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We have developed a collection of 100+ booksets for reading groups at Richmond Libraries.

Firstly these were for the use of library reading groups then we extended it to make some of the titles available to local reading groups. We began by buying sets of 12 copies then after a year or so as some groups were larger we increased with new titles to sets of 15 copies. We also make up booksets from excess copies from stock in libraries where multiple copies have been bought for a promotion e.g. the Orange Prize.

We ask the reading group facilitators to ask their groups for suggestions for new books. New groups are emerging all the time in libraries and locally so we keep some of the favourite titles but we do have to delete stock mainly due to pressures on space. The booksets are stored on shelves in our office.

The booksets are listed on the staff intranet and booked by e-mail via us. They are not reservable as individual copies on the library catalogue. This is to keep the sets together and avoid the copies going off in all directions for reservations. However on issue they are issued to individual group members’ library cards to make sure the issues are counted. With external local reading groups, one person holds a special book group card and all the books are issued to that card which has space for two booksets i.e. 30 items and automatically issues books for 8 weeks (instead of 3 weeks).

We currently have 137 titles listed as booksets for library reading groups (but some of these have fewer copies than 12 if we made up the set from excess copies in stock). Some sets also include audiobooks as one reading group has blind and visually impaired members. Also the audiobooks are useful if people don’t have time to sit and read but can listen while ironing/driving etc.