Frequently Asked Questions About the Book Club Resource

The Colorado Book Club Resource (BCR) is a physical collection of more than 1,250 book club sets (each containing 8+ copies of a title) for book clubs all across the state. Sets are loaned out for 8 weeks at a time and can be renewed if no other holds are waiting.

The BCR is a service of the Colorado State Library, made possible through grant funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). We partner with local libraries and use the statewide courier service to provide the materials book clubs need!

The BCR program was created to make it easy for staff at Colorado public libraries (and other institutions that subscribe to the CLiC courier system) to gather the materials for any and all book clubs that might wish to receive them (both within the library and outside the library). Our materials are loaned out exclusively to library/institutional staff, as they keep track of sets and return them to us using the courier. In this sense, local libraries are patrons of the Colorado State Library (who owns and maintains the Book Club Resource).

If you are a community member interested in the Book Club Resource, please first contact your local library. They may be already set up with an account with us, and if not they will need to designate an account manager (also known as the Primary Contact, see below for more information) who will request materials and manage any and all loans for their local community. Library staff wishing to enroll their branch in the program should visit the enrollment page and complete the form. Participation in the program is entirely the choice of the library.

Visit this page and complete the enrollment form. Note, this form is meant for library workers (at institutions that subscribe to the CLiC courier system) as they are responsible for taking take of holds on behalf of book clubs.

Once you submit the enrollment form, we will get you access to your own account for placing holds in our catalog (you cannot request sets using normal ILL procedures, all lending goes through accounts we set up for participating branches).

Visit this page for a full explanation.

Whenever possible, all lending goes through the Primary Contact at any given library branch. The Primary Contact manages the account we set up for their library branch, and they are responsible for taking care of any and all loans for that branch (i.e., requests from patrons/community members/book clubs, internal book clubs, etc.). If we are contacted by community members interested in borrowing sets, we always direct them to the Primary Contact at their nearest branch, if one exists, or else we will suggest that they contact their local library and let them know how they can get set up for borrowing.

Most likely, yes. By far the easiest way of using our materials is through your local library, but if they are unable to do so, we may be able to work with another nearby institution that subscribes to the CLiC courier system (you can see your options by searching on their website). Alternatively, we can arrange for a local pick up at the Denver Capitol Complex, where the collection is housed.

Participation is free. The only possible costs you can incur is if something is lost and needs replacing. See, “What happens in the case of damage or loss?”

Please allow up to 1-2 weeks for items to reach you via the courier after placing a hold. It is usually quicker, but as the program relies heavily on the courier service, it is always best to plan ahead. We appreciate your book club’s flexibility!

Generally not as we do not reserve sets. The system allows you to “suspend” a hold for a certain date, but there is no guarantee that the item will be available on a particular date as items are shared on a first come first served basis.

Loans last for 8 weeks, but we don’t always get our sets back in time, which makes it hard to truly plan ahead or to give advice on how to do that with any level of certainty, especially with the more popular sets. Usually book clubs understand the need for flexibility and do not expect to have a book club set on a specific date.

Email bookclub@coloradovirtuallibrary.org if you would like our best guess on the availability of a particular set.

• We take a flexible approach in cases of loss or damage. Libraries are not required to replace lost or damaged books, especially if doing so creates any sort of hardship for the library. However, we appreciate any efforts to make our materials whole again in the case of loss or damage.
• If we notice that books are missing or damaged, we may reach out to you to confirm how to move forward.
• We very much appreciate when the library simply replaces the book(s) themselves or orders replacements straight to the Colorado State Library, 201 E Colfax Ave, RM 309, Denver, CO 80203. We are happy to accept used books in good condition as a replacement.
• Items lost in the courier system are not the library’s responsibility to replace.

No. The BCR is a physical collection of books and does not contain any electronic books.

We encourage the account holder to keep track of book club copies using whatever method works best for their library. We have begun numbering individual copies and including a sheet for noting borrowers, so you can easily keep track with good old pen and paper.

All we ask is materials are returned to us (Courier Code C912) in a complete state. If something is missing, please reach out to bookclub@coloradovirtuallibrary.org and we can work something out.

Return to Courier Code C912. 

Alternatively, our address is Colorado State Library, 201 E Colfax Ave., RM 309, Denver, CO, 80203.

Yes! See this page and feel free to print any of the materials for your own use.

Email bookclub@coloradovirtuallibrary.org or call the mainline at (303) 866-6900.