Stories are the lens through which we make sense of the world, and discussion is the tool through which we engage with it. In a digital age that deemphasizes spaces for human connection, the book groups at the Brookline Public Library meld literature and conversation to build community.
The Brookline Public Library hosts a wide range of book groups, including the Queer Reading Group, the Afternoon Book Group and the Council on Aging Book Group. Each group reads books in a variety of genres, including fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, and then meets once a month to discuss them.
Jessica Steytler, the supervisor for reference at the Brookline Village Public Library and leader of the Afternoon Book Group at Coolidge Corner Library, said that discussing literature can foster understanding among people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
“Stories are really important. It’s how we connect as humans. Even if it’s not one that you like, or agree with, it’s something that will build and spark conversations that need to be had,” Steytler said.
Percival Salazar, who works in the library’s collection services and leads the Queer Reading Group, said that their group’s readings can open members to new and unfamiliar possibilities. For example, the group recently read “The Natural Mother of the Child: A Memoir of Nonbinary Parenthood” by Krys Malcolm Belc, which explores the relationship between parenthood and gender.
“It brought up a lot of feelings with our members; it brought up a lot of feelings with me,” Salazar said. “But I felt very privileged that my group was willing and able to have those discussions. It was a very valuable experience.”
Ginger O’Day, the Putterham Library Head Librarian and supervisor and leader of the Council on Aging Book Group, said the most impactful aspect of the book discussions are the personal reflections that participants often share. She said that these contributions can prompt introspection and thoughtful discussion.
“Once or twice each meeting, someone will bring up a story from their own life that relates to what we’ve read, or what we’re talking about. It’s really cool,” O’Day said.
O’Day said that beyond the books themselves, one of the primary reasons people are drawn to her book group is the connection it creates. She explained that members value the opportunity to socialize and build community.
Steytler said that with the expansion of social media, interaction is increasingly virtual, and isolation is becoming more common. She said that a book group provides an avenue for discussion and interaction that is free and open to everyone, which is necessary now more than ever.
“It creates opportunities to do something besides just type into a dialog box and then forget about it,” Steytler said. “There are definitely moments that will stay with me for months or years rather than, ‘what did I talk about yesterday on the internet?’”
Salazar said that in-person interaction is often more inviting than the shallow forums for communication online.
“It’s nice to have discussions face to face. There is something that is wrong when you are talking to people who you don’t know closely, someone who’s faceless, like on the internet we so often do,” Salazar said. “I think [being in person] humanizes a lot of discussion. It is a very different quality of conversation than one that I would have with a complete stranger on the internet. It just creates a very different space.”
