Participating publishers include Gallimard, Actes Sud, Rivages, POL, Flammarion, and Payot
- Radio-Canada offers free “Always Available” French eAudio - stream from the ICI Première website or download the Radio-Canada OHdio app.
- D'un océan à l'autre | club de lecture 2021
Contact OPLs InfoService 613-580-2940 if you need help accessing these titles and resources
Hosting and Discussions
If you would like discussion questions for your book, here is a list of 40 Great Book Club Discussion Questions from Book Riot. They work for any book.
Here are some great tips about how to host an online book club from Bustle Magazine: 10 Tips For Hosting A Digital Book Club