The Older Women's Network

A Voice for Midlife and Older Women
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Book Discussion Groups


OWN developed and provides leadership in several Toronto area book discussion groups, and are always ready to welcome new members. Three are held at Public Libraries: North York Central, Barbara Frum and Northern District Branch of the Toronto Public Library. Each group decides on format, book selection and time of meeting. Some groups have concentrated on feminist literature (broadly interpreted) others have read fiction and non-fiction alternately. An effort is always made to ensure that there are sufficient copies of a chosen book available. Since the groups meet in Public Libraries which provide free space and publicity they are open to any interested women. Groups meet once a month. There is also a book discussion group which meets at the OWN Co-op. Not long after the establishment of the two North York groups, a third group was established in Toronto, at the Northern District Library.

See below for contacts.

The groups have experimented with having a single facilitator chair all discussions and with rotating the facilitation among members who volunteer to take on the responsibility for each book. Book selections are recommended by a volunteer committee in each group and final decision on the year's book list comes at a regular meeting.

The criteria for selecting books are:

  • books must be relevant to women's lives
  • books may be current best-sellers or less well-known works of the past or the present
  • suggestions from discussion group members are always considered
  • book review sections in The Globe & Mail, The New York Times Book Review, The Times Literary Supplement, The New York Review of Books, Saturday Night and Books in Canada are consulted by the selection committee
  • choices are made based on the interest of the topic and the accessibility of the book so that all members will have the opportunity to read the book before the meeting at which it is discussed
  • books vary, generally alternating fiction and non-fiction.  
  • authors chosen are mainly, but not always, women, with men's viewpoints on women's lives sometimes interesting and thought-provoking

The current schedule and contact information is in the Calendar of Events. 

NORTH YORK

North York Central Library, 5120 Yonge St.
1st Wednesday of the month at 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Co-ordinator: Eleanor Olds Batchelder, email: eob@post.harvard.edu or 647-235-0843

Barbara Frum Library, 2 Covington Ave., Northwest corner Lawrence and Bathurst.
1st Sunday of the month at 1:45pm
Co-ordinator: Marge Mintz  416-630-5409

METRO AND AREA 

Toronto Public Library, Northern District Branch, 40 Orchard View, Room 224A
3rd Wednesday, some exceptions, 2-4pm
Co-ordinator: Adrienne Taylor  416-481-2356

OWN Co-op Building, 115 The Esplanade
 2nd Tuesday of the month, 2 - 4pm
Co-ordinator: Leslie Lawlor  416-363-9219