Book lovers on campus looking for their next book club can now join one at Wichita State.
ShelfCare Book Club, started by pre-nursing student Promise Johnson last semester, aims to provide a space for readers of all kinds. Johnson, who now serves as president, started the group after wondering why the campus didn’t already have one.
“We have a lot of clubs for literally everything, and I was like, ‘How can we not have a book club?’” Johnson said. “My friends were just like, ‘Oh, why don’t you just create a book club?’”
Johnson said that creating the club has helped find others who share the same passion as her. Currently, the group has around 30 consistent members.
“I just generally love having conversation with readers, if it’s like five people, or 10 or 15,” Johnson said. “I just want to create that space for readers.”
Marisol Muñoz-Morales, vice president of ShelfCare, said that the club’s goal is to also “foster the critical thinking skills needed to dive into different perspectives than what we may know.”
“Every event that we have, we really want to focus on creating a safe environment for those different perspectives and cultures and backgrounds,” Muñoz-Morales said.
Both Johnson and Muñoz-Morales mentioned having a book of the month, with some months tying specifically into various cultures and people.
“We actually did Native American Heritage Month,” Muñoz-Morales said. “February is definitely going to be Black history. And then, although we won’t be in session for June, we’re hoping to have at least a couple pride or LGBTQ authors in the mix as well.”
The group also aims to make the books they read accessible.
“We offer free links to all of our books online just to make sure it’s affordable for people who want to read but can’t afford to read,” Johnson said.
ShelfCare Book Club generally meets every two weeks. Johnson and Muñoz-Morales both said regardless of how often and what you read, all are welcome to come to the club’s meetings.
“This is a group that’s a safe space for everyone,” Johnson said. “If you’re a book reader, it’s the place for you.”
More about ShelfCare and its meeting times can be found on their Instagram: @shelfcare.ict.
