Books Bringing People Together

By Georgia Mergler

In today’s world of technology, it is pretty easy to have relationships with people without ever actually setting foot in the same room with them. And while innovations like Skype and Facebook are great for staying connected with far away relatives or reconnecting with old high school friends, I am sometimes saddened when people seem more interested in connecting virtually than in person.

I’m a true extrovert, so I get energized by being surrounded by people. That’s why I was excited to learn that October is National Reading Group Month, sponsored by the Women’s National Book Association. National Reading Group Month promotes the values reading groups offer, including camaraderie, enjoyment of shared reading, and appreciation of literature and reading as conduits for transmitting culture and encouraging interaction among citizens. In short, they promote the real life kind of interaction that comes from sitting around a room with other readers and sharing opinions on a book.

The Washington-Centerville Library encourages this same type of interaction through its monthly book discussion group, Page Turners. Held the third Wednesday of every month at 1 PM in the Dorothy R. Yeck Conference Room of the Woodbourne Library, Page Turners has a loyal following of citizens who engage in spirited conversation of books selected by library staff. October’s selection is Song of the Silk Road by Mingmei Yip.

If you are looking for a way to reconnect with neighbors and/or meet new friends, I encourage you to attend a book discussion group – either at the library or by starting your own. The Library can provide you with the books and even give you guidance on where to find discussion guides to get your group off to a great start. For more information on Washington-Centerville Library visit www.wclibrary.info.