THE BOOK CLUB OF CALIFORNIA
Since 1912 the mission of the Book Club of California has been to preserve and promote the history of the book and the book arts, oftentimes with a focus on literature and the history of California and the West. The organization advances this mission through limited-edition fine press publications, public lectures and programs, and curated exhibitions, supported by the Albert Sperisen Library and donor and member support.
About THE BOOK CLUB OF CALIFORNIA
The Book Club of California is a San Francisco–based, donor- and member-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the history and art of the book, with an emphasis on California and the American West. It mounts exhibitions, hosts public lecture series, and produces a long-running program of limited-edition, finely produced publications.
Founded in 1912, the Club maintains the Albert Sperisen Library — a special-collections resource of reference, fine press, and rare materials — and continues an active schedule of exhibitions, endowed lectures, and publications (the Club recently announced its 243rd publication). The organization remains an active cultural partner in the Bay Area book-arts and rare-book communities.
Notable achievements
Century-long operation
Established in 1912, the Book Club of California has operated continuously for more than a century as a center for bibliophiles, scholarship, and the book arts in the western United States.
Extensive special collections library
The Club’s Albert Sperisen Library holds more than ten thousand volumes of fine press books, reference works, and ephemera focused on printing history and the literature of California and the West, serving researchers and the public.
Sustained fine-press publishing program
The organization publishes limited-edition, finely produced books and a scholarly quarterly; its publishing program has produced well over two hundred titles, including recent new releases and keepsakes.
At a glance
- Total assets
- $8.9M
- Annual revenue
- $549K
- Tax status
- 501(c)(3)Public charity
- EIN
- 46-2954746
- Location
- San Francisco, CA
- Website
- www.bccbooks.org
- On Mahalo since
- April 2026
Financial figures from the IRS Business Master File, the IRS’s registry of tax-exempt organizations.
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