Mizzou Libraries are in their second year of hosting the monthly Bring Your Own Book Club in Ellis Library, a program to encourage reading and community.
The model of this club is different from a typical book club, where all members read the same book. Instead, attendees are given a broad prompt to follow, often themed after the month of the meeting, and are free to pick any book.
Jara Anderson, a member of the library’s Outreach and Engagement Committee and a host of the club, spoke about why this model was selected.
“We find that the prompts are a fun way to at least give people guidance without being too strict about it,” Anderson said.
While the prompts are the basis of the club, following them isn’t required. Some attendees simply bring whatever book they’ve been enjoying recently to discuss, regardless of whether it fits the theme. The club’s hosts welcome this variety, as it allows them to be even more welcoming to anyone interested.
Taira Meadowcroft, a member of the Outreach and Engagement Committee and a host of the club, spoke about the reasoning behind this decision.
“This is where people who like to read, who love books, (who like) sharing what they’re reading, we can do that type of thing instead,” Meadowcroft said.
Frequent attendees have found camaraderie among fellow book lovers and have made connections that would not have been possible otherwise. One of Anderson’s favorite parts of the club is seeing friendships form based on this shared interest.
“We recently felt like there was for sure a friendship that had come from people who had met at the book club, which was really exciting to see,” Anderson said. “It’s great that people come here and they feel comfortable, but also that it leads to them meeting and making friends with each other.”
The club’s flexibility has also allowed attendees to be introduced to genres they might not have considered exploring had others not brought them to a meeting. It’s common to see one student bring a psychological thriller and another bring a contemporary romance. The club’s discussions often lead members to pick up new books and hear about recommendations to add to their to-be-read lists. It encourages people to step out of their comfort zone and try something fresh.
Kamron Nikjeh, a frequent attendee of the club, said she greatly enjoys this diversity.
“I like the variety you get here, you know,” Nikjeh said. “You’ll have somebody bring a classic. You’ll have somebody bring a BookTok romance book. You’ll have someone bring epic fantasy. It just has something for everybody.”
Senior Marni Scholl has also appreciated this aspect.
“I love getting book recommendations from other people and finding things that I never thought I would like,” Scholl said.
The club was created to assist the libraries’ continued efforts to present Mizzou Libraries as places that offer more than just academic books and study areas. BYOBook Club is one of the newly offered events.
“We do these so that people will realize that the libraries are welcoming, we’re not scary, but also that we do other events,” Meadowcroft said.
Anderson agreed with this sentiment, stressing the importance of breaking typical library stereotypes.
“That’s a misconception that we’re trying to change, that the library is just a place for academic work and study,” Anderson said. “So I think people are excited to see a fun offering at the library.”
The BYOBook Club hopes to see an increase in attendees at upcoming meetings as members continue to share their love of books.
“We would love to get some good, fresh voices,” Anderson said.
