Contact:  [email protected]

We have a number of reading groups in Southampton. Each group joining the library is given a special reading group ticket. One person from the group has responsibility for the card and liaises with their local library to order and arrange collection of the books. The representative from each group is given the attached documents when they join.
 
There are usually 10 books in a reading group set. Where there are less than 10 we make up the numbers from standard stock. Originally we only bought 6 copies, but found groups were growing in number and had to adjust the buying policy to reflect this.  Click here  to view our leaflet.  Click here for the complete list of Southampton's Reading Group collections.
 
As far as possible we encourage groups to recommend  new titles for the collection. Some groups do this with enthusiasm, but many are happy to choose from the titles available. I tend to purchase books to build up the collection, based on book reviews, word of mouth, prize winning novels (Orange, Booker etc). I also use the bookseller, newbooks magazine and the Internet. There are 166 titles in the collection (see attached) and I only purchase paperbacks for the collection. I weed the collection twice a  year, taking out sets that have have not been borrowed for 2 years. I need to do this because of space considerations and to keep the collection fresh and interesting. I normally sell the withdrawn sets, but did consider breaking them up and allocating them to branch libraries. However most of the titles are old and passed their sell by date.
 
The multiple copies we purchase for the Richard and Judy book Club and Summer Reads are turned into reading group sets.  
 
I am in contact with most of the Reading groups via email and send out an updated list of titles every quarter.
 
The Co-South Readers Development Group recently discussed lending reading group sets across authorities. Although Portsmouth and Southampton have an agreement to loan sets to each other (and exchanged reading group lists of titles), neither have taken advantage of the arrangement. It seems both authorities are self-sufficient and have enough variety of titles to satisfy their reading groups. Hampshire were unable to take part in the arrangement as they having waiting lists for many of their titles.