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We manage about 30 sets of titles for our range of reading groups: standard 'library' ones, those that meet in private homes, teenage, and reading skills/development ones.  Usually we will buy 10 - 12.  If the group needs more copies we access them from general stock. They are usually paperback though not always, and about three quarters are fiction.

The groups themselves or the person that leads them selects.  They can each choose either one or two titles each year (depending on funds) to add to the collections and often two or more groups will choose the same one - we offer another choice when this happens. I always buy a few extra sets, with input from colleagues, or books that I think the groups will like, and we throw in some surprises, maybe some newer authors/poetry and a couple of out and out best sellers too. 

Each group gets a copy of the updated list, and can book the titles, sometimes up to several months in advance. (This year we are going to offer the sets of talking books that we hold for Speaking Volumes too.) The sets are held as long as they are in demand, maybe up to two years or more.  After that if they look alright they are put into library stock.  To learn more about Speaking Volumes click here.

As a trade off for the the public side of things we always ask groups to write reviews - these are then attached to the relevant titles, and are a good way of giving a flavour of the book to the browsing reader.
 
When we buy a set for the RG collection we always buy at least one for general stock as well.  It could be a gem that we or our supplier has missed, and sometimes pays dividends in anticipating demand.