Homebound Delivery Policy

Qualifications

To qualify for Homebound Delivery an individual must be a Billerica resident who is homebound because of disability or illness.  Individuals whose condition is temporary will only be eligible for the service until they can once again leave their home.

Requesting Service

Individuals who qualify for Homebound Delivery can contact Sharon Lomison, Circulation Manager at 978-671-0949 ext 4114 to enroll in the service.

How Homebound Delivery Works

1. Upon requesting service, an individual will be asked a few questions to determine format and content preferences.  Individuals without a library card will be registered during this time.
2. Individuals using this service will not be assessed overdue fees.  If a renewal is desired, it will be granted according to format specific policies.
3. Individuals may be charged for lost or damaged items.
4. An initial delivery date will be scheduled within one week.  Subsequent deliveries will be made at an agreeable time decided by the individual and the Circulation Manager.
5. The library reserves the right to reschedule deliveries to a different day of the week as necessary.  Deliveries will not occur during inclement weather as determined by the Circulation Manager and missed deliveries will be handled the following week.

Homebound Patron Responsibilities

Homebound patrons must provide a safe and appropriate environment for staff members who make deliveries to their homes. Staff members may recommend suspension of the service if any of the following conditions exist:

1.  Pets are not confined (with the exception of service animals trained to assist a disabled person).
2. A clear and safe path to the home is not made available.
3. Any person in the home presents threatening behavior.
4. Any person in the home uses abusive or obscene language, makes obscene gestures or displays obscene images.
5. Any person in the home harasses the library’s representative.
6. Any person in the home exhibits signs of illness that may jeopardize the health of the library’s representative and the library has not been notified of the illness.
7. Any person is engaging in any illegal activity in the home at the time of the library’s delivery.
8.  Any library material currently in the possession of the homebound patron appears to have been willfully defaced, mutilated or damaged while in the custody of the homebound person.
9. Conditions in the home are unsafe or unsanitary, or pose a health risk to the library staff member.

If a Staff member wishes to recommend suspension of service because the occurrence of any of the above is deemed to make the home environment for delivery unsafe or inappropriate, the staff member shall provide the Director with written notice of why such action occurred together with any recommendation for length of suspension of service. The Director shall send written notice to the patron of the reason for and the length of any continuing suspension of service. Any homebound patron may request in writing that the suspension of service be reviewed by the Board of Trustees at the next monthly Board meeting.

Additional Services

Individuals may also request the Circulation Manager’s assistance with registering for the following services should they qualify:

• National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Program, which is a service of the Federal Government that provides free access to braille and audio items via the US Postal Service
• Perkins School for the Blind Library Program, which is a service offered by the school that provides free access to a variety of materials for visually impaired Massachusetts residents
• Worcester Talking Book Library Program, which is a service funded by the Massachusetts Legislature that provides free access to a variety of materials for visually or physically impaired Massachusetts residents

Questionnaire

Name: ________________________________

Address: ______________________________

Phone: ___________________________

Library card?

Qualifying condition?

Specific title requests?

Format Preferences:

• Book: Paperback or Hardcover
• Large Print Book
• Audiobook
• DVD
• Magazine
• CDs

Genre Preferences:

• Non-Fiction
• True Crime
• Biography
• Fiction
• Romance
• Western
• Science Fiction
• Fantasy
• Graphic Novels
• Mystery
• Young Adult
• Children’s

Adopted by a vote of the Board of Library Trustees on April 1, 2019