“It’s an opportunity to have a social and a literary outlet … especially as people leave school and enter adulthood,” said Diane Bengson, librarian and one of the club’s facilitators.
The book club originally started at Ohio State University’s Nisonger Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. It has since grown to include more than 2,000 participants in nearly 300 chapters in 31 states, four Canadian provinces and three European countries, according to Next Chapter Book Club’s website.
Melanie Forman, whose daughter Sarah is a member of the club, said it offers adults with disabilities opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t have.
“She’s in a tennis program and a soccer program and a dance program, but nothing academically, and she enjoyed school so much that this gives her the opportunity to still have the ability to have the academic side,” Forman, of Centerville, explained.
Members of the club choose the books they read. They are currently reading “Lucky Dogs, Lost Hats, and Dating Don’ts,” a collection of short stories that covers topics from dating to doctors visits.
“We kind of talk about some things that we have in common” with the characters, explained club member Katie Wilson of Springboro.
The popularity of the club has led chapter facilitators to split members into two groups, both consisting of participants of all reading levels. Wilson, 21, enjoys reading aloud to the group during the meeting.
“I like to spend time with my friends, and then I like to read books all the time,” Wilson said.
Instead of gathering in the library’s meeting room, the group meets outside in one of the library’s common areas to further enmesh book club members in the community.
“I believe that the relationships that the young people are developing have been very positive and have made a very big difference in their lives,” Bengson added.
Next Chapter Book Club is for adults 18 and older and meets at Wright Memorial Public Library in Oakwood every Sunday from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
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