Great Books at Colby College
Summer 2024 IN PERSON

Sunday, July 21 through Saturday, July 27, 2024

Join us this July for our annual lively week of discussions on the picturesque campus of Colby College. You may find yourself gaining insights rarely achieved while reading alone. Connect with fellow book lovers and make lifelong friends, as you enjoy the beauty and splendor of summertime Maine.

The New Dorm
Our week at Colby is now enhanced with the option of staying in air-conditioned dorms at Alfond Main Street Commons, in downtown Waterville. Last year was our first time staying in the new high-rise dorm and people were very appreciative of this new modern accommodation which contains elevators, suites with separate bedrooms, full kitchens, a lounge and two restrooms with showers, as well as free laundry rooms in the hallways. The college also provides a free parking lot adjacent to the new dorm and frequent, round-the-clock shuttle service from the dorm to a central location on campus. Downtown Waterville itself has become nicely gentrified, and there is a mall behind the downtown dorm, a pharmacy a block away, and fine restaurants across the street from the dorm.

Discussion Groups
This unforgettable vacation brings together readers who love great literary works and provides an opportunity to associate with those sharing that enthusiasm. We eat all our meals together on campus and participate in formal discussion groups that meet for two hours each morning, Monday through Saturday, in campus classrooms. Books are mailed once registration deposits are received, and people are expected to have read them before arriving. Readers develop insights through the Great Books Foundation’s Shared Inquiry Method. Not quoting outside sources facilitates an egalitarian discussion wherein the emphasis is truly on readers and the text. Discussion leaders are assigned, moving from group to group during the week. A leaderless group is available upon request for experienced participants if preferred.

A Glimpse of Truth
People attending Colby Great Books vary in age, background, education and interests, but all share a love of reading. Some have come to Colby for decades, but many newcomers arrive each year. Everyone is welcome and embraced as full and equal participants. The goal is shared inquiry, shared ideas, shared laughter, and shared experience. Results are often friendship, fun and sometimes even glimpses of truth.

Come explore the opportunities available through these links.

Colby Protocols

We are fully prepared to meet and comply with all required safety protocols. Attendees must adhere to CDC protocols as well as Colby College's own Covid safety protocols. We invite you with confidence to join us in-person for our annual lively week of discussions on the traditional and picturesque campus of Colby College.

Junior Great Books at Colby College - 2024 WILL NOT BE ACTIVE THIS SUMMER

Due to Covid, there will be no Junior Great Books at Colby this summer.

To discuss individual arrangements for Junior Great Books older children, please contact John Dalton directly at 610-608-7711 or Email: agreatbook@aol.com

68th Annual Great Books at Colby College
Waterville, Maine
July 21 - July 27, 2024
Love & Passion

Come explore the complexities that confront people as they proceed through the vicissitudes of life.

*****

Ten Reasons to Attend

  • 10. If you enjoy discussing books,
    Colby lets you laugh as you think
  • 9. If you want a vacation at a modest cost,
    Colby will balance your budget
  • 8. If you didn't like college but wish you had,
    Colby may cleanse your palate
  • 7. If flexing your mind adds years to your life,
    Colby will help you live longer
  • 6. If you want to lose weight, resist the exquisite desserts served daily
  • 5. If you dream of birches and pines,
    Colby will please your senses
Image 01
  • 4. If you're tired of touring, set roots here,
    you'll grow taller
  • 3. If you like to read and discuss books,
    meet the most creative readers in the world
  • 2. If you seek a place to spend time with your brilliant child or grandchild . . .
  • 1. If you want stimulating people sharing their ideas about the great issues and if you have been meaning to visit Maine for years and time away from TV and have a list of unread books you plan to read someday and you've been missing your walks in the woods holding hands with someone you love and want to watch the delighted squeal from little boys and girls learning new things and you haven't seen a chef with a tall white hat in years or ever and if you don't care where you are as much as about what you do and if you've been thinking there's more to a vacation than sitting on a beach or walking the deck of a cruise ship or spending your money in Vegas or flying for fourteen hours to sleep in a tiny room and eat overpriced food at a tiny table.
  • We’ll meet you to share
    your ideas and laughter.

    *****

    Great Books at Colby Song

    Hear our voices as we speak,
    Colby we salute.
    Share with us our July week,
    Great Books Institute,
    Walk with me, talk with me,
    Share with me your mind.
    Friendship, love, serenity ...
    In your mind I find.

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