PBC Guru has partnered with Michigan State University to create a virtual book club for alumni, faculty, staff and friends related to lifelong learning, fiction and other topics that the participants are interested in. The book club will connect through a private forum where all participants can discuss the current book and network with each other. Participation is completely free, you just have to get a copy of the book to enjoy. The book club will read one book approximately every two months so you'll have plenty of time for each book. You can join the book club at any time and do not have to participate in every reading session.

1. Connect with Fellow Spartans: The Spartan Book Club will introduce you to MSU alumni, faculty, staff and friends from across backgrounds, geographies, generations and professions. Meet new people and gain different perspectives while reading the book.
2. Embrace Lifelong Learning: The Spartan Book Club will help you learn and grow with fellow Spartans as you enjoy regular discussions and share personal insights.
3. Reading is Good for You: Reading can reduce stress, help you sleep better and improve your relationships [1]. Did we mention it also makes you smarter? Reading increases your verbal intelligence, your emotional intelligence, and your creativity [2].

How often will books be read, what is the time commitment and what are the expectations?

We plan to start the book club by reading one book approximately every two months. The texts selected will be lifelong learning, fiction and other topics and take an average of nine hours to read cover to cover. If you have between one and two hours a week to read you should be fine.

Will there be any in-person meetings of the book club?

No, the book club will be entirely online. You can participate anywhere you have Internet access and on days and times that are convenient to you.

Is there any cost to participate?

Participation is free for all Michigan State University alumni, faculty, staff and friends!

How do I get the books?

Participants can get books for free at their local library or purchase them.

How do book club discussions work?

The book club will have a moderator from PBC Guru who manages the forum where discussions occur online. The moderator will pose questions to the group, share relevant articles and facilitate conversation about topics in the book. Participants will be encouraged to post and share as well. This format allows for ongoing conversation and makes it easy for participants to connect with each other through the forum.

How do I make a forum profile?

We're using a private forum to host the book club so it's easy to connect with fellow Spartans. During our sign-up process, you will enter the information to auto-generate your free profile. After you complete the sign up, we'll send you a link to the forum and you can begin to post right away!

What exactly is PBC Guru and what do they have to do with the Spartan Book Club?

Professional Book Club (PBC) Guru is a book club management company that works with businesses, alumni associations and professional societies. The MSU Alumni Office is teaming up with PBC to make this program available to alumni, faculty, staff and friends. You can check out their website at www.pbc.guru if you want to see more of what they do.

I've already signed up. How do I log in?

If you are already a member, you can click here to log in.

What if my question isn't answered?

Feel free to send an email to info@pbc.guru and they'll be happy to help.