State guide
California
California law requires the California State Library to loan eligible materials to other public and private libraries in the state upon request from the borrowing library. I did not find a current official California State Library page for a statewide book club kit or “book club in a bag” lending program, but many city and county library systems run their own public book clubs or lend kits.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- State library agency
- California State Library
- Statewide book club kit program
- Not published by an official source we could verify. Ask the office.
- Interlibrary loan
- California law says State Library loan requests normally go through a local library, and the State Library loans eligible books or periodicals to other public and private California libraries upon request from the borrowing library.
Official resources in California
State agency homepage for statewide library programs, services, and collections.
Official compilation of state library laws covering State Library loans, interlibrary loans, and direct service to individuals.
Contains the same State Library interlibrary loan sections visible in search results, including Sections 20020, 20021, and 20050.
Shows California’s cooperative library systems that support sharing among public library jurisdictions.
Governor’s Office page about the statewide First Partner children’s book club and related library programming support.
Key facts for California
- California law says State Library materials available for circulation are made available to inhabitants of the state through a loan service.
- California law says requests for State Library loans generally go through a local library.
- California law says the State Library shall loan available books or periodicals to any other public or private library in California upon request.
- California law limits direct State Library loan service to specified groups and residents in areas where no local library service is available.
- I did not find a current official California State Library statewide book club kit lending page.
- California’s cooperative library systems map lists regional systems that support resource sharing among library jurisdictions.
Libraries that lend book club kits in California
| Library | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria Public Library Book Club in a Bag | Santa Maria | Not published* | Kits contain 10 copies and discussion questions, can be delivered to any branch, and check out for 6 weeks to one cardholder. |
| Mountain View Public Library Book Club in a Bag | Mountain View | Not published* | Library card holders can reserve kits with 10 copies, discussion questions, and book-club tips; checkout is 6 weeks with one renewal. |
| Escondido Public Library Book Club in a Bag | Escondido | 760-839-4683 | Book Club in a Bag includes 6 copies, discussion questions, author information, and organizing tips; the bag checks out for 42 days. |
| Oceanside Public Library Book Clubs for Adults | Oceanside | Not published* | Official page for multiple public adult book clubs and a Book Club in a Bag collection with 5 to 7 copies plus discussion materials. |
| San Francisco Public Library Book Clubs at SFPL | San Francisco | Not published* | Official hub for branch and virtual public book clubs across SFPL. |
| Los Angeles Public Library Fiction Book Club | Los Angeles | (818) 755-7873 | Official recurring public adult fiction book club event page at Studio City Branch. |
| Orange Public Library Explorer Kits | Orange | Not published* | Not a book club kit program, but an official California State Library-supported kit lending page residents can use for borrowing rules and holds. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Start with your city or county library’s book club or kit page; many California systems lend local kits even though no statewide state-library kit page was found.
- If you need a California State Library item, ask your local library to place the request rather than contacting the State Library as a general borrower.
- If you live in an area without local library service, review the California Library Laws direct-service eligibility language before contacting the State Library.
Not seeing your library or county?
We list a library only when an official government page publishes its rules. If yours isn't in the table above, it may not publish them online yet. Here's what to use instead, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above. It applies across California, but cities and counties can add their own steps, fees or deadlines.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from California's population center, for comparison only):
- Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, Nevada · about 225 miles
- Henderson Libraries, Nevada · about 235 miles
- Carson City Library, Nevada · about 251 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.California State Library
Website →Phone not shown: use the contact page on the official website above.Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the California page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us and include a link to the official page. We check every tip before it goes up.
Helpful guides
- What is a library book club kit?
- How to borrow a book club kit from your library
- How to start a book club at your library
- Using interlibrary loan for your book club