Zip Books Program

Zip Book UPDATE

As of April 13, 2026, we successfully spent all of our State Library grant funds!  More than 300 people submitted requests for over 850 titles (with 95% of the purchases added to the library’s collection!). 

The Siskiyou County Library regrets to announce that the California State Budget approved by Governor Gavin Newsom did not include funding for the Zip Books Program. The program has been suspended indefinitely due to the loss of state funding

The Zip Books Program has been a valuable service, allowing patrons to request books that were not available in our collection while also expanding library holdings for the benefit of the entire community. The program has been especially important for libraries with limited collection budgets, and its loss will be felt throughout California.

We will continue to seek the best ways to provide access to new and requested materials within our available budget.

Purchase Suggestions

Although the Zip Book Program has been suspended, patrons may continue to submit purchase suggestions for materials they would like the library to consider adding to the collection. Due to budget limitations, purchase requests are limited to two books per patron, per month and must meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Published in 2024 or later
• Completes or fills a gap in a series already owned by the library
• Replaces an existing library title that is missing or lost and currently has patron holds

Please note that submitting a purchase suggestion does not guarantee that a title will be purchased. All requests are evaluated according to the Library's Collection Development Policy, available funding, anticipated community interest, overall value to the collection, and long-term relevance.

Because the library has limited funding, priority is given to materials with broad and lasting community interest. Highly time-sensitive publications—including those focused on rapidly changing current events, election cycles, or similar topics—may have limited long-term value and may not be selected for purchase.

We appreciate your understanding as we work to make the best use of our collection budget while continuing to serve the diverse interests of Siskiyou County residents.

Ready to make a suggestion? Suggest a Purchase

If Funds Resume

If Funding for ZipBooks Resumes in the future, Zip Book requests must meet the following criteria:

• Not currently in our collection; and
• Is a book, a large print book or an audiobook; and
• Published at least 3 months before the date of Zip Book request; and
• costs less than $35.00

We will order it through Amazon and have it shipped to your home.

After Receiving The Book

When you have finished, you can return it to your local branch and it will be added to the collection (include a note inside the book when you return it to the branch to identify it as a Zip Book).

Once the branch has received your Zip Book title, you may place another Zip Book request.

Things We Encourage 

• Make sure the address in your account is accurate
• Add an email address to your account so you get status updates on your request
• Select books in good condition that could potentially be added to the library catalog

Questions?

Contact our Technical Services staff by phone (530-842-8807) or by email (library@co.siskiyou.ca.us)

The Zip Book Program is a grant  funded by the California State Library.