Next Chapter Book Club is a community-based book club for individuals with cognitive and developmental disabilities.

Members read together, hang out, make friends, enjoy a snack, and have fun. Four to eight members and two volunteer club meeting facilitators meet weekly for one hour to read and discuss a book of their choosing.

To learn more about the history of the Next Chapter Book Club visit About Next Chapter Book Club .

How Do I Join?

Librarians believe everyone deserves the joy of participating in a book club with their peers. A book club is not just about reading, it is about sharing an experience and making friends.

Register for one of the limited spots by contacting our Outreach Librarian. They’ll tell you what you need to do to become a member, as well as provide you with the date and time of the next meeting.

Become a Facilitator

Are you a book lover? Do you have two evenings each month free? Enrich your life by bringing to others the joy of talking about books! Volunteer to help facilitate the Glen Ellyn Public Library’s Next Chapter Book Club.

The library is currently looking for long-term volunteers to serve as group facilitators. The primary responsibility of Next Chapter Book Club facilitators is to support book club members as they read and build social skills. The club meets for an hour every other week, with up to an hour of preparation time per meeting. No prior experience needed. Training includes watching a training video as group, discussing the material covered, and attending an active Next Chapter Book Club Chapter. Facilitators must also submit to and pass a criminal background check, a requirement for any Glen Ellyn Public Library volunteer that is working with what could be perceived as a vulnerable population. The library will provide volunteers with training and ongoing support.

Interested? Please submit a letter of inquiry to our Outreach Librarian explaining your interest in this program. Include any experience you may have working with adults with developmental disabilities, explain why the Next Chapter Book Club appeals to you, and what you might have to offer. You may attach the letter to your volunteer application. When filling out the application, under areas of interest, please check “applying for specific position” and type in this position title when prompted.

How Did the Library Become an Affiliate of Next Chapter Book Club?

Our Outreach Librarian attended special affiliate training taught by the Next Chapter Book Club (NCBC) founder Dr. Thomas Fish. She signed an affiliate agreement with the NCBC organization promising to uphold the tenants and rules of the club. Once trained as an affiliate, she used official Next Chapter Book Club materials to train volunteer facilitators.

Bundles are sets of ten book-club friendly titles owned by the Glen Ellyn Public Library and made available exclusively to Glen Ellyn book clubs. Please contact the Readers’ Advisory Librarian for availability. Our current bundles include the titles that appear in the Book Bundles tab of the Recommendations below.

With a week’s notice the Adult Department can produce a guide that contains biographical materials, reviews, criticisms, and questions designed to spark a lively discussion. For more information, please contact the Readers’ Advisory Librarian.

If we don’t already have a bundle for your title, we can gather books for your book club. Please fill out the form below and email our Reader’s Advisory Librarian with questions.