How does this work?

Fill out a short form with your reading interests. We’ll choose one book per quarter and send it to your WCLS library’s hold shelf for you to pick up. It’s just that simple – and totally free with your WCLS library card.

Who can participate?

If you’re an adult reader with a Whatcom County Library System library card, you’re all set! (County resident without a card? Signing up is quick and easy – talk to staff at your WCLS library or get a card online.) While Surprise Selection is just for readers who would like titles from our adult collection, staff at any WCLS library can point you toward terrific reads that work for your kids and teens.

I’m a Bellingham Public Library patron. Is Surprise Selection open to me?

Currently, only WCLS is offering this personalized reading service so pickup is limited to WCLS cardholders and locations.

There are two library systems in our county – Whatcom County Library System (WCLS) and Bellingham Public Library (BPL). If you live outside the Bellingham city limits your tax dollars fund the Whatcom County Library System. However, our two systems are partners, so your library card works at all WCLS and BPL libraries and staff at all library branches are happy to help BPL and WCLS patrons find great books!

Not sure if you are a BPL or WCLS cardholder?
If your library card number begins with 232, then you have a WCLS card and are eligible to participate in Surprise Selection. If you are currently living outside the Bellingham city limits and need to switch to a WCLS card, please contact us for help.

Looking for something different?

Switch up your selections for the next round by completing a new form. We will use your updated preferences for the following quarter (see the delivery date chart above to find out when your updates will take effect). Or talk with staff at your favorite WCLS branch who can help you find more of what you’re looking for without waiting until your next Surprise Selection. You can also email us at mary.kinser@wcls.org to get help updating your selection preferences.

What If I want to cancel?

Notify staff at your library at any time if you’d like to put your enrollment on hold or stop receiving picks altogether. You can also email us at surpriseselection@wcls.org to cancel this service.

Uh-oh! I didn’t pick up my Surprise Selection. Now what?

Life happens! We all forget to pick up holds from time to time. If more than 2 quarterly picks go unclaimed, however, your Surprise Selection picks will be inactivated to make room for other patrons.

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