Homebound Toolkit now available!

NTLP has created a Homebound ToolKit to aid libraries wishing to start or expand homebound programs.  The content of the ToolKit came directly from the experiences of the three pilot libraries who participated in this blog and the FY 2011 Homebound Program.  

A special thanks goes out to Denton Public Library, Alvarado Public Library, and Haltom City Public Library for their insight, enthusiasm, and commitment to serving homebound individuals.  

I hope that the lessons we learned and the best practices developed from the year-long pilot program will be useful to libraries everywhere.  Thanks for following our project blog!

Homebound workshops on 08/16 and 08/18 - New content added!

Just a reminder for all of our blog followers in the North Texas area - there are two NTLP workshops scheduled in August which will cover what we've learned in during the first year of the pilot homebound projects.  Registration is open for the two identical sessions:

Books and More To Their Door!  Making Your Library More Inclusive
Date: Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Time: 9:30-4:00
Location: Haltom City Public Library

Date: Thursday, August 18, 2011
Time: 9:30-4:00
Location: Denton Public Library, South Branch

These workshops will feature a panel discussion from the directors and outreach staff from the three pilot libraries, best practices for developing homebound programs, and strategies for forming effective community partnerships, and much more.  

I am also very pleased to announce that Kathleen Walls from the Texas Talking Books program will be presenting with us as well.  Kathleen will share how libraries can promote this free service to eligible members of their communities, including how to become a demonstration site.  

So, whether you are thinking about developing a homebound delivery service, want to learn more about the Texas Talking Books program, or just have a passion for outreach to underserved individuals in your community, we hope to see you there!

Welcome, Sara!

I'd like to welcome Sara Bracht, Special Projects Librarian for Denton Public Library.  Sara will be working on the homebound project for Denton PL this summer and has hit the ground running, having already visited several retirement homes and care facilities. I am looking forward to hearing about her efforts on the Homebound blog.

Webinar Series on Serving People with Disabilities

The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) is offering the following series of webinars on accessibility.  I've interviewed Sharron Rush for a podcast on accessible website design.  She was a great speaker and this sounds like a really good series.  For more information, visit the TSLAC website.

Introduction to Disability Awareness: Providing Services to People with Disabilities

A Series of Four Webinars presented by Knowbility, Inc.

This series of four webinars is an overview of disability issues designed to give computer center personnel in public libraries and other community venues the information they need to plan for and create accessible computer labs and develop effective outreach to people with disabilities, i.e. people who are blind, visually impaired, deaf and hearing impaired, have mobility impairments, cognitive, learning and other types of disabling conditions. The webinars will address overall disability awareness, etiquette, web accessibility and assistive technology. The series will cover the history and legal background of accessibility and give examples of common communication barriers and specific techniques for providing services to people with disabilities and many older users. Each webinar will include links to free reference materials and informational resources for further developing accessibility policy and accommodations.

About the Presenter

Sharron Rush is the co-founder and Executive Director of Knowbility, a leading authority on web accessibility since 1998. Ms. Rush developed Knowbility programs to raise web accessibility awareness and skills and has led the organization to national prominence. Since 2007, she has served as an invited expert to the Education and Outreach Working Group (EOWG) of the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the W3C. In 2009, she began as liaison from WAI to the e-Government Interest Group developing standards and best practices for using the Web to improve government accountability and transparency. 

Public Library Makeovers Draw Seniors to Interactive Sections, Spaces - AARP Bulletin

A nice article in AARP Bulletin about seniors and public libraries. I really liked the library which paired teens with seniors. The seniors taught chess, other board games to kids; kids taught Facebook and Twitter to seniors. Pretty cool!

Public Library Makeovers Draw Seniors to Interactive Sections, Spaces - AARP Bulletin

Outreach Brainstorm from WebJunction

Check out this list of potential community partners and outreach avenues for libraries, compiled by WebJunction.    There are some great ideas for increasing visibility and community participation for all types of library programs, not just homebound.  Enjoy!

Community-based libraries and serving the socially excluded

There's a really interesting article in the March/April 2011 issue of Public Libraries magazine about community-based libraries. The article highlights a library program called Working Together, in which four Canadian libraries decided to tackle the issue of social exclusion and traditional library culture. 


"To be socially excluded can mean living in poverty, being unemployed or under-employed. It can mean being mentally or physically ill, being an immigrant or a refugee, being addicted, alienated or alone in the community.

Being socially excluded can also mean being suspicious of government agencies and social institutions because interacting with such agencies in the past may have been embarrassing, degrading or even harmful. Suspicion, resentment, hostility and anger can be hallmarks of social exclusion.


Social exclusion can be defined in a multitude of ways, but what’s important is recognising that such a condition exists in our communities." (Source: Working Together project website)

As I read the article and the sections of the Working Together website, I have to admit I was uncomfortable, especially reading the section on traditional library culture.  As a librarian with a strong background in public libraries, I like to think of our organizations as being inclusive, barrier-free (or, at least on our way to being there), and welcoming to everyone.  I think most of my colleagues feel the same way.  But as I read more about social exclusion, I had to take a step back from what I want to believe about public libraries and consider the ways in which our rules, policies, jargon, and procedures actually impede access. How can  we can improve our services to the socially excluded, many of whom fit the criteria of being homebound?

Fortunately, the Canadian site provides a toolkit  for developing community-led library programs and services.  One step in the toolkit is developing strong community partnerships, a step that our homebound libraries have taken.  I'm looking forward to learning more from this resource.