The Athens County Public Library, or ACPL, is hosting an event series called “Virtual Bandits” — a book club inclusive of developmentally disabled adults.
The series is a virtual version of the Next Chapter Book Club, which began in Columbus to facilitate community-based literacy for adults with intellectual disabilities. The club meets virtually on a weekly basis to collaboratively read and discuss books.
Deborah Parsons, a library associate at ACPL, described that the book club was created as a way to encourage reading for developmentally disabled adults — a skill that has often been overlooked as they have entered adult age.
“When I first came to the library about five years ago, I think they had just heard about the Next Chapter Book Club that began in Columbus,” Parsons said. “And we were told at that time that once developmentally disabled adults leave school, their participation and reading just plummets. They're not encouraged to read. They don't talk about books with each other.”
Kelli Lowery is the property manager in the Elm Rock Group at Sech Kar, a company that provides community residential services for people who have disabilities in Southeast Ohio. Individuals at Sech Kar attend the Virtual Bandits book club.
Lowery said the Virtual Bandits operate similarly to a traditional book club, where members can engage through reading and dedicate each week to discussions of a particular book.
“We were going to the library to do book reading and then COVID hit,” Lowery said. “So, then we started doing it via Zoom meetings. And we would take turns. We would pick a book, take turns reading the book. And then once we finish, there's a little party about the book.”
While many participants may struggle with reading and comprehension, Parsons said there’s been a noticeable difference in their reading skills since the group started.
“(Sometimes) they can't hit most of the words, but they can repeat after someone,” Parsons said. “And that has increased some reading skills. And then we stop in between to talk about the feelings of the characters, where they (discuss) the events, just like you would in a book club. It's even more fun when we do it in person, but this is doable.”
Despite the virtual component, Lowery said the social and educational aspects of the group are still very beneficial to its members.
“It's important because they're able to continue to read and be around others,” Lowery said. “Even though it's Zoom, we do a class-type thing. It keeps them able to read the stories and learn new things.”
Jason Hanning, a member of Virtual Bandits, said he enjoys reading the different stories and learning different lessons that come from each book. The club is currently reading The Summer of Riley, which Hanning said he has enjoyed.
“(I liked reading The Summer of Riley) because Riley causes trouble,” Hanning said.
Aside from the traditional book club structure, Parsons said the club is significant to the participants in that it allows them to connect with both the characters in the books and the other members present.
“Beyond a reading club is more than just the physical act of reading, we do discuss the book, where that brings in the comprehension skills,” Parsons said. “And that's a valuable reading skill, you really don't think about it much, because we think about phonics. And some of our members will never read one word, but when they feel they can get meaning from a story, that's partial literacy, and that's fantastic. That's what I've seen more than anything else, that people will enjoy a story. And that's the most important part of reading is to connect to other human beings, whether on the page or with each other.”
