Press Release Date: December 20, 2012 Press contact: Christie Lassen (410.313.7786) Andrea Misner (410.313.

7781)

Howard County Library System, Miller Branch will be hosting: Bas Bleu Book Club Every 3rd Wednesday at 7:00 PM Bas Bleu: a literary woman; a bluestocking. Read our current title and join the discussion (gentlemen welcome, too!). New members welcome. Books available for borrowing. March 20: The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown April 17: Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson May 15: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton For more information, visit www.hclibrary.org or contact the facilitator, Julie Fitzpatrick, at (410.313.1950). This is an ongoing program in our system. I would use the library's established social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter) to promote the book club, preferably beginning 1 to 2 months in advance, in order to give customers adequate time to check out and read the selected title(s).

Bas Bleu Book Club at Howard County Library System, Miller Branch Libraries today provide a vast array of book selections, and part of our responsibility as library associates is to guide our customers in reader's advisory through promotion of noteworthy current books and classic titles to revisit. The Howard County Library System proposes a series of book discussions focusing on fiction with strong, independent female characters. The Miller Branch's Dudes on Books (a gentlemanly discussion of literature) is a successful library-sponsored book club, and Bas Bleu will be a complementary effort focusing on women's fiction, although all participants are welcome at our discussions. Exposing a wider audience to new books will not only increase circulation, but establish that the library is a place for community involvement and instructive and enlightening experiences, in accordance with our mission of delivering high-quality public education for all. Event Details: The book club will hold three once-a-month open discussions about specific books the participants have read previous to the meeting. The book selections will include 3 novels that have been read by the facilitator and reviewed favorably in established industry

publications such as Library Journal and/or Publisher's Weekly. Preparation: Books will be selected 6-9 months prior to the meetings, in order to have adequate time to publicize the class in Source and purchase additional copies as needed. The books will be available to check out beforehand in accordance with HCLS book club guidelines, approximately 8 weeks prior to the discussion. The facilitator will re-read each selection prior to the meeting and prepare a list of questions for discussion. The facilitator will also put up flyers in the branch prepared by the Events and Seminars department on a quarterly schedule, advertising 3 months' worth of selections. On the discussion date, the meeting room will be set up in a round-table format with approximately 15 chairs. One of the book club flyers will be posted on the meeting room door as well as on the signboard in the meeting room hallway, noting the location and time of the book club. A table display of promotional materials will be provided, including the current issue of Source, the next month's book selection, and a list of future selections. Light refreshments will be provided. Partnerships: The event will be promoted in local community centers, including the Howard County Senior Center next door to the Miller Branch. Current book club contacts may be another potential source of participants, as our Tea and Tomes book club is near capacity. Evaluation: The overall success of the club will be evaluated based on repeated participation and number of attendees as well as circulation of the chosen selections. Our Adult Seminar Survey will be distributed to and collected from participants throughout the year to gauge interests and effectiveness.