Next Chapter Book Club: Memphis Branch

Let’s start a weekly book club for adults with disabilities at the library!

Books are a great way to learn about different ideas and experience different worlds. Reading is a hobby that a lot of people take for granted, and I want to make sure that people with disabilities have the opportunity to explore this interest. By allowing people of all reading levels to attend the book club, I am providing an inclusive environment to encourage reading enjoyment. Participants don’t need to be independent readers (though they are welcome!) because we will be reading books aloud, chapter by chapter, every meeting.

In order to be affiliated with Next Chapter Book Club, I will attend their July 15th training and learn their best practices for leading book clubs for adults with disabilities. This training also allows me to train other volunteer book club leaders, and provides the start-up books and supplies for the club.

Attend a training of Next Chapter Book Club on July 15, 2016.

Start the book club!

My name is Allison Renner, and I am a semester away from graduating with my Master of Library Science degree from Texas Woman’s University. All of my studies have focused on providing library services to people with disabilities. I also have five years of experience volunteering and working at SRVS, in their learning center for adults with disabilities. I have led art classes, one-on-one writing workshops, and arranged activities for the individuals, both in and out of the center. I have been hosting a monthly storytime at the Randolph branch of the Memphis Public Library and Information Center for almost a year now. Sharing stories and crafts with this population has been fun and enlightening for everyone involved, but I want to do more. This book club is a good starting point.