by Ida Mae Craddock and Heather Moorefield-Lang, November 2020

Our online book groups began shortly after school closed for the pandemic. In addition to promoting reading and literature, there was a need for students to have a social emotional connection to adults in a disconnected time.

We had a unique and wonderful opportunity to reach across schools to bring students together from disparate areas of the county to talk about books and reading. Book groups could provide students an opportunity to be social across schools, genders, races, social groups, and grade levels with literature at the core.

Creating online book groups has similar hurdles to creating in-person groups. Namely, collecting student information, obtaining and distributing copies, and scheduling and planning meetings.

Collecting Information

Because all the students may not be from your school, it is important to collect names, usable email addresses, street addresses, meeting times, and format preferences.

Google Forms http://forms.Google.com.

Google Forms is a quick and easy way to collect information. Google has significant privacy controls for children and G Suite schools.

When2Meet https://www.when2meet.com.

This is a very simple and straightforward tool that requires no accounts. By highlighting available times, groups can easily see when everyone can meet. While it can't collect any other information, it does make meeting times a snap to schedule.

DoodlePoll https://doodle.com.

Great for finding times with an easy and visual layout, this meeting time poll does require an account. Using it for scheduling is free; but, the Pro Option offers the ability to ask for phone, email, and addresses which may be helpful.

Getting Books

Getting books to students is arguably the most important aspect of online book groups. Paper copies are probably best obtained using a local bookshop as they often offer free porch delivery. For eBooks there are several great options:

OverDrive https://www.overdrive.com.

OverDrive, and its companion app, Sora, easily integrates with a variety of cataloging systems. It also allows librarians to assign books to a student; bypassing the traditional loan period and allowing the student to keep the book for a longer stretch of time.

Mackin Via https://www.mackin.com/hq/digital/mackinvia.

Mackin's eBook platform provides a one stop shop for eBooks, audiobooks, read alongs, databases, and videos via their app. They also have a host of options including notes, highlighting, and audio files. Downloads are available for off-line reading and they offer the ability to build collections.

Meeting Software

Your group has to meet somewhere! There are a variety of solutions with different advantages for meeting online.

Zoom http://zoom.us.

Zoom has become the go-to software for many educational institutions. As a public service, Zoom recently lifted the forty-minute limit for Basic accounts. You should note however, there have been some management and privacy concerns.

Google Meet https://meet.Google.com.

Google Meet is a slightly more stripped down tele-meeting solution that offers a bit more protection on the privacy side. Scheduling a regular meeting on your Google Calendar will allow you to keep the same link across multiple meetings. Be aware that if you are a G Suite school, Chat, which includes Google Meet, may be blocked for students.

Learning Management Systems.

If your school system has invested in a learning management system like Schoology or Blackboard, you may be able to work with your registrar to create a class for your book group and use the integrated conferencing functionality there. This is by far the most secure option, however it closes your group to anyone not in your school.

Games

Once the logistics are established, creating a strong and safe online community should be the focus. While many of the bonding activities like snacks and board games are necessarily off the table when online, many games have online versions that are equally, if not more, fun.

Pictionary.

This can be played by having the moderator create a list in advance. Message the player the clue individually to have the student draw and share the drawing online while the participants guess. In the absence of pen and paper, sharing the screen and using the paint program on the computer also works.

Scattergories https://scattergoriesonline.net/new-game-create.xhtml.

Make some simple selections and send the link to your book group to have a hilarious good time.

Card Games http://playingcards.io.

This website allows you to play a variety of card and board games. Select a game, create a room, and invite your students to join you for everything from Backgammon to Hearts.

Creating Community

Building bonds is quite different online than in person. Amy Garrett Dikkers, Aimee Whiteside, and Somer Lewis have a great article entitled, "Get Present: Building Community and Connectedness Online" we would highly recommend (https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ991230). Being human, setting goals, and investing time and care in your students all help to create a community of learners, both online and in person.

Online book groups have similar goals as traditional groups, but with a myriad of advantages. Not being bound by schedules, geography, social group, or school can help students open the door to new perspectives and thoughts. We are grateful for the discussions, the bravery, and the insights from these lovely young people. Whether in person or online, book groups are valuable to our students not only to promote literature and reading, but also to provide social and emotional connections while remaining safely physically distant.