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In the fall of 1727 Benjamin Franklin and a group of friends founded the Junto Club, a group of ordinary people who met Friday evenings to discuss the books they had read, things that interested them, and the big issues of the day. The group, which became a lively hotbed of ideas lasted almost 40 years and its conversations led to the founding of the Union Fire Company, the University of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Hospital, the first private lending library, and more.
Here and Now
With that inspiration in mind, Mitzi Gousie, the Programming and Outreach Librarian at Franklin Public Library, the nation's first free public library, which was also helped into existence by Ben Franklin, is launching Franklin's own version of the Junto this Thursday evening.
Gousie said she first learned about the Junto while doing prep work for the Library Trivia nights. "As soon as I saw it I knew, 'this is my non-fiction book group'. Open discussion, logical debate not an argument, focused questions on self learning and community betterment, and of course Ben,"she said
Gousie said the Idea of doing a non-fiction book club also started with a vague idea of a "Better Me" book club focused on self improvement. “In the jungle of misinformation,” Gousie said she really wanted to provide a platform for people to discuss what they read and then try to bridge those analysis patterns into daily life with questions like, 'Has this information changed how you interact with social media? How?' or 'Do you agree with what the author is presenting, why or why not?'.
“I love learning and sharing what I learn feels like helping people. So, "Two birds, one stone", as they say,” added Gousie.
The first book Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant was an easy pick, she said, because “the title is, in my opinion, the first step to learning anything.”
While looking for potential titles on the New York Times Best Seller List, Gousie said this book and it's reviews set a foundational tone for open discourse and introspection that felt just right for a mission of self- and community-improvement. Going forward books will largely fall within topics celebrated during the month or topics that have significance for that time of year, she added.
The Pennsylvania Library Company was an idea that came out of the Junto. “This is the kind of discussion that pushed America forward. I hope it can become a way to push Franklin forward as well,” said Gousie.
“Our first meeting is January 9th at 6:30 PM. If you can't make it but are interested come to a future meeting!” From my programming experience, said Gousie, Franklin is not a big virtual event town, but if people want to attend this club virtually send me an email (mgousie@minlib.net), and I'll make it happen!
You can find a list of dates and books on the library webpage at https://www.franklinma.gov/adult-programs-services/pages/franklin-book-clubs-discussion-groups "The current book list is not set in stone, and I will be looking for feedback from attendees!" she added.
