Book clubs

Book clubs are a feature for groups reading the same book together. Currently disabled but ready to enable.

What book clubs do

• Group patrons reading the same book
• Discussion threads on the book club page
• Spoiler protection — comments hidden until readers reach that point
• Anchored quotes (link a comment to a specific page or chapter)
• Read-along view sorting comments by book position
• Meeting RSVPs for in-person book clubs

Currently disabled

Book clubs are behind a feature flag and not exposed to patrons or librarians. Email hello@tryshelfwise.com to discuss enabling.

Creating a club (when enabled)

• Programs → Book Clubs → New Club
• Pick a book
• Pick a start date
• Set the discussion duration
• Invite members

Members

• Adults: opt in directly
• Kids: opt in pending parent approval (see "Manage your family")

Posting

• Type a comment in the discussion box
• Optionally anchor it to a page number (so it appears in the read-along view at that point)
• Mark as a quote (highlights it visually)
• Mark as spoiler if discussing later content

Spoiler protection

Comments on a page beyond a reader's current progress are hidden. They appear when the reader catches up.

Meetings

Schedule a meeting (in-person or virtual). Members RSVP. The day before, attendees get a reminder.

Read-along view

Comments sorted by the book position they anchor to. Reading the comments in order is like reading along with the group.