Welcome!
If you have just joined up, may you share with us many happy moments of enjoyable reading and discussion.
If you have been part of the scheme before, thank you for continued association with us.
We look forward to helping in any way we can.
Your group will have a BDS name, such as TEANA 008 or CHCH 245. Knowing your group's BDS name and the name of your Convenor (the liaison person with BDS) allows us to quickly identify your group...especially as we have more than 1000 groups nationwide!
Once registered with the scheme - or, if you're an existing BDS group, re-enrolled with us - we can send out your first set of books. The parcel is available for pick-up (local Christchurch groups) OR will arrive by courier in the week before your first meeting.
Couriered books are sent to the 'Convenor' of your group (the liaison person between BDS and the group).
We allocate to your group the highest ranking title on your booklist that we have sufficient copies of for the number of people in your group.
Books that are prioritised on your list are dispatched in order of preference, depending on the availability of sufficient copies.
If the titles on your booklist are not in priority order, our computerised inventory system randomly chooses a title from the list. However, when randomly picking a title it usually alternates a fiction title with a non-fiction title (if sufficient quantities of each are chosen).
Having 'spare' titles on your booklist (more titles than you will actually receive during your membership period) ensures that something from our collection will be available for your group. Part of the excitement and surprise of book groups is not knowing exactly which of your selected titles you'll receive!
Your booklist can be amended at any time, so don't think it's set in concrete! Groups can amend, delete and prioritise some or all of the books on their list at any time during membership.
Convenors can do this on-line by logging into the Convenor part of the website or by contacting BDS.
Your first 'official' meeting
Your first meeting - when you receive your first book but obviously can't discuss it yet- is a great time to sort out the running of your group.
Your group can:
- distribute the first book (and accompanying discussion notes)
- introduce members
- collect membership fees
- confirm your booklist
- organise venue(s) for the remaining meetings
Membership period
Some groups follow the calendar year each year (they start membership in late January or mid February and finish in late November/early December). BDS refers to them as calendar-year groups.
Other groups start during the year and so complete their membership period part-way through the following year. We call these non-calendar year groups.
Unless groups choose to have an additional 'holiday read' book issued to them during the Christmas-New Year holidays, all books must be returned to the BDS office before Christmas. The BDS office is closed at this time and we recommence book distribution in the New Year.
For a further explanation of the timetable for receiving books, click here.
Books are due back to the BDS office within 7 days of the meeting when you discussed it. The date is listed on the consignment note that accompanies your book parcel.
All books - except the optional 'holiday read' - must be returned to the BDS office before Christmas.
With 2 or 3 meetings to go* in your membership period, your Convenor will receive a re-enrolment pack.
To enjoy a smooth transition into the next membership period, your group needs to complete re-enrolment EITHER on-line (the Convenor can do this) OR by completing the re-enrolment form contained in the pack supplied.
Payment of fees is due by the date shown on the pre-printed Re-enrolment Form in the re-enrolment pack.
* (those on a student programme receive an enrolment pack before the end of the academic year)
