Cultivating Your Community with Books
In recent years, we’ve often heard people lament a lost sense of community in their lives. Whether it’s from visitors to the shop or friends and family at home, we all seem to yearn for a way to connect with each other in more meaningful ways than through our screens.
The Old Town Books team feels strongly that books and reading are excellent ways to foster connection and find your community – after all, that’s what drew us to the bookstore to begin with. Here are some of our favorite ways to connect with and support our own communities.
Join a book club (or start your own)
Book clubs are an easy way to find people you share at least one common interest with – reading the same kind of books. If you’re looking for a pre-built group of like-minded readers, check out one of the handful of book clubs that meet monthly at Old Town Books. If there’s not one that’s quite what you’re looking for, grab a couple pals, ask them to bring a couple new friends and take turns picking a book to read and discuss each month or quarter.
Host a book trade party with your friends
Sharing your favorite reads with friends and friends-of-friends is a great way to broaden your circle. Round up the books you’ve loved but are ready for a new home and invite your pals to do the same. You can add a bit of mystery to your celebration by wrapping your books and writing clues on the outside a la a blind date with a book.
Volunteer at your local library or with a local after-school program
Helping others foster their own love of reading is a sure-fire way to feel connected to others. Local libraries are often on the hunt for volunteer help welcoming visitors, helping them find items or use technology, or even general library duties like shelving books. If you’re interested in teaching kids to read or helping them build their confidence in reading, programs like Wright to Read, the Alexandria Tutoring Consortium or the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria’s Book Buddies program are great options.
Start a cookbook club
If your circle can’t agree on a book genre but love to gather over a meal, a cookbook club might be right up your alley. Choose a cookbook you’re all excited about, have everyone pick a recipe and plan to bring them to one person’s home for a fun themed meal. Some of our favorite recs for cooks of all abilities include Cook This Book by Molly Baz, What to Eat When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking by Caroline Chambers, and Dinner by Meera Sodha.
Attend bookish events at your local library or bookstore
We’re biased, but we think book events are the best ways to meet people. Our event calendar is chock-full of author events, pre-order celebrations, bookish craft workshops, reading parties and more. Local libraries like the Alexandria Public Library and DC Public Library also host fantastic free events for all ages.
Donate your pre-loved books
Spread your love of reading all around by donating books you no longer wish to keep. Sprinkle them in your local Little Free Libraries or donate a bag to your local library’s Friends of the Library group.
Get involved in activism groups
Literature and activism go hand-in-hand! If you’re feeling particularly on edge about things happening around us, channel some of your energy into advocating against policies and programs that you don’t support. We’re partial to organizations like Pen America and advocating against book bans.
Attend bookish events like writers groups or craft night
Expand your horizons a bit and connect with others with similar interests by seeking out events that are a little off the bookish path. Whether you’re a reader who likes crafting, an aspiring writer looking, or a book enthusiast and amateur historian or scientists, there are events and groups for everyone.
Donate books to incarcerated people
Organizations like the Appalachian Prison Book Project help get books and educational materials to incarcerated people in an effort to support an individual’s freedom to read and foster interconnectedness for our broader communities. Consider donating books or volunteering your time to help support these missions.
Become a regular at your local bookstore
Shameless plug, but we love getting to know each and every visitor we can. Come talk to us about the books you’re loving, hype up the books you’re excited for, or ask us for a recommendation if you’re stumped. Not local to Alexandria? Chat us up on Instagram, check out your local library or scope out an indie bookstore in your neck of the woods. (We might have some recommendations for that, too.
Volunteer your time reading to the elderly
Storytimes for kids get all the attention, but storytimes for the elderly can be just as beneficial – especially once reading for themselves is a challenge. Visit your local memory care facility or community center to see if they have volunteer programs that connect readers with elderly residents that you can participate in.
Become a literary pen-pal of sorts
If your pals aren’t local, consider creating a traveling book club of sorts. Pick a book, read it and annotate it, and mail it to a friend. Repeat the process through your friend group until the book makes its way back to the person who bought it for a low-pressure, long-distance book club and opportunity to stay connected through reading.
What role do books and reading play in how you stay connected with your friends, loved ones and broader community? Share your story with us on Instagram.