Colorado Book Club Resource Collection Policies and Information

Colorado book Club Resource and graphic of books on a shelf

Mission Statement

The Colorado Book Club Resource (BCR) is a program of the Colorado State Library (CSL). CSL helps libraries, schools, museums, and other organizations improve their services, making it easier for all Coloradans to access and use the materials and information they need for lifelong learning. The mission of the BCR is to facilitate book club events by providing multiple copies of book titles and discussion materials to Colorado’s residents, library users, and students.

CSL Values

  • Access ‐ We provide access to resources and information for all Coloradans.
  • Education ‐ We value education as the gateway to opportunity and fulfillment of potential. We provide engaging opportunities for library leaders and staff.
  • Integrity ‐ We approach our work with integrity and hold ourselves to the highest standard as we conduct our business.
  • Service ‐ We are passionate about serving Colorado libraries and residents with excellence.

CSL Supports Intellectual Freedom

CSL affirms the American Library Association’s Library (ALA) Bill of Rights, Freedom to View, and Freedom to Read policy statements in support of acquiring and managing collections.

General Information About the BCR

  • The BCR is a collection of book club sets provided by the Colorado State Library and housed in the Colorado Department of Education building. The collection is not open for public viewing.
  • Book club sets are multiple copies of the same title that are loaned to patron libraries via the statewide library courier system.
  • “Patron libraries” are those public libraries or other institutions in Colorado that have become enrolled partners of the Book Club Resource program.
  • The patron library’s Primary Contact is responsible for distributing and tracking sets however they see fit and returning materials to CSL.
  • Sets are loaned for eight weeks and may be renewed if no other holds are waiting.
  • The collection is made up of both fiction and nonfiction books generally aimed at adult book clubs, with a growing selection of titles for young adult readers.
  • Most sets contain around eight copies and come with peripheral materials such as discussion questions (if available), book club games, and conversation guidance. Sets may, from time to time, also contain branded giveaways such as pens and bookmarks, when available.
  • The collection is built on book donations from public libraries across the state. We are thankful for all the book donations from libraries, authors, and publishers as they help us strengthen the collection and make it more representative. When funds are available to buy new sets, we use the selection policies indicated in the section below to decide which titles to prioritize.
  • The Primary Contact at any given branch takes care of all loans for that branch (requests from patrons/community members, their own internal book clubs, etc.). We direct interested community members to the Primary Contact at their nearest branch, if one exists.
  • The BCR landing page on the Colorado Virtual Library website can be found at the following webpage: https://www.coloradovirtuallibrary.org/resource-sharing/co-book-clubs
  • Frequently asked questions can be found at the following webpage: https://www.coloradovirtuallibrary.org/resource-sharing/co-book-clubs/frequently-asked-questions-about-the-book-club-resource/
  • The BCR catalog can be found at the following webpage: https://csl.catalog.aspencat.info
  • BCR collection managers may be reached by emailing bookclub@coloradovirtuallibrary.org.

Acquisitions and Selection Objectives

The BCR collection is developed and managed to help libraries meet the cultural, informational, educational, and recreational needs of the people of Colorado by being a resource for book clubs throughout the state. CSL’s Networking & Resource Sharing (NRS) Director and the Program Coordinator are the two collection managers responsible for the selection and maintenance of all materials within the collection. This responsibility is monitored by the State Librarian and is delegated to these individuals as a result of their education, training, experience, and job classification. The collection managers decide which titles are accepted into the collection and may choose to remove a title at any time.

There are no strict criteria for what can or cannot be accepted into the collection, and each selection is made on a case-by-case basis, with special attention paid to the following:

  • Providing a broad range of titles that make for interesting, fun, educational, and/or informative book club events. While this criterion is subjective, there are some things we consider when building the BCR collection:
    • Titles should be accessible and of interest to a general audience. This means we generally do not accept academic books, technical manuals, or books designed for a very limited or niche audience. Books that are hateful or promote violence are also unacceptable.
    • Books may include themes, characters, or other content which would potentially make for interesting, engaging, enlightening and/or entertaining discussions for a wide variety of book clubs.
    • Nonfiction books should be accurate, factual, and truthful.
    • The collection should include a variety of classic, modern, and popular contemporary titles to meet the needs of different types of book clubs. 
    • As book club titles are collected specifically for the purposes of facilitating discussions, we affirm the right to free and open access to reading and as such intentionally include titles that have been challenged, censored, or otherwise banned, per the ALA.
  • Making a conscious, continual effort to develop the collection with a diverse range of subject matter in order to better represent and serve the people of Colorado.
    • “Diverse” subject matter includes, but is not limited to, works created by authors from/with a broad variety of nationalities, races, genders, sexualities, abilities, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds; and
    • Works that specifically address, center, and further the acceptance of diverse people and identities in society; such works may detail the lived experiences of people from frequently marginalized communities/backgrounds, such as the LGBTQIA+ communities, people of color, and people with disabilities.
    • As the collection is largely made up of donated books from public libraries, we are often limited by the types of books we typically receive. Donated sets often do not fully address the need to include more representative titles. For this reason, when funding is available to buy new sets, particular attention is paid to making available works by a diverse selection of authors and on a variety of topics.

Loss or Damage to Books

  • 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.

Membership

Local public libraries (via the statewide courier) are the primary means of circulating book club sets. Any institution with access to the courier system may apply to become a member of the Book Club Resource program by completing the form at the following web address: https://www.coloradovirtuallibrary.org/resource-sharing/co-book-clubs/book-club-enrollment-form/

Book clubs may also contact the collection managers at bookclub@coloradovirtuallibrary.org with any questions or to discuss alternate ways of borrowing. For example, institutions or book clubs not part of the courier system but willing to pick up sets from the Colorado Capitol Complex (where the collection is housed) may also apply for membership. Multiple staff at a library may share the same account, but we ask that one staff member is designated as the primary contact. BCR managers reserve the right to refuse membership and may revoke membership if lending has not been going to plan or if we are unable to confirm a primary contact.

Challenges

CSL is not a public library and the BCR collection is not open to the public for viewing or in-person check-outs. Because censorship is antithetical to the idea of book clubs (which are specifically meant for openly discussing literature), it is unlikely that a BCR title would be removed because of a challenge from a member of the public. However, a title may be challenged by emailing bookclub@coloradovirtuallibrary.org with the following information:

  • Contact information, including full name, mailing address, and phone number.
  • The book title and author.
  • The reason(s) for the challenge, citing specific examples and page numbers.

Alternatively, a letter may be sent with the same information to the following address:

Attention: Book Club Resource

Colorado State Library

201 E. Colfax Ave, RM 309

Denver, Colorado 80203

Anonymous challenges or challenges that do not contain the required information outlined above will not be considered. Following the receipt of a challenge, the collection managers will review the challenge within 10 business days and determine whether the title in question should remain in the collection or if there are sufficient grounds for removing it. The collection managers may choose whether to notify the challenger of their decision. The collection managers are under no obligation to respond to a challenge.

Colorado Authors

We often include local authors and authors with significant links to Colorado in the BCR, and we welcome authors and their publishers to submit books for inclusion in the collection. To apply, complete the form found on the following webpage: https://bit.ly/3pTlGQM

Rules

  1. Submissions shall be commercially-published works. Ebooks, vanity press, and unpublished material cannot be accepted into the BCR. Pre-publication copies are allowed.
  2. Authors shall provide at least 8 copies of their work (10 copies is preferable) free of charge to the Colorado State Library for use in the BCR. In some cases, we may be able to share the cost of books.
  3. Priority shall be given to local authors, but authors outside of Colorado will also be considered.
  4. If requested, an author shall provide a single copy of their book for evaluation; the book will be returned to the author if the title is not considered appropriate for the BCR.
  5. The acceptance of a title into the BCR is at the total discretion of BCR management.

Last updated in October 2024.