Book Club in a Bag !
Welcome to the Book Club in a Bag Program of the
Santa Barbara Public Library System
A Book Club in a Bag kit contains everything your book group needs to enjoy reading and discussing your next book. Each bag contains at least 8-10 copies of a title, discussion questions, a biographical sketch of the author and/or subject of the book, and a book sign-up sheet to help the leader keep track of the books. More titles are added periodically. Book Club Bags have been assembled for the following titles (For a brief description of each title click here):
Fiction
The Help, by Kate Stockett
The Alchemist, by Coelho, Paulo
Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese
Little Bee, by Chris Cleave
The Known World, by Edward P. Jones
The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery
The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein
The Gathering, by Anne Enright
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, by Jamie Ford
The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Life of Pi, by Yann Martel – Santa Barbara Reads 2003
The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri
Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout
The Inheritance of Loss, by Kiran Desai
Birth of Venus, by Sarah Dunant
Out Stealing Horses, by Per Petterson
Water For Elephants, by Sara Gruen
Stoner, by John Williams
Away, by Amy Bloom
Divisadero, by Michael Ondaatje
Suite Française, by Irene Nemirovsky
Housekeeping, by Marilynne Robinson - Santa Barbara Reads 2008
Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson
Bel Canto, by Ann Patchett
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, by Kim Edwards
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, by Lisa See
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon – Santa Barbara Reads 2004
Non-fiction
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot -- Santa Barbara Reads 2011
The Last Resort, by Douglas Rogers
The Price of Privilege, by Madeleine Levine
The Legend of Colton Bryant, by Alexandra Fuller
Brunelleschi’s Dome, by Ross King
The Zookeeper’s Wife, by Diane Ackerman
Two Years Before the Mast, by Richard Henry Dana
The Year of Magical Thinking, by Joan Didion
Enrique’s Journey, by Sonia Nazario - Santa Barbara Reads/UCSB Reads 2010
The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson
River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey, by Candice Millard
Mountains Beyond Mountains, by Tracy Kidder – Santa Barbara Reads 2007
The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls
Eat, Pray, Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, by Bill Bryson
The Omnivore’s Dilemma, by Michael Pollan
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This program is supported by the generous donation of the
Friends of the Santa Barbara Public Library.
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- Any member of the Santa Barbara Public Library System may borrow a kit.
- Requests for kits must be made through an SBPL Central Reference staff member by phone (564-5604), email or in person.
- The kit will be checked out on the library card of the person picking up the bag. That patron is completely responsible for the bag and all of its contents.
- The loan period is 6 weeks. If the kit you want is checked out you can request to be on the hold list for the title.
- No more than 1 kit may be borrowed at one time by a patron.
- Kits may not be renewed.
- Check contents before returning the kit. The replacement cost of an entire kit depends on the cost of each unit in the kit. The replacement costs of individual parts of the kit will depend on the cost of each particular item.
- How Your Book Discussion Group Can Help: You can help build the Book Club in a Bag program by donating clean copies of books your group has read. This is a great way for area groups to share not just the titles of what they've read and enjoyed, but the books themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. One of my group members forgot to return his/her book -- who is responsible?
A. The person who borrows the kit is completely responsible for the return of the bag and all of its contents.
Q. I can't remember what was in my bag when I got it. How do I know what to check for before returning it?
A. Look at the packing list in your bag; the kit’s contents are listed there.
Q. Can my group members return their copies to the library?
A. No, the Book Club in a Bag kit must be returned with all contents at the same time.
Q. What if a book is lost?
A. If your group loses a book you have two choices: replace it with another (clean) copy of the book, or the library will bill you for the book. Please let the Library know if a book
has been substituted so we may check for condition and apply stickers for the next borrower.
Q. May I place a hold on a Book Club in a Bag from the online catalog?
A. No, the kit must be reserved through a library staff member at the Santa Barbara Central Reference Desk (805-564-5604).
Q. What if my group needs more copies than are in the bag?
A. Use the Santa Barbara Public Library System Catalog to request more copies of a title as needed.
Q. Someone in my group prefers large print books, how can I help them?
A. Use the Santa Barbara Public Library System Catalog to request the title in different format: large print, book on cassette, book on CD. (Some kits contain large print and/or audio formats.)
Q. Can my book club suggest titles for the program?
A. Contact your local library and let them know your ideas! |
