State guide
Washington
Washington’s state library agency is the Washington State Library within the Secretary of State’s office. Its public service model changed after the July 1, 2025 closure of the Tumwater library building to the public, but official pages still provide statewide resource-sharing, library directories, and library-development services.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- State library agency
- Washington State Library
- Statewide book club kit program
- Not published by an official source we could verify. Ask the office.
- Interlibrary loan
- Washington State Library offers Resource Sharing for individuals, and the state also supports inter-library loan statewide through its Washington OCLC Group Services contract for participating libraries.
Official resources in Washington
State library agency home page with service updates, resource sharing links, and statewide library resources.
Official Washington State Library page for individual interlibrary loan and resource sharing.
Explains the statewide OCLC group contract that includes inter-library loan/resource sharing for Washington libraries.
State library page listing statewide projects and initiatives, including resource sharing and Washington library support.
Official directory residents can use to find public libraries across Washington.
Key facts for Washington
- Washington State Library says its Tumwater location has been closed to the public since July 1, 2025, with limited Thursday appointments.
- Washington State Library offers Resource Sharing, also called interlibrary loan, for individuals.
- Washington OCLC Group Services includes inter-library loan/resource sharing as one of its core services.
- The state library’s services page lists Resource Sharing as a statewide project and initiative.
- Seattle Public Library’s Seattle Reads is a city-wide book group founded in 1998.
- King County Library System book group kits contain 10 copies of one book and check out for 8 weeks.
Libraries that lend book club kits in Washington
| Library | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| King County Library System Book Groups King County | Issaquah | Not published* | System page for public book groups and Book Group Kits; kits contain 10 copies, check out for 8 weeks, and can be reserved in advance. |
| Seattle Public Library Seattle Reads King County | Seattle | Not published* | City-wide public book group; the library lends hundreds of copies of the featured book before the author visit. |
| Spokane County Library District Book Clubs Spokane County | Spokane | Not published* | Lists in-person book clubs and Book Discussion to Go bags with 10 copies, author information, and discussion tips. |
| Sno-Isle Libraries Book Discussion Kits Snohomish County | Marysville | Not published* | Official kit catalog says Sno-Isle and its foundation offer book discussion kits with 10 copies of a single title. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Find your local public library in the Washington library directory, then ask whether it can place an interlibrary loan or already offers book-club kits.
- If you hold a Washington State Library card and the state library does not own an item, check the Resource Sharing page for individual ILL options.
- For ready-made kits, compare public systems such as KCLS, Sno-Isle, and Spokane County Library District, which publish official kit pages.
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 Washington, 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 Washington's population center, for comparison only):
- Multnomah County Library - Pageturners to Go kits, Oregon · about 136 miles
- Multnomah County Library - Book groups, Oregon · about 136 miles
- Hillsboro Public Library - Book Groups, Oregon · about 143 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office. They have the current local rule, fee and form.Washington State Library
Website →Phone: (360) 704-5221 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Washington 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