Receiving library material is about to be as simple as checking the mailbox for some patrons as the Marshall County Public Library offers a new, hassle-free, and no-cost program: Books by Mail.
The program, designed for patrons who may have difficulty getting to the library due to health or transportation issues, will be offered as early as Oct. 1, and will simply be an extension of the library’s Bookmobile and Outreach Services. Books will be mailed out directly to patrons who choose to sign up.
To participate, patrons will need to have a library card. They will simply go to the library’s website, fill out a Books by Mail form under the Request Forms tab, and wait for their requested material to be mailed. Click here to go to the website!
“Our staff will work with you to create a list of books that fit your interests, and from this list we will mail out 1-3 titles, depending on the size of the books,” said Marshall County Public Library Director Tammy Blackwell. “Once you have finished with your books, you’ll return them in the same zippered bag in which they arrived, using the prepaid label provided. As soon as your return reaches the library, we’ll put together another set of books to keep you continuously supplied with reading material.”
The library will be able to mail DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, and print material to participating patrons.
Marshall County Bookmobile Librarian Hayden Eubanks said Books by Mail is a great opportunity to not only offer additional convenience to people with limited mobility but to allow the Bookmobile to perform more community outreach and shorten the length of time patrons go without materials.
“As it is, the Bookmobile is only able to make personal visits to patron’s homes once or twice a month,” she said. “With the Books by Mail program, once a patron’s materials are sent back to the library, we can immediately fill their bag up with more materials and send it out again. This allows our patrons to have constant access to items instead of waiting weeks for the Bookmobile to come by again.”
The first month of a patron’s Books by Mail material may take up to one month to get to them after signing up for the program on the library’s website. Books checked out are expected to be returned within one month. Fees may be assessed for books that are not returned in a timely manner, damaged material, or unreturned mailbags. To sign up for the program or for more information, go to marshallcolibrary.org.
