Books, Books, and More Books

By Nicholle Gerharter, Reference Librarian

November 3, 2010

Librarians love books. We love stories. We love being swept up in the lives of others, learning something new, being transported to places we will never be able to see in our real lives.

The only thing librarians love more than books is sharing them with other readers. At the Natrona County Public Library, that is something we get to do every day.

We make recommendations, learn about what our visitors like to read, and stay knowledgeable about the publishing industry. We talk about books online and with each other. We have dozens of books on our nightstands and hundreds on our “to read” lists.

As the months begin to turn chilly, those who enjoy reading should know they can turn to NCPL librarians for recommendations. What better way to spend a cold, dark evening than curled up with a book recommended by a librarian or another reader?

Our monthly Book Chat program allows bookworms to give recommendations to one another, hear about new books, and meet other readers like themselves. Come with an open mind and leave with of list of books you’ll want to devour! The next Book Chat will be Thursday, November 4th at 2 p.m.

Book discussion groups are a more traditional way to enjoy books together. Participants read the same book and then gather to converse about it. Your library hosts two such groups for adults – a mystery-readers group and a “little bit of everything” group.

Book discussions encourage readers to think deeper about a book and to see it from a new perspective. I frequently leave book discussion wanting to re-read parts, or the entire book to further investigate a topic presented by a fellow reader.

To participate in the library’s discussion groups or find out which books they are currently reading; visit the Reference Desk on the second floor of the main library.

Although we would love for you to attend our discussions, you may already have your own group of readers – how wonderful!

If that is the case, don’t miss out on our Book Club Kits, created by librarians just for this purpose. We do the homework so that you can enjoy the discussion.

Each kit includes 6-12 copies of the same book to be checked out by an individual and then distributed to your group. We include discussion questions, facts about the author and other materials to aid in your conversation. Currently, NCPL offers 114 kits, with more added each month.

On dark, cold Wyoming nights, there is no excuse not to have a good book to transport your mind to another place. The librarians at NCPL are brimming with recommendations and enjoy conversing with other readers. This winter, we invite you to pick our brains, share your stories, and join us in the joy of reading.

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