New Research: Book Clubs in Lockdown

I had the opportunity to participate in this survey conducted by BookBrowse a few months ago. If you are a part of a bookclub (whether virtual, in-store, or community based), you may find the following information interesting. I know I did, but I'm kind of a geek when it comes to various statistical analysis!

Here are some of the highlights of the report, scroll to the end for a link that will take you to the full report containing graphs and charts that you can download.

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"The resilience of book clubs shines through," said Davina Morgan-Witts, BookBrowse Publisher. "Of course, book clubs would prefer to be meeting without restrictions, but the majority have persevered and found a way forward. It is truly heartening to see how these groups of dedicated readers have worked together to maintain, and even grow, their community."

Key Findings:

• Three-quarters of respondents say their group has been meeting during the pandemic. Many have experienced sickness, quarantines or fatalities among those close to them, and many feel drained by current events; but they also feel supported by their book club and buoyed by a greater sense of friendship and community, leading to half saying their group is even more important to them than last year.
• The quarter of respondents in book clubs that are not currently meeting are generally not doing so because either their group could not find a safe way to meet in person or most of the members were technically unable or uncomfortable meeting virtually. Compared to those that are meeting, a higher proportion of respondents belong to public groups such as those that meet in libraries and bookstores. 90% say their book club is important to them, and they look forward to meeting again as soon as their group is able to do so.
• Of the groups that are currently meeting, two-thirds are doing so virtually, almost all on Zoom, which is described as a lifeline by many. The remainder are meeting in person, half of them outdoors (albeit with some looking for a new winter location).
• Overall, one-third of respondents in book clubs that are currently meeting virtually expect to retain a virtual element in the future: Some expect to be all virtual; most expect their group will use virtual technology to enable absent members to join in-person meetings or to host the entire meeting virtually at certain times; for example, when weather conditions are not conducive to meeting in person.
• There is considerable potential demand for virtual book clubs. 14% of those meeting virtually say their attendance is up compared to 2019 primarily due to members who have moved away being able to join in; and 3% of respondents are in a book club that expects to remain all virtual (around half of these groups formed this year in direct response to the pandemic). In addition, we know from our past research (Inner Lives of Book Clubs, 2019) that there are many readers who would like to be in a book club but have not been able to commit to an in person group because of issues such as childcare, frequent travel, lack of transportation and disabilities.
• Many find virtual discussions less free-flowing. This is seen as a benefit by some who feel their group's book discussions are more focused and inclusive due to fewer side conversations, but others miss the organic flow of an in-person meeting.
• 58% of respondents say their group has discussed racial issues in 2020.
• Politics is a challenging topic for many US book clubs: while 37% of respondents in the US say their group has discussed politics in 2020, 27% say their group has banned political discussion, up from 11% in 2018 (and compared to just 3% for non-US groups).
• Although some book clubs report lower attendance (usually due to health concerns for groups meeting in person and technical issues for groups meeting virtually), 14% of virtual groups have increased attendance, primarily due to members who have moved away being able to join in, and also from people who weren't able to commit to an in person group being able to join virtually.
• Sourcing print books has been a particular challenge with library buildings closed for much of the year and, even now, longer than usual wait times due to quarantining of books and higher than usual demand. Many groups that would normally borrow print books have turned to their library's ebook collection, with Hoopla frequently mentioned for its unlimited downloads. However, using the technology has been a challenge for some, who look forward to returning to borrowing print books.

Here is the link to download all the information above and more:

https://www.bookbrowse.com/wp/lockdown/