Library Book Club Kits: How to Borrow a Set of Books for Your Group

Written by Mustafa Bilgic, Operator Sources checked: September 26, 2026
✓ Last Updated: September 2026 | Checked against official sources by Mustafa Bilgic, Operator

Getting everyone in a book club the same book at the same time can be tricky. Many public libraries help with book club kits: a bag holding several copies of one title and a discussion guide, checked out to one member for the whole group. The rules differ from library to library, from how many copies come in the bag to whether you can book a date or must join the hold list. Use the planner to time your pickup around your meeting, then compare nine library systems below.

Plan your book club kit

Choose a library, enter your group size and meeting date, and the planner works out when to pick up the kit, when it is due and whether one kit covers everyone. It uses each library's own loan rules.

Pick a library and a meeting date to see your pickup date, due date and copy count.

Kit rules at this library

Choose a library above to see what is in its kits, how to reserve one and what late or lost kits cost.

Book club kits at nine library systems

Most of these libraries put about 10 copies of one title in a kit and lend it for six weeks. The biggest differences are how you book it and what a late or lost kit costs.

LibraryCopiesLoanHow to bookLate or lost
Hennepin County Library (MN)8 to 106 weeksPlace a holdFees for missing books are charged to the patron who checked out the kit
Washington County Library (MN)106 weeksThrough the catalogNot listed
Rochester Public Library (MN)106 weeksReserve datesNot listed
Indianapolis Public Library (IN)106 weeksReserve datesNo overdue fines; $25 for a whole kit or a bag, no fee for lost books
Lake County Public Library (IN)10 to 156 weeksReserve datesNot listed
Central Arkansas Library System (AR)106 weeksReserve dates10 cents a day per kit late; $150 for a full kit, $15 a book, $2 for the discussion guide
Jefferson-Madison Regional Library (VA)106 weeksPlace a hold$1 a day late (up to $10); $150 plus $5 for a lost adult kit, $10 a book, $10 for the bag
Bellingham Public Library (WA)1032 daysReserve datesA gently used copy may replace a lost or damaged book, at staff discretion
Wake County Public Libraries (NC)156 weeksReserve datesNot listed

From each library's own page, checked September 26, 2026. Hennepin County Library was read from an archived copy dated May 14, 2026, because its site blocks our server. Wake County's kits for kids in grades K to 5 go out for up to nine weeks.

What comes in a book club kit

A book club kit is a bag of books for a whole group. Instead of every member waiting in the hold line for the same title, one person borrows the set and hands out the copies. Kits at the libraries we checked hold:

  • Several copies of one title. Ten is the usual number. Hennepin County Library's kits hold 8 to 10, Lake County Public Library in Indiana packs 10 to 15, and Wake County Public Libraries in North Carolina puts 15 in each kit.
  • A discussion guide. Central Arkansas Library System adds a discussion guide for the club leader, Rochester Public Library in Minnesota adds a reading group guide, and Washington County Library in Minnesota adds discussion questions and author information.
  • A bag. Jefferson-Madison Regional Library in Virginia uses a tote with a numbered log to keep track of copies, and Lake County's kits come in a tote bag with wheels.

The kit goes on one person's card. Hennepin County checks each kit out to one patron who is responsible for all of the materials, and Jefferson-Madison checks it out to one group member with a library card. That person collects every copy at the end, so it helps to keep a list of who has which book.

How to reserve a kit

Libraries use one of two systems, and it changes how far ahead you plan.

  1. Date reservations. You book the kit for set dates, often months ahead. Indianapolis, Lake County (Indiana) and Wake County take reservations online through MyTurn, where you log in with your card number and PIN and choose a pickup location. Indianapolis wants requests at least two weeks in advance. Lake County and Wake County let you book up to a year ahead, and Central Arkansas takes reservations up to 12 months out through its kit coordinator. Rochester takes phone reservations for a set six-week period and warns that the catalog does not show those bookings. Bellingham uses LibCal.
  2. Holds. You place a hold like any other item and get the kit when it comes in. Hennepin County sends the kit to any of its libraries for pickup. Jefferson-Madison says it cannot take reservations for specific time periods, asks you to allow one week from request to pickup and allows only one kit reserved or checked out at a time.

Pickup can take a few days. Bellingham keeps its kits at the Central Branch, so choose Central if you want the kit on the first day of your reservation; moving a kit to another branch takes 2 to 3 days.

Loan periods, returns and fees

Loan period. Eight of the nine systems lend kits for six weeks. Bellingham gives you 32 days from the first day of the reservation. Hennepin County, Indianapolis, Central Arkansas and Jefferson-Madison do not allow renewals, though Indianapolis asks you to email if you need more time and Bellingham says extensions may be possible when no one else has booked the kit.

Who can borrow. Central Arkansas requires you to be 18 or older, hold an active CALS card with a balance of $100 or less and register with its kit program. Lake County lends to cardholders in good standing, up to three kits at a time, and Indianapolis allows up to ten bags checked out at once.

Returns. Kits go back inside, not in the book drop. Hennepin County wants them at a service desk during open hours, Indianapolis at a checkout desk, Central Arkansas at a circulation desk, and Jefferson-Madison notes that kits do not fit in the book drop.

Late and lost kits. Indianapolis charges no overdue fines and no fee for a lost book, but $25 for a lost kit or bag. Central Arkansas charges 10 cents a day per late kit, $15 for a lost book and $150 for a full kit. Jefferson-Madison charges $1 a day up to $10, $10 per lost book and $150 plus a $5 processing fee for a lost adult kit. Bellingham may accept a gently used copy in place of a lost or damaged book, at staff discretion.

Kits for kids' book clubs

Some libraries also stock kits for children. Jefferson-Madison's children's kits hold 5 copies of a title with discussion questions and background information, and its Central Children's Desk handles questions about them. Wake County's kids' kits are aimed at grades K to 5 and go out for up to nine weeks instead of six, which gives young readers more time. Tick the kids' kit box in the planner when you pick either library.

If your library has no kits

Search your library's catalog or website for "book club kit," "book club in a bag" or "book group in a bag." Names vary: Indianapolis calls them Book Club in a Bag, Lake County calls them Book Club to Go and Washington County calls them Instant Book Club Kits.

If there are none, e-books are the next option. Hennepin County keeps lists of e-books with multiple copies that suit book clubs, so members can borrow the same title at once. You can also join a group the library already runs; our guide to library book clubs explains how. Kits are one of many things libraries lend beyond books, and our library of things guide covers the rest.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a library book club kit?

It is a set of several copies of one book, usually with a discussion guide, packed in a bag and lent to one person for a whole group. Most kits at the libraries we checked hold about 10 copies and go out for six weeks.

How many books are in a book club kit?

Usually 10. Hennepin County Library's kits hold 8 to 10 copies, Lake County Public Library in Indiana packs 10 to 15, Wake County Public Libraries puts 15 in each kit, and Jefferson-Madison's children's kits hold 5.

How long can I keep a book club kit?

Six weeks at eight of the nine library systems we checked, and 32 days at Bellingham Public Library. Wake County's kids' kits go out for up to nine weeks. Hennepin County, Indianapolis, Central Arkansas and Jefferson-Madison do not renew kits.

Can I return a book club kit in the book drop?

Not at the libraries that address it. Hennepin County, Indianapolis, Central Arkansas and Jefferson-Madison all ask you to bring kits inside, and Jefferson-Madison notes that kits do not fit in the book drop.

What happens if someone in my group loses a book?

Usually the person who checked out the kit pays. Hennepin County charges missing-book fees to that person, Jefferson-Madison charges $10 per book and Central Arkansas $15. Indianapolis charges nothing for a lost book but $25 for a lost kit or bag, and Bellingham may accept a gently used copy instead.

Can I book a kit for a specific meeting date?

At some libraries. Indianapolis, Lake County, Wake County, Rochester, Central Arkansas and Bellingham let you reserve dates ahead. Jefferson-Madison works from holds and says it cannot reserve specific time periods.

Related Library Guides

Library Book Clubs Library of Things Donate Books to the Library Get a Library Card Online Free Library Programs Library Kids Programs

Sources

Every rule, fee and figure on this page comes from the official page listed here. We read each one on September 26, 2026. Kit rules change when libraries update their collections, so the library's own page is the final word. Hennepin County Library blocks automated requests from our server, so we read an archived copy of its page from May 14, 2026.