By registering for the Homebound Delivery | In-Home Library Service, you agree to the following policies:
Delivery – The Outreach Librarian will schedule regular delivery visit times with in-home service patrons. Patrons may request contact-free delivery in plastic bags, as long as the Outreach Librarian and accompanying volunteer witness the retrieval of materials into the home before their departure. Library items will not be left unattended if the patron is not present to bring them inside.
Eligibility – Any patron eligible for a Speedway library card who is homebound is eligible. Homebound is defined as one who cannot physically and independently visit the library due to disability or limited mobility. A patron may also qualify for in-home service on a temporary basis due to an injury or mobility issue that is expected to resolve (e.g. bedrest, post-surgery recovery).
Emergency or welfare check – If a patron has a confirmed visit and does not answer their door after two doorbell rings or knocks, the librarian will call the patron’s phone number. If the homebound patron does not answer their phone and another doorbell ring or knock, the librarian will contact the patron’s emergency contact listed when they registered. If no emergency contact was provided, the emergency contact defaults to the Speedway Police non-emergency line for a welfare check. Homebound patrons will be notified of this policy upon registration.
Fines – No overdue fines will accrue for materials checked out to homebound patrons. Lost or damaged materials needing replacement will, however, incur fees for homebound patrons. Homebound service may be paused for excessive unpaid lost or damaged fees.
Inclement weather – In the event of inclement weather resulting in travel advisories, the library may reschedule home visit appointments.
Loan Times – In-homed service patrons may receive special loan periods at the discretion of the Outreach Librarian based on frequency of visits, otherwise standard circulation loan policies apply.
Material Use – In-home patrons will not loan out library materials to others. Materials and items loaned to homebound patrons will be for their personal use only.
Patron Behavior – In-home service patrons, during the librarian and volunteer visit, are expected to meet appropriate behavior guidelines similar to, but not wholly the same as, those expected within the library building. Even though visits take place on private property, the librarian and volunteers have a right to safe working conditions. Therefore, the following Policies of the Speedway Library (adapted from Part G, paragraph 4) with modifications to the home setting are applicable as reason to cease in-home service or to warrant a verbal warning:
- Any situation in which a person’s actions present an imminent danger to the life or safety of others in the home during an in-home visit.
- Any situation in which a person is observed attempting to steal and/or maliciously destroy Library property.
- Any situation in which a person’s behavior is inappropriate during an in-home visit.
- Any situation in which a person willfully and purposely disturbs the staff or volunteers, or whose behavior is in any way disruptive to the legitimate use of the in-home service.
To protect the rights of library staff and volunteers, individuals shall be engaged only in activities considered normal and appropriate during a visit. At the discretion of the Outreach Librarian, patrons will first be given a verbal warning if inappropriate behavior occurs during a homebound visit. If inappropriate behavior continues after a verbal warning, in-home patrons may be restricted from the service or receive reduced service.
Scope – The in-home service is intended to bring the library to patrons’ homes. This includes fulfilling library needs: materials, readers’ advisory, answering reference and research questions, programming, and socialization between library staff, the service recipient, volunteers, and other patrons. Home or health care, including hygiene and medical care, are outside the scope of the service.
In short: if it is not something we would provide to patrons inside the library, we will not provide it in the patron’s home.
Staffing & Training – The Outreach Librarian will visit homebound, in-home patrons and deliver items along with one volunteer. Volunteers will receive basic orientation and training including the scope of the service, information on working with patrons with a disability, memory loss, or dementia, and the importance of socialization for homebound patrons.