Reading Groups

Reading Groups are an ideal opportunity for like-minded readers to get together regularly to read specific books and share their views and thoughts. These groups can be small or large and are the equivalent of offline book clubs or reading groups

How do I start a reading group?

You can start a Reading Group by going to the main index for Reading Groups and clicking on the Reading Group entry in the blue main navigation bar at the top of any page. Begin by typing a name that you would like to give your Reading Group in the "Start A Reading Group" text box. You must choose a name that is not more than 30 characters and that has not been chosen before. If you choose a name that has already been taken you will receive a message asking you to try another name. Once you have chosen a name, you will be able to set various options for your Reading Group, including being able to describe it for others and whether you would like it to be public, which means anyone can view group discussions (though only members of the Reading Group may participate and any Member of The Reading Room may join), or private (which means only members of the reading group may view discussions, and you must invite Members to join). Note that you must be a Member to start a Reading Group and you will automatically be the Administrator of the group you start.

How do I invite Members to join a private Reading Group?

If you have elected for your Reading Group to be private you must explicitly invite Members to join. Only the Administrator can invite Members to join a private Reading Group by accessing the Invite Member function on the administration page. Note only the administrator of the Reading Group has access to the administration page.

Once a Member has been invited to join a private Reading Group they will be sent an invitation to their email adress, which will appear in their updates and messages. They can elect to accept, reject or ignore this invitation. If they accept the invitation they are automatically added as a Member to your Reading Group.

How do I invite Members to join a Public Reading Group?

If you have elected for your Reading Group to be public, then any Member of The Reading Room can join your Reading Group. On the summary list on the home page for Reading Groups, your group will be listed as Public, and have a Join link as part of its summary. Any Member of The Reading Room can follow this link to your Reading Group's home page, and click on the Join button there to automatically be added to your list of members.

How do I block a User?

Generally accepted behavior and protocols for Members of The Reading Room are outlined in the Acceptable User Policy in the Terms & Conditions. Failure by a Member to observe these policies can be reported to admin@thereadingroom.com. The administrator of a Reading Group may also remove a Member from a Reading Group from the Members tab.

How do I select books for my Reading Group?

The administrator may elect to choose the next book the Reading Group will read themselves, or may wish to allow members to choose themselves via a poll. The administrator can change this option at any time. Books can be chosen from the Choose Books tab, by searching in either the the title or author quick search boxes.

How do I find a Reading Group?

The main Reading Group page shows a list of all the reading groups on the site, with an indication of whether they are Public or Private. You cannot join a private Reading Group without an invitation. To help you find a group you might like to join, you can show only those Reading Groups that match particular criteria by using the filter buttons on the View bar. You can also sort the list using the underlined headings.

How do I become and administrator?

Each Reading Group can have one or more administrators, who are able to set schedules, manage membership, and perform other required tasks. The first administrator is the Member who started the Reading Group. An administrator can appoint another administrator at any time, and an administrator can remove a Member at any time.

How do I add additional administrators?

To add an administrator, you must first be an administrator. If you are an administrator, you will see a Make Administrator button by each member name in your Members tab. Similarly, each administrator name has a Make Member button that will make that administrator a normal member again.