Welcome to the Baltimore County Public Library.

Authors

• A.K.A
  Also Known As.... Author pseudonyms, aliases and nicknames.

• Author Interviews
  Interviews with various authors from Publishers Weekly.

• Author Interviews and Podcasts Read or listen to non-fiction authors talking about their works provided by The Harvard Press.

• Children's Book Guild Speaker's List Those members of the Washington D.C. Guild who are willing to book speaking engagements both in their home locations or out of town.

• NPR Books
  Read or listen to podcasts of book reviews, author interviews and authors readings from their works provided by National Public Radio.

• Reading Rockets Meet the Author
  Featuring interviews with favorite children's authors on audio and video podcasts.
   

• Writers LIVE at the Library
  Excellent author speaking series at the Enoch Pratt Library

Book Clubs

Arbutus Branch

• Books, Coffee, and Conversation is usually held on the second Monday of each month at 10 AM. 

Catonsville Branch

• Books, Coffee, and Conversation is usually held on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 10 AM. 
• Book Group  is usually held on the third Thursday of each month at 7 PM.
• Mystery and Suspense Book Club is usually held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 PM.  

Cockeysville Branch

• Books, Coffee, & Conversation is usually held on the third or fourth Wednesday of each month at 11:30  AM (contact branch staff  for monthly variations).
• Cockeysville Book Club is usually held on the last Monday of each month at 7 PM. Check at the Information Desk for a list of titles. 

Hereford Branch

• Hereford Library Book Club meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 1 PM.

North Point Branch

• Let's Talk About Books is usually held on the first Tuesday of each month at 7 PM.    Call before each meeting to receive important preparation information.

Parkville Branch

• Readers of the Round Table is usually held on the third Tuesday of each month at 10 AM. 

Perry Hall Branch

• Coffee and Conversation is usually held on the first Friday of each month at 10 AM. 
• Perry Hall Reading Group is usually held on the third Thursday of each month at 7 PM.

Pikesville Branch

• Chapter Two is usually held on the third/fourth Wednesday of each month at 7 PM.

Randallstown Branch

• The Bookends is usually held on the third Monday of each month at 7 PM.

Reisterstown Branch

• Reisterstown Readers is usually held on the second Thursday of each month at 7 PM.

Towson Branch

• Towson Book Club is usually held on the fourth Thursday of each month at 7 PM.
• History Book Club is usually held on the third Wednesday of each month at 7 PM.

White Marsh Branch

• 21 Day Book Club is usually held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7 PM.

 Woodlawn Branch

• Woodlawn Book Club is usually held on the third Thursday of each month at 7 PM.

Other Community Book Clubs:

• African American Literature Book Club
  Online discussions of books by African American authors.
   
• Baltimore Book Club Meetup Group
  Local group meets monthly to discuss both fiction and non-fiction books, generally meets in a local restaurants

• Book Discussion Guides
  Review book discussion guides from Novelist Plus. (Note this link is accessible from public PCs in BCPL libraries or from elsewhere with a valid BCPL library card.)

• Bookreporter
  Weekly book reviews and author profiles and interviews, excerpts of new releases, literary games and contests.

• Page Turners Book Club
  Local diverse group holding monthly book club meetings in and around the Catonsville area.

• Reading Group Guides
  Enhances a group's reading and discussion of a book. Includes descriptions of each book, questions, discussion topics, author biography, and sometimes a note from the author to assist the group in having a stimulating and interesting discussion.

• Sistas Speak Literature Baltimore Book Club
  This diverse group of women read literary works of fiction and non-fiction for personal growth, relaxation and enjoyment.

Book Reviews

• BCPL Unique Critiques
  What is BCPL staff reading? Published eleven times a year by the Baltimore County Public Library.
   

• BookPage 
  What's new in the world of books.
   

• BookWire 
  The "First Place To Look For Book Information."
   

• Jen's Jewels Reviews 
  Reviews of popular titles in romance, chick-lit, mystery and suspense from aspiring author Jennifer Vido.
   

• Multicultural Book Review Homepage 
  Lists reviews of multicultural literature for K-12 educators.
   

• NPR Book Page
  A web site from National Public Radio reviewing books and thier segments on books.

Donating/Buying Used Books

Donations of gently used items in good condition and odor- and mold-free are accepted at our libraries. Libraries accept used materials but reserve the right to evaluate, sell through Better World Books, or dispose of them using the same criteria applied to our purchased material.

Withdrawn library materials and donations are for sale 24/7 online through Better World Books. Better World Books funds literacy initiatives. A percentage of the sale price is returned to the library to purchase additional materials and to fund library services.
 

Other local resources that may be accepting book donations and other gently used material:
 

• Amvets and Value Village Thrift Stores
  Located in communities throughout the country, AMVETS Thrift Stores offer quality used clothing, household goods (including books) at reasonable prices.
   

• BookMooch
  BookMooch is a community for exchanging used books and lets you give away books you no longer need in exchange for books you really want.
   

• Baltimore Free Store
  Bring books, magazines, all working media including tapes, CDs, VHS, DVDs, and more,  Find information about their warehouse, their donation days, or their Free Market events
   

• Baltimore Reads Book Bank
  Accepts new and gently used children’s books.
   

• Book Holder's
  Buy and sell used text books.
   

• The Book Thing of Baltimore
  Donate books and magazines.
   

• Salvation Army Thrift Shops
  Their website includes information on the location and items accepted.
   

• Smith College Club of Baltimore
  Donation site, hours, what they accept and don’t accept
   

• St Vincent de Paul Society of Baltimore
  Gently used children’s books for preschoolers

Interested in trading or swapping books?

• FrugalReader
  Simply list books you have read and want to trade for other members to request, and request books from other members that you want to read. Your requested books are mailed to you by the owner who pays the cost of shipping using low USPS Media Mail® postage rates. You reciprocate when books are requested from you.
   

• PaperBack Swap
  Mail a book. Get a book. Any book you request is yours to keep, share or trade. No late fees. No processing charges. No hidden charges. Every time you mail a book to another member, you can request one for yourself from over 3 Million.  NOT just paperback books: also hardbacks, audio books, textbooks and more!  Their phone number is (410) 662 5631

Find a Good Book

Use the Library's online literature tools to find a good book...

BCPL Newsletters:  Subscribe to email newsletters with library news or information about great new books!  Get regular email updates on over new and hot titles in over a dozen specific fiction and non-fiction genres.  You can also sign up for our monthly "Highlights" to get updates on library news and activities

Literature Resource Center is a full text database that provides critical analysis, biographies, and bibliographies of 90,000 novelists, poets and essayists from Contemporary Authors, Contemporary Literary Criticism and other literary sources. Searchable by author, title, time period and literary themes

NoveList:  NoveList Plus contains full text fiction and non-fiction book reviews and book lists for all ages: children, teens and adults. Locate books to read by describing a plot or find similar titles or authors.  NoveList K-8 Plus includes picture books, children's chapter books and young adult titles

Novels for Students is a set of annual online volumes which contain easily accessible and content-rich discussions of the literary and historical background of 15 to 20 works annually from various cultures and time periods

Scribner Writers Online contains more than 2,000 original, scholar-signed biocritical entries averaging 15-20 pages each. They include a concise overview, hyperlinks for cross-referencing and information that places the author's work in personal or historical context

Twayne's Authors Online are 175 to 200page online treatment which feature interpretations and critiques, written by scholars during the same period in which the work originated. As such, Twayne’s Authors Online is not only a valuable resource for literary study, but for multidisciplinary study through literature — including history, society and culture

Other Resources Include...

• Allreaders
  Choose a genre, and then use the detailed search engine to specify features you like, such as plot, characters, setting and style.
   

• Based on the Book
  A compilation of over 800 book titles, short stories, and plays that have been made into motion pictures. Maintained by Mid-County Public Library.
   

• BCPL's Booklists
  Includes bestsellers, award winners, and genre recommendations. Check out our lists of Best Selling, Award winning, and otherwise librarian vetted books as well as our list of BCPL's most popular titles...!
   

• Book Browser
  Book Browser from Barnes and Noble allows you to search by subject in many areas, including fiction and non-fiction, and also by audiobook, books in Spanish, and large type. Also offers book lists.
   

• Book Seer
  A simple interface that lets you type in an author and title that you've enjoyed and get back suggestions from Amazon and Library Thing's databases!
   

• Genrefluent
  Book reviews, genre links and more from Diana Tixier Herald.
   

• Good Reads
  With over over 1,700,000 members,  Goodreads is the largest social network for readers in the world.  A place for casual readers and bona-fide bookworms alike, Goodreads members recommend books, compare what they are reading, keep track of what they've read and would like to read, form book clubs and much more.
   

• If You Like...
  Search by keyword, author's name or a theme/genre. Maintained by Hennepin County Library.
   

• Library Thing
  Keep an online catalog of the books you have read, write book reviews, see what others have read and check out their book reviews.
   

• Overbooked
  Has lists, but also includes reader's advisory links.
   

• Reader's Advisory Links
  Annotated links to sites that suggest what to read next. Reviews, personal recommendations, and more. Provided by Overbooked.org
   

• Which Book
  Interactive database that lets you choose a book by mood and other appeal characteristics as well as character, plot and setting.
   

• What’s Next
  Database for searching the order of books in adult fiction series from Kent District Library.
   

Libraries

Library Organizations

• American Library Association
  Provides leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship.
   

• Maryland Library Association
  Founded in 1923 to promote library service in the state, it's members are library staff and trustees, library school students, libraries, and friends of libraries representing the full spectrum of librarianship in Maryland.

Library Schools

• Accredited Library Schools in the United States and Canada
  From the American Library Association, each entry includes contact information, program name, date through which it is accredited, and distance education opportunities. You can search by state/province, distance education options, degree type, and specific institution.

   

Library Information

• Maryland Libraries
  The most complete source for catalogs and home pages for all public, college, university and special libraries in Maryland.
   

• Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
  Provides comprehensive library services to the eligible blind and physically handicapped residents of Maryland.
   

• Library of Congress Home Page
  Browse historical collections for the National Digital Library (American Memory), visit Library Reading Rooms, access special services for persons with disabilities, and read about Library of Congress cataloging, acquisitions, and preservation operations and policy.
   

• Ipl2: Information You Can Trust
  An electronic library environment hosted by the School of Information and Library Studies of the University of Michigan. Visit various rooms and divisions including a public library.
   

• National Archives and Records
  Records of the United States Government including Presidential Libraries, historical records and current government information.
   

• Electronic Federal Depository Libraries
  Locate electronic federal depository libraries by state or area code.

Literacy

• Early Literacy Resources
  Links to everything parents and/or caregivers need to promote reading readiness in children birth to five
   

• Literacy Instruction
  From Connections by Baltimore County Public Library
  Local community organizations and agencies that can provide basic reading, writing and mathematics skills instruction
   

• The Book Thing of Baltimore
  This non-profit organization takes donations and distributes them free to those who want to read
   

• ProLiteracy
  A non-profit, non-governmental, worldwide literacy organization

Publishers and Book Stores

• AcqWeb
  A massive directory of publishers and vendors by subject: audio books and tapes, children's literature, rare and antiquarian books, textbooks and more.
   

• BookWeb
  News and information about books, bookstores, authors, the First Amendment, links to thousands of bookstores across the country, and the latest news about books and the book industry. Sponsored by the American Booksellers Association.
   

• Loganberry Books
  This site has a stumpers section where you can search the archives by keyword if you can remember details about a book but not the title or author. Mostly for children's books.