Can’t make it to the library? HPL delivers to senior living facilities
From the Hornell Public Library,
Each month, staff from the Hornell Public Library visit Elderwood and Maple City Rehabilitation & Nursing Center to bring library materials and resources to the residents. Prior to last spring, Elderwood residents had been unable to visit the library since the Covid-19 shutdown. The library began bringing books and other library materials to Elderwood and after seeing the positive impact it had on residents, library staff sought to improve and expand their outreach efforts.
The library was awarded the Southern Tier Library System’s 2023 COSAC DEI Micro-Grant in the amount of $500 to purchase equipment and supplies to improve their outreach efforts to those who are unable to physically visit the library. Funds were used to purchase large tote bags, a collapsible wagon, plastic tote bins, tablecloths, and a travel organizer to help transport materials. Previously, the library’s limited equipment made it more cumbersome and expensive to transport everything; staff would have to schedule the Hornell Area Transit System bus to take them to Elderwood to use the bus’s lift to carry all of the books.
With the new wagon and totes, staff can now use their personal cars to transport library materials. The library was also able to expand their visits beyond Elderwood to now also visit Maple City Rehab and Nursing Center and the Office for the Aging’s Senior Luncheons. Their setup got a nice upgrade as well! The new green tablecloths give a more professional appearance and are eye-catching enough to spark interest among the residents. The tablecloths also protect the books from any debris or water. The new travel organizer allows the staff to conveniently carry extra library cards, registration sheets, bookmarks, and paper to help them stay organized. One of the library’s program assistants, Eba, who coordinates and does the visits to these three locations shared that, “The grant has made our whole process so much easier, and more accessible to the community.”
The library’s visits to Elderwood and Maple City bring more than just books to the residents. Library staff are able to spend time with the residents, oftentimes long enough to learn their life story and discover what their interests are. Eba shared, “My favorite part about the visits is talking to the residents about the emotions that certain books trigger. The non-fiction books will remind them of a chapter of their lives they will reminisce upon, and the fiction books will inspire them to dream. It is so beautiful seeing their faces light up.”
The Hornell Public Library’s director, Denise, who does the visits as well shared, “One of the highlights of our month is our deliveries to Elderwood and Maple City Rehab and Nursing Facility. Every time we visit, we interact and learn from these residents. Their perspectives and recollections continuously enrich our lives. They are among our most robust readers, and the materials they select are diverse and complex.”
The library’s outreach efforts are making a real difference in the residents’ lives. For Library Advocacy Day, one of the residents of Elderwood wrote a letter to state representatives about her appreciation for the Hornell Public Library’s visits: “Being an avid reader I appreciate Hornell Public Library visits to Elderwood Nursing Home. Many items have been available to me including mysteries, thrillers, true crime, history, archaeology, arts and crafts along with music I enjoy listening to. These items have enhanced my quality of life here at Elderwood. I hope this will continue and that those providing this service will find it easy to transport this wonderful benefit to me and to the greater community.”
Hornell Public Library also offers a Homebound Books Delivery service for the residents of Hornell. If you or a loved one are unable to visit the library and are interested in receiving monthly book and/or audiobook deliveries, fill out the Homebound Books application here or call the library at 607-324-1210.
With increased participation and circulation by residents during these visits, a clear need for books, resources, and programs to be available beyond the walls of the library has been brought to light. Hornell Public Library’s vision is to have their very own bookmobile to address this need. “We are very quickly outgrowing the vehicle we use to transport requested materials. My hope and vision are to secure funding to make the necessary upgrades to a small bus that was donated to us to transform it into a Bookmobile to meet not only the needs of our friends in assisted living centers, but also to be able to bring materials and programs to other places in the community that are not easily able to make it to the physical library,” says the library’s director, Denise.
The library’s director and staff look forward to expanding their delivery locations to reach more people in our community who are unable to visit the Hornell Public Library. Denise expressed that their “dream is to bring opportunities for reading and book exchange, as well as collaborate with agencies and organizations who provide daycare, afterschool care and Summer Programming to youth. We also hope to expand programming to our many parks, and use the Bookmobile for outreach at all the wonderful Festivals and Celebrations Hornell has to offer. But the most pressing issue at hand is to get a vehicle large enough to hold the books and other items we use to service our voracious readers at the assisted living centers!”
To learn more about the Hornell Public Library’s collection, services, and programs visit their website at hornellpubliclibrary.org and follow them on Facebook for the latest news!
The Hornell Public Library is located at 64 Genesee Street, Hornell, NY. The library’s open hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Wednesday 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Friday 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM, and Saturday 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
