Marion Public Library

a: 445 E. Church St. | Marion, OH

w. marionlibrary.org/outreach

p: 740-387-0992

Reading and connecting with your Library should not have to end when you can no longer physically get to Marion Public Library (MPL). Servicing all age groups is a commitment in the Marion Public Library mission of enhancing the quality of life in our community by encouraging reading and the pursuit of lifelong learning.

Meeting the needs of patrons who can’t visit the Library

MPL Outreach Service tackles the distribution of library materials to a residence once a month. This service is free of charge to adults living in Marion County who have difficulty visiting the library or who live in a retirement or nursing home.

These patrons will get books, large print books, magazines, audiobooks on CD, and DVDs delivered from the collections. And because of the special circumstances the loaned materials do not accrue fines. Many times an item will be renewed to give more time to read or watch.

On a recent delivery route with our Library Outreach Service administrator, Kristinne Seibel, MPL got feedback from patrons who receive deliveries. Patron Alice Young, who has the distinction of being the oldest member in the program at 98, learned about the service from her great granddaughter who visits the Library often with her children. Having recently moved to the area, this avid reader was thrilled to get signed up in early 2022. She shared that she read a lot when she was young, so much so one of her childhood friends got mad at her for not coming out to play – choosing to read a book instead. She continued by saying “this is such a wonderful service.”

MPL Outreach Service meets with patron approval

Not so long ago, Mabel Cheetham regularly visited the Library for discussions, Books In Focus and more, but now needs and enjoys the convenience and reliability of the Outreach service. She looks forward to the monthly visits and talking with Kristinne about specific authors and books. She has enjoyed the different genres selected for her and admits she might not have become familiar with a couple of authors otherwise. She reiterated that she “greatly appreciates the service.”

A good friend of Ottis Koehler’s suggested she look into the Library Outreach program so she would have regular delivery of books and not have to worry about the time and energy it took to visit the Library. As a younger person Ottis says she used to “live” at the library, so she greatly appreciates when Kristinne delivers her selections and chats about potential books for the following month. Her favorite pastime these days is “spending time reading, especially while sitting in the sunshine.”

“I love reading,” were the first words out of Millie Leone’s mouth when Kristinne stopped to hand over this month’s selections. Millie remembers her dad taking her to get her library card when she was just 8 years old. She remembers they lived close enough to go every week. She hasn’t slowed down since. As a resident of another Ohio community that had a home delivery service, Millie knew she wanted to check out Marion Public Library’s service and get it started right away after she moved to Marion with her son. She loves being able to pick up the phone and talk to Kristinne about what she wants and thinks of her as a friend. Millie could not say enough about the program and its positive aspects and added, “I love it. I’m so glad God made libraries!”

MPL has over 50 patrons who receive this service and has room for more. If you know of someone who fits the criteria of the service, call the library at (740) 387-0992 to request Outreach Services Home Delivery. Kristinne will explain eligibility guidelines and walk you through the process. Once registered she will conduct an interview to discuss the types of materials you would like to borrow, what kind of things you like to read, your favorite authors, etc. Library staff will select items to be delivered on your next delivery date. All items are expected to be returned in the same condition as they were delivered.

MPL Outreach Service deliveries spread joy among users

MPL is continually grateful for community partners like Marion County Council on Aging for their ongoing support of the Library’s Outreach Services. MPL is able to enhance our Large Print and audiobook collections to better serve the needs of our Outreach Services population. Our mutual social concerns and the needs of Marion’s older citizens make this partnership work. All of this and more can be found on the Marion Public Library web site at MarionLibrary.org/ Outreach. Please also take a few minutes to get updates by following our facebook, Instagram and twitter pages and like and subscribe to our YouTube page where we share staff book reviews and more.