Christmas closing 2025

The Library will be closed on December 24th and 25th. We will be open regular hours on Friday, December 26th. 

Guidelines for Authors  

Guidelines for Authors

McCracken County Public Library (MCPL) welcomes suggestions for titles to add to our collection. We have created these guidelines to answer some frequently asked questions from local or self-published authors.  

  • All materials added to the collection must meet the selection criteria in our Collection Development Policy.  

  • Our primary goal is to add materials that will appeal to a broad audience or have local significance.  

  • A positive review in a major review journal (such as Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, or Library Journal) is the best way to bring a title to our attention. We do not consider paid reviews or Amazon reviews. Availability to purchase the book from a library vendor (such as Baker & Taylor or Ingram) will significantly increase the likelihood that we will add it to the collection.  

  • Due to time constraints and the volume of inquiries we receive, we are unable to meet with individual authors or to notify authors of our decision. If we add your book to the collection, it will appear in our library catalog.  

  • Book signings and book programs are subject to MCPL's program guidelines. You will be contacted directly should MCPL’s program committee choose to hold a signing or program. If MCPL schedules a local author fair, we will consider local authors for participation.  

  • If you wish to bring a book to our attention, you can use our Request an Item form. Please include:  

  • Information about the book – title, author, ISBN, publisher, publish date, distributor.  

  • Links to any professional reviews or news coverage.  

  • A brief description of the book and its intended audience.  

  • If you are a current resident of McCracken County, you may donate one copy of your book to the library. All donations become the property of MCPL. We will review the book and, if it meets our selection criteria, we will add it to the collection. Donations not added cannot be returned to the donor, but will be sent to the Friends of the Library to sell at their book sales, in accordance with our Collection Development Policy.  

  

You can also send information and donations by mail to:  

McCracken County Public Library  

555 Washington Street  

Paducah, KY  42003