Book clubs and community programs finding new audiences in Idaho Falls
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IDAHO FALLS — A pair of long-running book clubs at the Idaho Falls Public Library are getting renewed attention as participation grows and programming options expands.
Staff say the rise in attendance reflects a local community increasingly eager for connection, conversation and a space to read together.
The library currently hosts two monthly, staff-led book clubs: Chapter Two, an evening group that meets on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m., and a noon group that is being rebranded as Booked at Noon, held monthly at 12 p.m. on Tuesdays. Both clubs attract a wide age range of readers, and meetings typically have between five and fifteen participants.
Chapter Two will suspend meetings for the month of December, but resume activities beginning Jan. 6th. Booked at Noon has one more meeting this year on Dec. 16.
“Community is one of those things that is unfortunately kind of going away,” said Beth Swenson, the IFPL’s Assistant Director and community engagement coordinator. “We see people who have moved into the city and don’t know anyone. A book club is a great place to meet friends.”
Staff prepare questions for the two library sponsored book clubs, to help guide the conversation, especially if discussions drift. However, the groups are intentionally patron-led, giving readers space to talk openly about characters, themes, and even difficult topics.
“The conversations can be deeply meaningful,” a Swenson said. “We’ve discussed books involving war, trauma, genocide—things that are hard. The library offers a safe space to talk about them respectfully.”
“I read for enjoyment,” says Dave Johnson, a regular attendee of the Booked At Noon club. “I enjoy the social aspect (of the book club), being able to get together with like minded people and talk about things.”
His message to newcomers is: “Grab whatever book we’re reading for the month and come to the discussion. Even if you haven’t read the book, even if you haven’t finished it all, come anyway. You might learn some fascinating stuff and decide to read that book after all.”
3 month series on indigenous literature
Beginning Jan. 24, the library will launch a three-month program called “Let’s Talk About It,” partly funded through the Idaho Commission for Libraries and the Idaho Humanities Council.
This year’s series focuses on indigenous stories and authors, with sessions held in the library’s program room on Jan. 24, Feb. 28, and March 28. Each event will be led by a visiting scholar/professor and literary experts from across Idaho — who guide the discussion and provide context for the selected works.
The 2026 lineup includes American Sunrise by former U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, presented by Margaret Pettis; Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley, led by Shelly McEwen of the College of Southern Idaho; and The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich, facilitated by Idaho State University’s Carlin Donovan.
The grant covers the cost of bringing in these scholars, while the library supplies in-kind support through staff time, preparation, and facility use — an annual contribution valued at more than $1,000.
Book kits for Book Clubs
The Idaho Falls Library wants more community members to have access to book clubs, whether that means private gatherings at people’s homes in the community or using space like the “Program Room,” which holds up to 40 to 60 people and can be reserved for a variety of private uses.
In their mission to facilitate greater engagement with literature and help combat epidemic loneliness, the Idaho Falls Public Library provides an extensive set of book club kits, called “Book Club in a Bag” – each containing 10 copies of a selected title. The library maintains more than 100 kits, and both public and private book clubs can check them out.
Some kits in that collection include “The Killers of Flower Moon,” which became a major motion picture featuring Leonardo DiCaprio in 2023, along with some creative novels like “Ella Minnow Pea,” which tells a story that progressively forbids the use of certain letters throughout its plot. The book highlights the consequences of censorship in a creative way, providing an engaging reading experience and sparking conversation on important social issues.
Another selection includes copies of “American Nations,” a work by Colin Woodard, which argues that North America was settled not as a single, unified culture but as a patchwork of distinct “nations,” each founded by groups with their own values, social models, and ideas about liberty, religion and government. The book’s central claim is that modern American conflict is best understood through the lens of its original regional nations rather than red-vs-blue states or urban-vs-rural divides.
You can see the lists of hundreds of kits at the “Books in a Bag” page on the IFPL website.
The kits are chosen through a community voting system, which began on Oct. 27 and is open until Nov 29. Local residents suggest titles, the library narrows them to 20, with the top 10 being added to the kit collection each year. Nominate or vote here.
All available book kits are shelved on the library’s third floor. Patrons can simply grab a bag and head to check out.
Other offerings at IFPL
The library also hosts a wide range of weekly and monthly gatherings, including Dungeons & Dragons groups that meet on Saturdays at 2 p.m, a Chess Club on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 11 a.m., and both Crazy Crafters and a Writing Group on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m.
Other engaging opportunities include a Spanish-language book club, Cuenta un Libro, led by a community member.
Reward based reading programs include “The Extreme Book Nerd Challenge,” which invites adults and teens to read 50 books a year and independent child readers to complete 25.
Prizes have ranged from custom hoodies to next year’s planned Bluetooth speaker. For teens who find reading more challenging, the library also runs the “Turn the Page” program, which rewards them for reading just one book each month, offering a more accessible path to develop consistent reading habits.
“Sometimes reading one book is a huge achievement for a teen,” Swenson noted. “I’m not above bribing kids to read. That’s what summer and winter reading programs are for.”
Anyone interested in participating or learning more can visit the library or check its website for upcoming events and schedules.