How Do Book
Groups Work?
Frequently Asked QuestionsHow many members does a group need? What is the cost of membership? What happens if I lose or damage a book? What happens if I’m late returning books? What does it cost to return books to the BDS? Where can I get advice on managing a book group?
We put you in touch with groups in your area who are looking for members. You make contact with the convenor of a group (the person in a book group who acts as our main contact person and returns books to us) to find out more about the members of their group and their reading tastes. You may want to go along to one of their meetings before you make a final decision about joining that group.
To find out which groups in your area are currently looking for new members, you can: • Click on the map at Join a Group and then let us know what group(s) you're interested by emailing us your details on the Join a Group Enquiry Form, or • Leave a message on the Notice Board for groups to read, or • Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , call our Christchurch office on (03) 365 6210, or send an enquiry at Contact Us. You're keen to know how to start up your own group? Fantastic! Head to our Start a Group page and you'll find out how you can be part of New Zealand's only nationwide book group scheme. We have nearly 40 years' experience in resourcing book groups, so we're only too happy to offer our experience, expertise and - of course - lend you our books and discussion notes. We have hundreds of titles to choose from, and deliver nationwide. If you have any questions about setting up your group, you can email us at
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or telephone our Christchurch office on (03) 365 6210. We look forward to hearing from you. How many members does a group need? The recommended size for groups is 7 to 12 members (we supply a maximum of 12 books to any group). This size is conducive to good discussion and helps ensure a varierty of views. Groups with 6 members or fewer pay a minimum membership fee (to cover our base costs for administration and distribution). We encourage small groups to increase their numbers to 7 or more. What is the cost of membership? Members pay a programme (membership) fee. This fee covers the loan of books and discussion notes during a membership period of 10 months, and the cost depends on the number of people in your group (it's cheaper if you have 7 or more people) and the type of programme your book group joins up to. We have a:
A table of fees is below:
Convenors (our main contact person) of book groups of 7 or more people pay a reduced membership fee. This is our way of acknowledging the role convenors play in ensuring BDS materials are distributed and returned in a timely way. Registration fee: any new book group needs to register with us, so we can set up details of your group on our computer and book inventory system. There is a one-off administrative cost of $30. Returning books to us: the cost of returning books to the BDS is the responsibility of the group — but we offer good deals on courier bags! Groups may order pre-paid courier bags through the BDS at a reduced rate. See Courier Information. Generally speaking you pay your membership fee to the convenor of your book group. Convenors then pay us on behalf of their group. We prefer to receive a group's membership fee in one payment. Convenors can pay us by: • Cash (in person to our Christchurch office, or deposited into our BNZ bank account. Contact Us for our bank account details), or • Cheque (in person or by post). Please make cheques out to the 'Book Discussion Scheme' and write your group's name (e.g. AKAR 002) or your BDS bank ID number on the back of the cheque. Our postal address is PO Box 7126, Christchurch 8240 or deliver to 440 Colombo Street, Sydenham, Christchurch. • Internet banking — Contact Us to obtain our BNZ bank account number. Remember to include with your internet payment your group's name (e.g. AKAR 002) or your BDS bank ID number. Existing BDS book groups can use the bank deposit slip provided in re-enrolment packs to make a deposit at any BNZ branch. What books are available? We have multiple copies of each title (book sets), so more than one group can read the same title at the same time. We currently have more than 30,000 books on our shelves. To browse through our catalogue, or search for a particular author or book, click on the menu button "Catalogue" on the lefthand side of your screen. If you would prefer to view the catalogue as a pdf file, then please click here: BDS Catalogue. Members of a book group return their books to their convenor (the person in a book group who liaises with us and is our main contact person). Convenors have the responsibility for ensuring books are returned to us in a timely way. Convenors of local Christchurch groups can drop off books at our Colombo Street office in Sydenham. Other groups can post or courier their books to us. Groups may order pre-paid courier bags through the BDS at a reduced rate. See Courier Information. What happens if I lose or damage a book? Any book that is still outstanding after 3 months (i.e. we haven't received it within 3 months of the due date for its return) will be charged for. We will send out an invoice for the replacement cost. We also charge for damaged books. An invoice for the replacement cost will be sent out within a week of receiving the damaged item. What happens if I’m late returning books? What does it cost to return books to the BDS? From 1 October 2010, the price for courier bags are: Lineflow Bags (395 mm x 440 mm) - one bag fits 7 to 12 average-sized paperbacks Pack of 10 = $105
Foolscap Bags (275 mm x 380 mm) - one bag fits up to 6 average-sized paperbacks Pack of 10 = $85
A4 bags (250 mm x 325 mm) - suitable for returning any overflow of books when your group has larger books to return Pack of 10 = $75
Where can I get advice on managing a book group? From us! The Book Discussion Scheme has been helping and resourcing book groups for nearly 40 years. We are happy to offer you tips on how to run a successful and enjoyable book group! Contact Us if you would like to chat or ask us a question. You might also find useful information on the websites listed on our Links page or from books at your local library. The Book Discussion Scheme is a not-for-profit organisation and is a member of the Federation of Workers Educational Associations' (FWEA). A sub-committee of the FWEA is responsible for governance of the BDS. THe BDS office, located in Christchurch, is run by manager and a small number of mostly part-time staff. Volunteers cover books and review potential titles. Who funds the BDS?
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