Monthly book clubs in Willmar, Minnesota, provide opportunities to discover new stories and friends

Feb. 17—WILLMAR

— When asked why they enjoyed being part of a book club, a favorite response was the clubs introduced attendees to all sorts of different titles and genres of books they may not have picked up before.

The recent books read by the

Willmar Public Library

and

Willmar Community Center

book clubs are a perfect illustration of this. In January, the Willmar Public Library Book Club read a current political thriller partially written by a former senator and presidential candidate, while the Willmar Community Center Book Club chose a 210-year-old English classic.

"It gets you to read books you wouldn't otherwise," said Peggy Morrison, who is a member of both clubs.

The books in question, "State of Terror" by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny and "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen, also led to interesting and surprising conversations around the tables of the monthly club meetups, another reason members give for joining the clubs.

"I love talking about it with other people," said Paula Donofrio, a new member of the Willmar Community Center club.

The Willmar Public Library Book Club has been meeting monthly for several years as yet one more way for the library to fulfill its core mission — to encourage people to read. Led by Library Assistant Kris Gatzemeyer, the library club sees a core group of around six to eight people coming each month.

Weather is usually the only reason a meeting might be missed. Even the pandemic couldn't keep the this loyal book club down for long. For several months it met using Zoom video software at members' urging.

"We even had some people outside of Willmar doing the Zoom (meetings)," said Andrew Bregar, Willmar Public Library head librarian.

The Willmar Community Center Book Club got its start in 2021, formed as a fun activity people could do easily while the pandemic was still impacting many traditional recreation options. Like the library, the community center's club has a small, but loyal following, with around eight to 10 members coming each month.

"I felt it was something that everyone could participate in; everyone can go read," said Community Center director Britta Diem.

The book clubs also offer a great opportunity to meet new people without having to worry about breaking the ice or coming up with discussion topics. For many club members, the chance to hang out with other readers is just as important as the books themselves.

"Social interaction is so important," said Gatzemeyer. "Sometimes when you read a book, you have to talk to someone about it."

When it comes to choosing which books to read each month, the members have a lot of say in the process. At the Willmar Library, Gatzemeyer puts together a list of titles each fall and asks each member to rank-choice vote their top six. Gatzemeyer will then take those vote results and come up with the books for the first half of the year. She likes to leave some flexibility in the year, just in case a new book comes out or one of the members finds a book that they feel the club just needs to read.

"We don't limit ourselves by genre. We read fiction, nonfiction," Gatzemeyer said, adding one of the best books the group read last year was a young adult novel. "We were so glad we read it; we had the best discussion."

At the community center, the next month's book is chosen at the monthly meetup, with all those in attendance deciding on a title. For February, the club decided to read a novel by Mona Susan Power, who will be one of the authors attending this year's Wisdom and Wine event by the Friends of the Willmar Library.

"I am so exicited to read this new author," Donofrio said.

Members of both clubs said they enjoy reading books from authors they've never heard of, or finding out they really liked a book that perhaps they weren't super excited about at first.

"It is fun to hear what other people think of a book," Morrison said.

To assist book clubs across its service area, the

Pioneerland Library System

, of which Willmar is a part, offers nearly 190 "book clubs in a bag." The kits, which are checked out by a single person, have several copies of a single book that can be distributed to book club members who need it. The library system has a wide range of titles from which to choose, including fiction, nonfiction, adult and young adult books.

"We have a least one kit a week going out," Gatzemeyer said, and there can be a waiting list for popular titles.

Library staff are also always available to help clubs find titles or hunt down enough copies of a book. This could mean borrowing from a different library system in the state through the

MNLINK program

.

"We want to encourage reading; we want people to get out there and read and learn. This is one way we can support that," Bregar said.

The Willmar Public Library Book Club meets at noon on the third Thursday of the month in the upstairs meeting room at the library. Other Pioneerland libraries, including Granite Falls, Dassel and Appleton, have their own book clubs as well. Those interested should contact their local library.

The Willmar Community Center Book Club meets at 3:30 p.m. on the fourth Monday of the month. There is no cost to join, and someone wanting to take part can contact Diem at the center to be put on the club's mailing list.

The clubs are always welcoming to new members. The clubs offer a great place to learn, visit and become part of a community. And, of course, they are a great place to read a book. Books can take you to faraway places and go on exciting adventures.

"I love reading," said Karen Hernandez, who is a member of both clubs. "They can fill a lot of voids in your life."