Welcome!
This is the informational page for the Archer Book Club, a digital book club for all University of Regina students, staff and faculty who are interested in conversing about selected leisure reading books and short stories. Spring/Summer 2020 served as our pilot for the club, and we have been very pleased to continue meeting for three sessions per semester since! Check out the archived meeting pages, staff profiles, special events, and more!
Zoom sessions will be available with chat options for all book club discussions. Sessions will be moderated and any disrespectful behavior or harassment of any kind as per University of Regina policies will result in removal from the session.
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Upcoming Spring/Summer 2024 Book Club Sessions: Summer Fantasy - Monsters, Faeries and Hobbits
July 31st , 12:00pm, Zoom: The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, host Brandi Adams
Looking for reading ideas but can't attend any sessions? Check out our Staycation Reading tab!
| When was the ABC founded? | 2020, as part of a pandemic initiative. |
| How often do you meet? | On average three times a semester (around one book a month, with a month off between semesters). |
| Where are the meetings located? | We always meet by Zoom for accessibility and distance participants. |
| Do I have to come to every meeting? | Absolutely not! You are welcome to come to any meeting for a book you are interested in, but there is no obligation to attend other meetings. |
| Do I need to read the whole book? | Honestly, no. Though we of course encourage reading any particular selection, we are still happy to have you participate or just listen in for the discussion and sharing of ideas. Please note however that there may be plot spoilers in any given discussion. |
| What if I haven't read the book at all? | You are welcome to attend! |
| Who can attend a meeting? | Any staff member, faculty member, or student at the University of Regina is welcome to attend. Alumni and members of the general public may be invited to specific meetings like author events, but you're always welcome to check with us. |
| How do you pick the books? | Each member of our team (there are three of us), picks a book that they are interested in, every semester. We do discuss the book selections together in advance and strive to offer a variety of interests, subjects, authors, fiction/non-fiction, etc. There is no "approval process" or criteria for selection beyond our love of reading and discussion. |
| Is this exclusively an academic discussion? | Definitely not. The ABC is primarily social and quite casual, and strives to build community through a love of stories. Though we sometimes select academic books and we welcome all forms of respectful discussion (per our rules and regulations), discussions are typically guided but informal. Discussions move organically. |
| Do you accept book suggestions? | PLEASE DO email any of us with a suggestion. We receive many requests so we aren't always able to accommodate and read every book together, but we always take suggestions under consideration and schedule books when and where we can. We always appreciate suggestions, and it gives us wonderful guidance as to what people may be interested in reading as a group. |
While the Archer Book Club is largely intended as a social gathering, University of Regina policies regarding behavior and respect will be followed. The University's Code of Conduct can be found online here: https://www.uregina.ca/policy/browse-policy/policy-GOV-022-005.html
A few notes pertaining to the Archer Book Club meetings specifically:
1) Harassment, discriminatory speech, and/or inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated either at in-person meetings or Zoom meetings.
2) While open conversation is welcome, the moderator/host will periodically direct the conversation back to planned topics related to the reading material.
3) Obtaining reading material is the responsibility of the attendee, and should be read prior to the meeting. Library staff will offer suggestions for locating materials, but alternate editions at the discretion of the attendee are welcome. Example: If reading Dracula, online editions are available through the library but you are welcome to read your personal copy.
Please note that the above titles are NOT all available online through the library, but will give us an excellent idea as to people's interests, etc.
