New York: State guide

The New York State Library is part of the Office of Cultural Education within the New York State Education Department. Its official pages clearly separate statewide interlibrary loan services for libraries from borrower services for eligible individuals, while the book-club-kit options I found were offered by public library systems and local libraries rather than as a statewide state-library lending program.

Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.

Key facts for New York

The New York State Library is part of the Office of Cultural Education within the New York State Education Department.
NYSL says it lends a large portion of its collection to registered borrowers and to other libraries through interlibrary loan.
NYSL says the normal loan period for libraries is six weeks, including shipping and handling.
Libraries in New York State may request from NYSL through OCLC, DOCLINE, CDLC ILL eForm, DueNorth, SEAL, or NYSL’s ILLiad request form.
The NYSL public-library finder lists 762 results on the current page snapshot returned by the official site.

Libraries that lend book club kits in New York

Library	city	phone	Details
Onondaga County Public Libraries - Book Clubs Onondaga	Syracuse	315.435.1900	OCPL’s page lists many public book clubs and says its circulating book club kits include 12 paperbacks and one reader’s guide in a tote bag.
Brooklyn Public Library - Book Clubs	Brooklyn	Not published*	BPL’s official page says it regularly hosts book discussion programming for all ages and points users to the catalog to choose titles with enough available copies.
Rochester Public Library - Book Discussion Kits	Rochester	Not published*	The Outreach Department page says its large-print and CD discussion kits include 4 large-print books, 4 books on CD, and 8 discussion guides.
Syosset Public Library - Book Club in a Bag	Syosset	Not published*	The page says the library owns sets of books for local book clubs and includes discussion questions plus biographical and critical material.

* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.

What to do next

Use the state finder to identify your local public library system first, then ask that library about local kit collections or discussion groups.
If you are a library worker, request from NYSL through the channel your library already uses, such as OCLC or ILLiad.
When choosing a community book-club title, check local catalog availability or dedicated kit pages before setting your meeting date.

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 New York, 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 New York's population center, for comparison only):
- Neptune Public Library - Book Club in a Bag, New Jersey · about 74 miles
- Bernards Township Library - Book Club in a Bag, New Jersey · about 74 miles
- Randolph Library - Book Club in a Bag, New Jersey · about 74 miles
Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.
Your city or county office: Local governments →
Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the New York 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

Book club kit finder →

Do you serve New York? Get a featured listing for $30/month, clearly labeled as a paid placement.