Home Delivery Service Advice

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lawrencec

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May 31, 2024, 9:32:16 AMMay 31
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Hey everyone!

Our library is running into an issue with a few patrons abusing our home delivery service. The service is designed for people who can't leave home to get their library materials delivered, and it's not really a service in my wheelhouse as the outreach manager, as it's something we've always had and the staff at the other branches make the deliveries for their own patrons. Admin have discovered a couple of these home delivery patrons are still coming into the branches to pick up items along with getting their regular home deliveries. Do any of you have any policy guidelines as far as dealing with this sort of instance or marking patrons as being no longer eligible for these outreach services? We have a (new-ish) Library by Mail service and policy for that, but we've never really had any policies in place for the home deliveries. 

Thank you!
Cheryl Lawrence
Outreach Manager
Branch District Library
10 E. Chicago St
Coldwater, MI 49036
Currently read/listen:  The Opal Embers by William Hastings

Mary Beth Adams

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May 31, 2024, 9:45:53 AMMay 31
to lawrencec, ABOS-Outreach
  1. Are your resources stretched thin so this is actually an issue? If not, I would let it go. A lot of our Home Delivery patrons don’t have a reliable way to get to the library, but there may be times when a friend or a family member can bring them. That doesn’t mean they actually have a way to return the books before they’re due in three weeks. Maybe their retirement facility has a van that comes sometimes, but not reliably enough for them to count on it. Maybe they’re feeling strong enough today to come in, but next time, they’re used all of their energy and can’t make it in. There are many hidden disabilities that might make Home Delivery the best option for someone, so don’t assume that because they’re able to come today, they’d be able to come next month.
  2. If your resources are stretched so thin that this is a problem, come at it with kindness. “Hi, we’ve noticed that you’ve been able to come in and check out books yourself recently. Are you still needing our Home Delivery service? We want to make sure that we’re able to serve everyone who needs it, so if you’ve reached a point where you don’t need it, we’d love to give your spot to someone else who does.”  Or do a general survey/call to all of your Home Delivery patrons. “Hi! We’re updating our HD roster, and wanted to check if you still needed our services. We want to make sure we’re serving those with the most need, and only have XX spots in our Home Delivery program. If you can now reliably get to the library by yourself, or have someone who can bring you, let us know, and we’ll take you off of our list so we can add someone else! If you still need our services, this is a great time to let us know about any changes! Thank you for your response, and we’re glad you are our patrons!”

 

Mary Beth Adams (she, her)

Community Engagement Librarian

Alamance County Public Libraries

(336) 570-6981

 

From: abos-o...@googlegroups.com <abos-o...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of lawrencec
Sent: Friday, May 31, 2024 9:32 AM
To: ABOS-Outreach <ABOS-O...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [EXTERNAL] [ABOS-Outreach] Home Delivery Service Advice

 

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Ruby Smart

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Jun 3, 2024, 9:10:52 AMJun 3
to Mary Beth Adams, lawrencec, ABOS-Outreach

I second what Mary Beth said, we used to have a policy that stated if you used out home delivery service you couldn’t check books out at the library, but we changed that because sometimes people are able to come in, just not consistently.  

Valerie Baute

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Jun 3, 2024, 9:10:56 AMJun 3
to Mary Beth Adams, lawrencec, ABOS-Outreach
I agree with Mary Beth that you might be able to let it go if the people don't have a "reliable" way to get to the library. We tell all of our home delivery patrons that we understand that they might sometimes be able to get to the library. As long as they aren't able to come on a regular basis, we continue to deliver to them.

We have had 1 instance of someone abusing the system. She would call for a delivery. We would offer her many options. If we could not come fast enough for her (usually meaning that day or the next morning) she would say never mind and come pick them up herself. We knew it was not a question of having a reliable way of getting to the library as this happened multiple times, and she was able to take the bus to get to us daily. 

We eventually informed her that we had loosened our requirements for home deliveries during the pandemic, but we were going back to our original ones. Due to her ability to reliably get to the library, she no longer qualified for the service. We made sure to let her know that she was welcome to start the service again in the future if her situation changed, even temporarily. As we normally communicated with her through text messages, I was easily able to send a short message informing her of the decision, and she responded with a simple "I understand," so it all worked out.

Valerie Baute (She/Her)
Outreach Manager

Bartholomew County

Public Library

536 Fifth Street
Columbus, IN 47201



From: abos-o...@googlegroups.com <abos-o...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Mary Beth Adams <mad...@alamancelibraries.org>
Sent: Friday, May 31, 2024 9:45 AM
Subject: RE: [EXTERNAL] [ABOS-Outreach] Home Delivery Service Advice
 

M Freidhof

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Jun 3, 2024, 9:10:59 AMJun 3
to lawrencec, ABOS-Outreach
I would leave it up to the people delivering to determine if it is abuse. They would know the patron better and their individual circumstances.
For example, did the patron ask a neighbor for a ride into town to get groceries and they stopped at the library? Did they happen to catch the bus to the library?
Is it a regular thing or just occasionally? Do they get delivery for homeschool students or very young children? 
I understand the  need for policies and guidelines to determine services, but also realize that there are individual reasons people use delivery and yet have vehicles or access to them.

Marilyn Freidhof
Rowan County Public Library
Morehead, KY 

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