‘Crime pays’ as book clubs delve into dark side of life and capture new members
Many Irish libraries are seeing a rise in clubs focused on books with darker themes.
Irish libraries are noticing that “crime pays” as book clubs delve into the darker side of life and capture new members.
Many branches are seeing a rise in clubs focused on books with darker themes.
At the Young Investigators’ Book Club run by Sligo Library, young sleuths read a detective novel every week and put their crime solving brains to the test with activities set by librarian Laura Brett.
Ms Brett said the club started as part of its Summer Stars programme, which will return next year for children aged between nine and 12.
The initiative is being showcased ahead of National Public Libraries Open Day on September 26, the national celebration of Ireland’s public library network.
According to Ms Brett, rather than just discuss the book, children in the club took on activities such as footprint and handwriting analysis and how to use Morse code.
She said: “We even created a scenario in the library where we had suspects and the different librarians took on different roles and the children had to figure out who did it.”
She came up with the idea of a Young Investigators’ Book Club to try to get children reading but also to add a layer of excitement.
“We chose age-appropriate murder/mystery and investigation books. The kids did their reviews every week and were able to talk about the different styles of the books,” Ms Brett added.
Sligo Library plans to continue the club as participants move up to young adult and is exploring the possibility of taking the club into local schools.
Yvonne Shields, mother of Róisín, 10, and Liam, nine, said the club was an amazing resource which her children were keen to go to every week.
“For my daughter in particular, it’s her happy place. If she ever feels upset, she’ll take up a book in her hands,” she said.
“We’re so lucky with our library; the librarians chat to the kids about the books they’re returning. My children would have cancelled a holiday to go to the book club.”
A second crime-themed gathering, the Thursday Murder Club, named after the hugely popular book by Richard Osman, meets every Thursday at Carndonagh Library in Inishowen, Donegal.
Club founder Gina Nemeti, a quantity surveyor from Malin, said the group has encouraged its members to sign up for library cards and begin borrowing books too.
“It’s a like-minded gathering of people looking at true crime cases and examining all the articles and audio books available,” she said.
“We started in April and we currently have 14 women in the club. The library staff have been brilliant and a good few of us ended up going for library membership.”
National Public Libraries Open Day on September 26 is a celebration of Ireland’s public library network and the important contribution libraries make to communities across the country.