Durham Tech Book Clubs & Reading Circles

Select a book that is not planned for the current or immediately upcoming term. 

Contact Meredith Lewis (lewisma @ durhamtech.edu) to coordinate borrowing. 

That's it! All faculty, staff, and student groups are eligible to use our reading group collections! 

Book clubs meet once to discuss a book in its entirety. A book may be selected and assigned between one and two months ahead of time. 

Reading circles meet once weekly for 4-6 weeks, breaking down a book into smaller sections. Meetings will focus on a few questions related to the topic within the smaller reading section "assigned" for the week.

Any book that has reading circle questions can be adapted for a book club. (And you're free to make your own questions or topics for discussion or use something available on the web.)

While a book club allows you to engage with all the content of a book at once and may be better for people with less flexible schedules, a reading circle can allow you to more deeply engage with the text and build community through on-going discussions. 

Professional Development Options are books that have been read by Durham Tech's Leadership Council or have been chosen by the Library to focus on professional development and leadership topics.

All selections are designed to provide structured opportunities for Durham Tech students, faculty, and staff to choose and lead their own reading groups with their preferred peers and reading partners. The Durham Tech Library plans to run 1-2 groups per semester, but the books are available for any groups to check out for an 8 week period. 

There are 7 copies of most books available for 8 week-no renewal checkout. Additional copies may be available in the circulating collection (3 week checkout with 1 renewal) or available through interlibrary loan. Most books have an audiobook option and most have an ebook option available through the Dogwood Digital Collection. 

An overarching goal of this project is to facilitate community-building through conversations, communication, and connection about topics important to our community and ourselves.

Things to consider when organizing your reading circle or book club: 

• Does your book lend itself to action items (things to notice or act on) between meetings? 
• Does your group need/want a place to discuss topics related to your reading between meetings, like a Teams group, email list, or discussion board? 
• Should you schedule all meetings ahead of time or play it by ear? (TIP: The larger the group, the more difficult it is to play it by ear.)
• Will you meet in person, virtually, or follow a hybrid model?

A reading circle is a group of equals. While the facilitator may begin discussion and redirect if needed, all voices are heard and valued. 

We recommend developing a group of agreements that your reading circle decides on during your first meeting.

1. Receptive Dialogue: We will ask open questions, offer our own stories and ideas, and be receptive to listening to one another.

2. Equitable Dialogue: We will have a single conversation — one voice at a time, with roughly equal time to share. We will each step up or consciously step back as needed. This includes situations where online discussion and participants may be present.

3. Confidential Dialogue: We will ensure that personal information and opinions made within our Circle are not shared beyond it, unless someone gives clear permission to do so.

4. Learning Dialogue: We will lean into learning, welcome diverse opinions and perspectives, and support our mutual growth in knowledge and understanding.

5. Courageous Dialogue: We bring ourselves fully into this discussion Circle, looking deeply at ourselves while also looking towards what is possible and how we can best contribute.

6. Compassionate Dialogue: We will show compassion to ourselves and others as we may explore areas where we are seeking to learn more about the world and ourselves. 

7. Additional agreements for this Circle? 

Agreements are based on ideas from All We Can Save Reading Circle, Session 1