PBS Local Chapters were created in response to member demand.

We were asked by our members if we can organize PBS events--local get-togethers, that kind of thing. We just don't have the time to organize these things, although we think it is a great idea.

We came up with the concept of PBS Local Chapters.

• A member can volunteer to be "responsible for" an area--city, county, state, region--and that person is called a Local Chapter Leader.
• The Local Chapter Leaders are the "contact people" for any PBS activity of a local nature. Chapters can do whatever they like--arrange book groups, author readings, PBS meet-ups, PBS fun runs--and they can organize them through the Chapter Leader.
• If you have an idea for an event, contact your Chapter Leader to get the ball rolling! If you don't have a Chapter Leader, why not be one yourself?

Chapter Leaders are the "point people" for everyone to contact about events in that area.

• You can find your Local Chapter in the PBS Local Chapters Discussion Forum, on the main Discussion Forums page.    You can access the Discussion Forums under Community in the top menu of any page on the site.

  • Each chapter should have a topic in that forum
  • The list of Chapters is in a "sticky" (red) topic at the top of that forum.

   

Chapters aren't "closed".

• If you live in (example) New York City, or you are planning a visit there, you can check the PBS Local Chapter Leaders forum beforehand to see if there are any PBS events going on there.
• Anyone who is interested in arranging, coming to or helping with a PBS event can contact the Local Chapter Leader for that area. Chapter Leaders will keep things "coordinated" (you don't want two PBS parties on the same day in the same city!), and publish the dates and times and details in that Chapter's topic in this forum.

Anyone  who is interested in being a Local Chapter Leader, please contact us by sending in feedback (using the link on the Contact Us page linked from the bottom of any page on the site) telling us what area you would like to be responsible for.

How to be a Local Chapter Leader:

• You must have made a public profile (so that you are searchable in the Member Directory)
• Your locality can't be already "taken" (even if it is, you can discuss with that local chapter leader ways to coordinate efforts, co-lead the chapter, or divide the area so that both of you can have chapters. 
  • You can contact any Local Chapter leader from the list in the Local Chapter Leaders Discussion Forums
• Then you just contact us by sending in a feedback message, telling us which area you would like to create a chapter for
  • You can "organize" your city, county, state or region--your choice.
• There is no set of guidelines for being a local chapter leader--you can do anything you like, once your Chapter has been established.
  • We do ask that everyone keep telephone numbers and personal email addresses/physical addresses/last names OUT of the Discussion Forum, for privacy reasons.  Please keep that type of personal information in PMs.

• Once you have been added to the list in the Discussion Forum (you will also get an email letting you know you have been made a chapter leader):
  • you should begin and "moderate" a topic in the Local Chapter Leaders Discussion Forum entitled with the name of your chapter's area/region
  • anyone who is interested in finding out more about (or helping with) local events in an area can check out the information there!
  • You can send PMs to the members in your chapter to keep them up to date on events, or simply update the first Post in the topic you created, so that the information is current.

• We love pictures! 

  • if you take some of your local chapter meetups, please submit them as jpeg attachments to rswarthout@paperbackswap.com, and you may see yourself in an upcoming PBS Newsletter!
  • Be sure to get permission from anyone included in the photo to have their image published before you send the photo to us.