BCCT and Canterbury Bankstown Council libraries have developed a new ‘reverse delivery’ service to meet the needs of elderly and vulnerable residents.
Prior to Covid-19, BCCT drivers would provide a regular weekly pick-up service for residents, taking them to Panania, Padstow, Chester Hill, Greenacre and Bankstown libraries where they would have the opportunity to choose some reading material for the week before being delivered safely back to their homes. Now instead of delivering people to the libraries, the books are coming to the people.
BCCT Executive Officer Rachel Thompson said that since the pandemic restrictions had been put in place, many of their elderly and vulnerable clients don’t have access to new reading material.
“We worked with the council on a solution where instead of delivering the clients to the books, we’re delivering the books to the clients,” she said.
“Council librarians work directly with our clients, picking out suitable books for them based on their reading preferences. Our driver now travels to the individual libraries, collects the books which have been assigned to the various clients and delivers them to their door.
“If there are returns, they are collected at the same time and are returned to the library at the end of the run.”
BCCT client Gladys is thrilled with the service.
“This is a great service,” she said.
“The librarian has been picking the right books for me and a quick catch up with the driver has really raised my spirits.”
The service has been very popular with BCCT clients and it will be maintained for the foreseeable future.