Sit Down & Speak Up Book Club

Welcome to Sit Down & Speak Up Book Club! — We're happy you're here!

Our book discussions are held in person at local public venues in Eugene, Oregon. In alignment with our equity stance, we view our local venues as welcoming spaces rather than neutral backdrops. Our presence takes up tables and the time of service staff. We encourage all members to support our local venues by ordering a beverage and/or a bite. Please refrain from bringing outside food and beverages so our Sit Down & Speak Up Book Club remains a welcome guest in our local venues.

SIT DOWN & SPEAK UP STANCE

We are an equity-focused community of open-minded and kind readers who care deeply about the human condition. Whether through fiction or nonfiction, we explore books that help us better understand the diverse experiences that challenge and change people and shape and shift society, taking on real topics like identity, power dynamics, systemic inequity, environmental justice, and collective action. To us, a good book offers entertainment and even escape, yet it can also inspire personal and social change.

COLLECTIVE CONNECTION & CARE

We cultivate our community by steadfastly upholding shared agreements that apply equally to every single member, including the admin team, without exception for personal friendships, group seniority, or outside social standing. Together, we commit to a safe, accessible space for all. To protect this environment, we expect all members to honor our core practices: listen attentively, practice inclusive empathy, question kindly, disagree respectfully, and continuously challenge our own perspectives and assumptions.

ATTENDANCE AGREEMENTS

• Registered Members Only – To keep our discussions small and safe, meetings are open only to registered members with an active 'Yes' RSVP. ADA service animals are always and warmly welcome.
• RSVP Process – Many of our members balance school, work, and caretaking. To give everyone an equitable chance to secure a seat alongside members with flexible schedules, we have a 2-phase RSVP process.
• 1st Through 14th of the Month – Members may RSVP to a maximum of 3 discussions.
• 15th of the Month and Onward – Members may RSVP to any remaining open spots.
• Automated Waitlists – When discussions are at capacity, members join our automated waitlists. Bypassing a waitlist, including showing up to a meeting without an active 'Yes' RSVP, is not allowed, as it directly takes a seat and voice away from a member who has been waiting patiently and equitably in the queue. Because empty seats belong strictly to the automated waitlist, anticipated no-shows do not create open spots for unregistered individuals, and seats cannot be privately reassigned or given away.
• No-Shows & Late Cancellations – Reserving a spot in a meeting and failing to attend, or cancelling late without a word, directly deprives a community member of an opportunity to participate. Because empty seats directly limit community access, a total of 3 no-shows or late cancellations will result in discontinuation of membership. Late cancellations are only tallied for discussions with a waitlist. These meetings are clearly marked with 'WAITLIST' at the top of the post. If you cannot attend, you must update your RSVP before the 7-day mark so the next person in line has time to access and read the book. When a discussion has no waitlist, late cancellations are not included in the 3-count tally regarding discontinuation of membership. However, if you must cancel for any discussion or social, change your RSVP to ‘No’ and leave a brief note letting the group know.
• Inactivity & Hiatuses – A vibrant community thrives on active engagement. When members do not submit any RSVP ('Yes' or 'No') for 3 consecutive months, they are routinely withdrawn from the roster and may rejoin when they are ready to participate. If you anticipate a temporary period when you cannot participate but wish to remain on the roster, please contact the admin team to request a hiatus.

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

Selected books are curated from member-recommended titles.

• Monthly Book Submissions (1st–7th) – Each member may list one book per month in 'Books We Want to Read' via the Bookclubs app/site. Submissions must include a brief pitch in the notes explaining why the book is worthy of discussion. Submissions without a pitch are automatically cleared. The book recommendation window closes on the 7th at 10:00 PM and submitted titles are cleared each month to keep the queue fresh.
• Curatorial Committee Vetting – To ensure balance and equity, submissions are reviewed and selected by the admin team based on specific criteria: alignment with our stance and group agreements, author diversity, literary themes, genre variety, discussion potential, reader interest, and ratings/reviews.
• Two-Month Calendar Rollout – To give everyone ample time to source and read the books, selected titles and meeting details are announced via Bookclubs 'Messages' on the last day of each month for the calendar two months out. Meetings officially open for RSVPs on the first day of each month, capped at 8 to 12 attendees depending on reader interest and venue capacity.

DISCUSSION GUIDELINES

60-minute discussions follow an equitable, structured 3-part format.

• Listen attentively without interrupting others – A compassionate conversation allows everyone to complete their thoughts, free from distractions or disruptions.
• Always speak kindly and considerately – Discourse is often dependent upon disagreement. Offer criticism in constructive ways that open a point up for discussion rather than disrespect.
• Take turns and be mindful of total talk time – Everyone's voice is valued and will be heard. Be mindful of how often and how long you speak. A silent timer may be used to ensure equity of voice.
• Keep the discussion relevant and on topic – Brief digressions happen, as they allow us to share ideas that are relevant to a book, but don't sidetrack or derail a discussion with time-taking anecdotes or off-topic interests.

GROUP AGREEMENTS

• Speak for Yourself – Speak from your own unique perspective and lived experiences. We are here to learn from other viewpoints, but we speak only for ourselves.
• Step Up, Step Back – If you tend to speak up early and often, practice stepping back to open up space for others. If you tend to stay quiet, we encourage you to step up and share your voice.
• Center Marginalized Voices – We intentionally center the experiences, knowledge, and voices of those whose intersectional identities are marginalized or underrepresented.
• Own Intent & Impact – Despite our best intentions, our words and actions can cause unintended harm. We prioritize a pattern of respectful behavior over repeated cycles of apology and repair.
• Courage & Vulnerability – We practice the courage to hold one another accountable through kind, honest communication and commit to being vulnerable enough to seek constructive feedback.
• Boundaries & Privacy – Personal boundaries are different for everyone and can change over time. A member's private details are shared only by that person, and we kindly remind one another if a boundary is crossed.
• A Pressure-Free Space – To keep our community entirely free from commercial pressure, marketing or selling goods/services to other members (online or in person) is strictly prohibited and will result in immediate membership cancellation.

COLLECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Our volunteer admins are stewards of our shared agreements and are responsible for sharing information and raising concerns, questions, options, and alternatives that affect the collective good of the group. They do their fair share of the work, while trusting fellow members to do theirs.

• Club Communications – To keep communications transparent, we use a public Front Desk Forum thread (in the 'Messages' tab) for general questions, suggestions, and feedback.
• Safety & Integrity – If you directly experience or observe a violation that compromises personal safety or community integrity, contact the admin team immediately via a DM to the Sit Down & Speak Up Admins profile or email sitdownspeakupadmins@gmail.com.
• Our Commitment – To ensure the safety and well-being of our community, the admin team reserves the right to cancel any membership at any time without prior notice. We maintain strict confidentiality regarding specific violations and membership cancellations to protect individual privacy and community integrity.