Delmarva Discussions, Inc.

Delmarva Discussions is the very successful book discussion program begun in 1984 by the Delaware Library Association and expanded throughout the Delmarva Peninsula in 1988 under a National Endowment for the Humanities grant. From 1984 to the present, Delmarva Discussions has sponsored over 450 reading and discussion series facilitated in libraries, museums, retirement communities and other sites by over 150 different scholars connected with most of the colleges and universities on the peninsula.

Incorporated in the State of Delaware and granted its own non-profit status in 2005, Delmarva Discussions offers various programs and services to communities.

Starting with the traditional offerings, Delmarva Discussions presents reading series to audiences in Delaware and the Eastern Shore areas of Maryland and Virginia. Each series revolves around a specific theme, each featuring three to five titles specifically selected to develop the theme from a variety of perspectives. Sponsored by libraries, museums and other community sites in all three states on the Delmarva Peninsula, participants sign up for the program, check out and read each of the series' books, then attend the scheduled discussion for that particular book.

Participants have about two weeks to read each book before the scheduled discussion. Each discussion is facilitated by a scholar whose education and interest offers participants a valuable perspective on the individual book and its particular relationship to the series' theme. The focus of each program is discussion - not lecture.

Additionally, a library of multiple copies of books is available to organizations who need them for their own original programming. This saves these organizations hundreds of dollars and puts our resources to work when they are not being used in our own programs. 100+ titles, each with 15+ copies are used across the region.

Scholar associated with Delmarva Discussions are the best at what they do. No boring lecturers, no monotone talkers who think they know it all! They are enthusiastic, full of knowledge they are willing to share, and interested in what others have to say. They are our most precious resource and we are happy to share a wealth of information on our speakers and experts. Our scholar list includes First Amendment experts, attorneys and lobbiests, Civil War re-enactors, preservationists, ecologists, activists, best selling writers, published poets, presidential election commentators, and others who are at the top of their field.

In 2009, Delmarva Discussions launched online with a website full of information for readers, writers, and booklovers. From finding discussions and other literary events on Delmarva, to buying books and finding writing exercises and creating poetry, Delmarvadiscussions.org is one stop for all things books, regardless of where you live!

Each year, we add new programs and series, additional services, and knowledge to pass along to all who want it!