Presenter: Name: Stacy Brown

Title: Director of Innovation and Professional Learning
Organization/School: The Davis Academy

Program Description
School administrators, educators, and even library professionals often assume that school librarians naturally know how to lead thriving book club programs. Some librarians choose to facilitate book clubs on their own initiative, while others take on the task as part of their job descriptions. Regardless of the motivation, it is commonly presumed that school librarians are the go-to leaders and experts in book club facilitation. However, the reality is that librarians have varying levels of comfort and experience with book club programming.
This session is designed to empower school library professionals to revolutionize youth book clubs by supporting the launch of sustainable, engaging, and well-organized programs that leave a lasting impact. Specifically tailored for book clubs serving 3rd through 8th graders, this session will provide practical insights into logistical best practices, communication strategies, marketing tactics for building a book club’s brand, and approaches to facilitation that embrace flexibility for maximum success.
Creativity is the cornerstone of launching meaningful book club experiences, and every librarian has the potential to unlock it. In this session, participants will explore how to tap into their unique interests and skills to cultivate a devoted community of young social readers. They will learn to appreciate the diversity and adaptability of book clubs, recognizing that success comes in many forms: from varying sizes, themes, and age levels to an array of genres and formats.
Key takeaways include:
-Embracing the idea that book clubs are fluid, dynamic, and social experiences for both facilitators and participants.
-Developing comfort with the unpredictable nature of book clubs and learning how to adapt to their evolving identity.
-Gaining book club title suggestions, corresponding hands-on activities, both tactile and digital, and tactics to lure reluctant participants.
-Saving time and resources by creating "book club roadmaps" that outline clear, sustainable, executable plans.
-Designing accessible, low-stress activities that are both exciting and joyful for young readers and the book club facilitator.

Join me to discover how to launch a book club program that meets the needs of your school community and becomes a cornerstone of student engagement and literacy development. Together, we’ll transform book clubs into vibrant spaces where creativity thrives and young readers flourish.

Learning Objectives
-Discover the foundation for a strong book club that has withstood the test of time, dating back to the original book clubs of the late 1700s
-Understand book clubs as being successful, regardless of the book club’s diversity in genre, theme, size, age group, or format, when a formulaic plan is used with these variables
-Learn key points to consider when planning your first book club event to launch a sustainable book club program
-Take away both analog and digital marketing strategies that will reach your target audience
-Examine execution strategies regarding timing, participants, and facilitator mindset
-Evaluate the benefits of building a book club brand and simple strategies for getting started

Program Outline
A. Introduction and History of Book Clubs
1. Commonalities that have withstood the test of time
2. The role of media in influencing book club programming on a global scale
B. The Book Club Blueprint
1. Variables within a consistent framework
a. Genres
b. Themes
c. Sizes
d. Participant Ages
e. Creativity in Resources
f. Budget
2. Benefits of a solid template
a.Know what to expect
b. Seamless implementation
c. Timesaving strategies
d. Build community & meet students’ needs
e. Cultivate a strong knowledgebase of reliable tech tools
C. Create Momentum
1. Gain initial participants
a. Market to target audiences
i. Analog tactics
ii. Leveraging digital tools
iii. Social media strategies
b. Find the first followers
2. Logistics is everything
3. No or low-budget workarounds
D. Mastering the Flow of Book Club Execution
1. Stress-free approach
a. Flexible
b. Organized
c. Playful
2. Suggestions vs. policies
E. Book Club Branding
1. Benefits
2. Designing a brand identity kit
F. Conclusion
1. Q&A
2. Sharing of ideas to build a real-time book club facilitation resource
From Shelf to Social: Revolutionize Youth Book Clubs

Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8

Session Strand: Literacy

Presenter
Stacy Brown

Stacy Brown is the Director of Innovation and Professional Learning at The Davis Academy, and supervises the libraries and educational technology. She holds a Master’s in Library Science from Florida State University and a B.A. in English from the University of Texas at Austin. A passionate advocate for digital literacy and reading engagement, she is a board member of Savvy Cyber Kids, a former guest lecturer at The University of Washington's iSchool, and has facilitated book clubs for all ages for over 20 years. Stacy is the author of The School Librarian’s Technology Playbook: Innovative Strategies to Inspire Teachers & Learners and the author of Revolutionize Youth Book Clubs: Strategies for Meaningful & Fun Reading Experiences. She is a contributor to multiple Bloomsbury publications and professional development courses in the areas of collection development, leadership, and technology integration, and serves on the Bloomsbury Books Advisory Board.


Description: School librarians are often expected to be book club programming experts and yet, comfort and experience levels with facilitating such programs can vary significantly. This session equips library professionals to launch engaging, sustainable book clubs for 3rd–8th graders, offering practical strategies for logistics, communication, marketing, and low stress facilitation.
Discover how to craft irresistible book clubs tailored to your school community, from marketing to creative activities and title suggestions to create adaptable roadmaps that save time and resources. Learn to embrace the dynamic, social nature of book clubs while engaging students to have sustainable, joyful reading experiences.
Attend this session to unlock your unique creativity and transform book clubs into thriving spaces where young readers connect and grow.