Skip to Content
Favorite Authors Club

Favorite Authors Club

The PDL Favorite Authors Club helps you get on reserve lists fast! Indicate your choice of authors from our list and we will do the work of putting you on hold for titles by those authors. Then, all you have to do is sit back and wait for the hold notices to arrive.

Join our Favorite Authors Club to make sure you never miss a book by your favorite authors! This club is available in two formats: regular print books or large print books. Although we cannot guarantee that you will always be first, we can guarantee that you will always be added to the hold list automatically. You can print one of the applications below, fill out our online form, or pick up a form at the Adult Information Desk.

Following a “Better Safe Than Sorry” policy, your name will be placed on all titles by an author whether you decide to read the material or not. For example: If you choose James Patterson as your favorite author, your reserves would go on the Alex Cross series, the Women’s Murder Club series, and any miscellaneous material, except non-fiction, that he may write. Let us know when you are not interested in a particular title and we will remove your hold and pass the material on to the next person.

How to Join:

1. Fill out the online form below or print off one of the PDL Favorite Authors Club forms. You may choose either the form for regular print books or the form for large print books. There are a few additional authors available on the PDF form for regular print.
2. Fill out your contact information.
3. Pick out no more than 10 authors for large print or 15 authors for regular print.
4. Submit the online form below or mail your completed form to: Portage District Library, Attn: Favorite Authors, 300 Library Lane, Portage, MI 49002. You may also drop completed forms off at the Adult Information Desk of the Portage District Library.

If you need assistance filling out the form, please give the Adult Information Desk staff a call at (269) 585-8739.

Favorite Authors Club Form (PDF)

Favorite Authors Club Form Large Print (PDF)

These application forms are in PDF format. You will need Adobe Reader to read these files.

 

FAQ

What is the Favorite Authors Club?
Non-reciprocal borrowers may request up to 10 authors in the large print program or 15 authors in the regular print program to be on their Favorite Authors list. We will automatically place holds on qualifying titles by your favorite authors.

Who may participate in the Favorite Authors Club?
The Favorite Author’s Club is limited to non-reciprocal borrowers only.

Why would I want to be a part of the Favorite Authors Club?
Priority will be given to members of the Favorite Authors Club when titles of these authors are ordered. Their holds will be placed first.

Are all authors on this list?
No, but we have chosen some of our most popular authors to be on these lists. Examples: Patterson, Evanovich, Butcher, and Macomber.

How is the order of the holds for members determined?
We use a randomizing function to order holds for club members each time a new book by a particular author is received.

Are the same members always at the top of the list?
No. We use a randomizing computer program that changes the order of members’ names each time we place a hold for that particular author.

What items will not be placed on hold?
We will only automatically place holds for new titles by authors on our Favorite Authors lists. Favorite Author Club holds will not be placed on hardcover editions that are reprints of previously published titles, audiobook versions, non-fiction, or multi-author collections edited by authors on the Favorite Author Club list.

Can I request an author who is not on the Favorite Authors form?
No. Only the authors listed on the form are part of the Favorite Authors Club. However, you can feel free to suggest authors for future program updates!

Will the form ever be updated?
We update the form periodically.  Authors who have passed away (at least the ones who stop writing) and authors whose popularity has slipped will be dropped to make room for new and more popular authors.

I am already in the Favorite Authors Club, but am not sure if an author is on my list. How do I check what authors I requested?
The database is secure and not all library staff members have access. You can call the library or ask a librarian at the library to look at your list.  They can check with the program coordinator, but it may take a day or two. If you are not sure whether an author is on your list there is no harm in adding them by resubmitting a new form. If they were already on your list, they will remain on your list.

How can I check to see where I am on the list for a particular Favorite Authors book?
Simply go to your holds list in your account. The title will appear in your account holds list with the number that represents your place in the hold line. You can check your account online by visiting our library catalog.

How does someone add or remove authors from their list of requests?
Fill out a new Favorite Authors form. At the top, please mark “additions” or “deletions.”

What happens to holds that are placed before the Favorite Authors hold?
The priority is changed on the hold list to move them down the list below the randomized Favorite Authors Club holds.  The order of those holds is maintained.

Can I join both the Regular Print and the Large Print Favorite Authors Clubs?
No. Please choose only one program.