The Great Books Foundation maintains the largest book-group registry in the United States. Many of these groups are affiliated with a city or regional Great Books council.
Great Books councils are independent volunteer organizations that support Great Books groups in a particular area. Currently there are twelve councils in the United States and Canada:
Chicago Area Great Books Council
Great Books Council of Delaware
Houston Great Books Council
Long Island Great Books Council
New England Great Books Council
Northern Westchester Great Books Council (NY)
Ontario Great Books Council
Pacific Northwest Great Books Council
Philadelphia Great Books Council
San Francisco Great Books Council (serving Northern California)
Tampa Bay Great Books Council
Westchester Great Books Council (NY)
The councils provide support by:
- publishing newsletters and maintaining websites with information about local groups and events
- periodically hosting leader training in Shared Inquiry.™
- organizing retreats and other special events that feature book discussions (see, for example, the Wachs Summer Institute below)
Please call us at 1-800-222-5870 if you would like to correct or add a name to this list, which includes not only councils but also other regional contacts. Please feel free to contact the Great Books Foundation or any of these contacts for information about starting or joining a local group or council.
Councils and Regional Contacts (by state)
CALIFORNIA
San Francisco Great Books Council (serving Northern California)
Brent Browning, President
brentbrowning(at)comcast.net
phone 408-353-6340
Kay White
kaycleveland(at)aol.com
phone 415-382-1927
Regional Contacts
In Los Angeles
Gunnar Portanova
vportano(at)pacbell.net
phone 310-273-5691
In San Diego
Frank and Sandy Spalding
sspaldin(at)worldnet.att.net
phone 858-755-8978
DELAWARE
Great Books Council of Delaware
Cyra Gross
cyra711(at)aol.com
phone 302-475-3914
Regional Contacts
Barry and Ocie Bernstein
ocie.bernstein(at)comcast.net
phone 302-633-4088
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Regional Contacts
Timothy Holland
jtimothy.holland(at)verizon.net
phone 202-550-6084
FLORIDA
Tampa Bay Great Books Council
Sara Cohen
SaraDACinteriors(at)aol.com
phone 813-985-4515
Regional Contacts
In Gainesville
Don Smith
don.smith(at)greatbooks.org
phone 352-371-3719
In Miami
Peter Lamar
cplamar(at)yahoo.com
phone 305-666-9277
(Prefers contacts by e-mail)
In Orlando
Lila Lang
Lvlang(at)msn.com
phone 781-639-0523
or 407-282-0733
ILLINOIS
Chicago Area Great Books Council
Jack Hatfield
jackhat1(at)aol.com
phone 630-375-0881 (Evenings)
630-375-0676 ext 5 (Days)
MASSACHUSETTS
New England Great Books Council
Paula Williams
phone 617-773-1749
NEW YORK
Long Island Great Books Council
Grahme Fischer
tps.greatbooks(at)verizon.net
phone 631-361-5115
Charles Ferrara
No e-mail
phone 631-581-5082
Westchester Great Books Council
Sharman Propp
Spropp(at)aol.com
phone 914-944-0618
Northern Westchester Great Books Council
Joan Panno
jpanno(at)optonline.com
phone 914-763-6042
ONTARIO, CANADA
Ontario Great Books Council
Bea Gonzalez
ontariogreatbooks(at)hotmail.com
Philadelphia Great Books Council
John Dalton
JD5258875(at)aol.com
Helen McGrane
hmcgrane(at)yahoo.com
TEXAS
Houston Great Books Council
Ron Hoeflinger
ron(at)ronh.us
phone 281-980-0840
WASHINGTON
Pacific Northwest Great Books Council
Steve Burdick
carol.a.davis(at)ampf.com
phone 253-850-3514
Wachs Great Books Summer Institute at Colby College
The Colby Committee sponsors the Wachs Great Books Summer Institute each August at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. For information, please contact:
Thomas and Carol Beam
Great Books Summer Institute at Colby College
824 Thomas Road
Lafayette Hill, PA 19444
phone 215-836-2380
agreatbook(at)aol.com