Whether you are reading historical fiction, fantasy, or biography, RSA best practices for book clubs shouldn’t be a mystery. Let’s take a look!
What profile should I use for my book club in WorkFlows?
✅ BKCLUB-NRC
BKCLUB-NRC is the recommended profile for book clubs. Check to make sure you’re using BKCLUB-NRC (and not BOOKCLUB*) Check the books out to your book club card first. Then check the items out to the individual patrons.
*Why is there a BOOKCLUB profile if we are supposed to use BKCLUB-NRC?
BOOKCLUB is a legacy profile that was set up to be recirculating. Recirculating allows books to be checked out twice (once to the book club profile, and then a second time to a patron.) In theory, this sounds convenient. But in real life, it didn’t work out to have a recirculating profile where you must check out a book twice AND return it twice (recirculating = too many ways to make mistakes!). Nowadays we don’t recommend using BOOKCLUB. Use BKCLUB-NRC instead!
How can I make sure there are enough books in the system, and at the right time, for all my book club members?
First, check WorkFlows to make sure there are enough copies in the system to fill all your club’s holds. Second, make sure it’s not a new book or an especially popular book, because high demand may prevent you from being able to fill all the holds.
Finally, check to see if another library is using the same book club selection in the same month. Two or more libraries placing holds on the same book in the same month might mean there’s not enough to go around.
Luckily, there is a member-made tool for seeing what other RSA libraries are doing for their bookclubs: the RSA Book Groups wiki board, which was founded and is administered by RSA member Beth Duttlinger. We highly recommend joining the wiki if you haven’t already and updating it with your own book club information.
By using the wiki, you can ensure your own book club always has enough copies of your chosen book and be a good citizen to other RSA libraries, so they know what book your library has selected as well.
I’ve been putting each book on hold individually for my book club. Is there a faster way?
Yes!!! There is a faster and easier way than making each hold individually. Did you know you can make blanket holds? Learn the procedures here: Placing-Book-Club-Classroom-or-Research-Holds-Guide-2024-12-02.pdf