Woodridge Public Library offers homebound delivery services to Library patrons residing in the Village of Woodridge who are unable to visit the Library. “Homebound” means being generally confined to one’s residence either temporarily, due to illness or accident, or permanently, due to age, disability, or other mobility issues.
Each homebound patron must register for a Library card if he or she does not already have one. Patrons may apply to register for homebound delivery services by submitting an application on a form provided by the Library. After submission of an application, Library staff shall review the application and determine whether or not the applicant qualifies for homebound delivery services, and advise the applicant of whether or not the applicant has been granted access to homebound delivery services.
Patrons registered for homebound delivery services may call, e-mail or contact the Library to request to borrow specific titles, or patrons may request a staff member select materials based on the patron’s reading preferences. There is no fee for homebound delivery. Deliveries will generally be scheduled every two weeks or monthly, depending on the availability of Library resources, staff and volunteers* and the preference of the patron. Homebound patrons shall not be charged overdue fines, but shall be charged for borrowed items that are lost or damaged.
The Library is committed to ensuring that all patrons receiving homebound delivery services are treated with dignity, respect, and impartiality. In addition, the Library is committed to ensuring that the staff and volunteers of Library are treated with dignity and respect and that they are safe while serving the public. To that end we have established a set of guidelines that delivery recipients must follow:
- Patrons must be punctual at delivery time. Library staff and volunteers reserve the right to leave after waiting for five minutes, or such other longer or shorter time as deemed appropriate by Library staff or volunteers, for any patron to answer the door.
- Patrons and persons at patrons’ homes where deliveries are made must speak and act courteously to Library staff and volunteers at all times. Any words or acts of intimidation or abuse will not be tolerated and may lead to the Library suspending access to homebound services for that patron.
- Patrons requesting homebound delivery services must provide a safe and appropriate environment for Library staff and volunteers who make deliveries to their homes. Staff or volunteers may choose not to enter a home, leave a home immediately and/or recommend suspension of a patron’s homebound delivery services if any of the following conditions exist:
- Any person in the home uses abusive or obscene language, makes obscene gestures, or displays obscene images
- Any person in the home harasses the Library’s staff or volunteers
- Any person in the home exhibits threatening behavior
- Any person in the home is not dressed properly and/or is dressed in revealing attire
- Any person in the home exhibits signs of illness that may jeopardize the health or safety of the Library’s staff or volunteers
- Any person in the home is engaging in illegal activity at the time of the delivery
- Pets are not confined (with the exception of service animals trained to assist a disabled person so long as the service animals are behaving in a safe manner)
- There is not a clear and safe pathway to the home (for example, snow must be shoveled and ice removed)
- Conditions in the home or on the property are unsafe or unsanitary
- Other conditions or circumstances in which the Library’s staff or volunteers are not being treated with dignity or respect or feel unsafe
If Library staff or volunteers must leave the home, deny service or recommend suspension of service due to the occurrence of any of the above, the Library staff member or volunteer shall provide the Library Director with notice of why such action occurred together with any recommendation for length of suspension of service.
The following procedures will be followed in cases where the Library Director of his/her designee determines that a patron’s homebound delivery services should be suspended for a period beyond one (1) visit:
- The Library Director or his/her designee will prepare a written description of the offending behavior and provide a copy to the patron. Suspension of homebound delivery services shall be for a definite period of time stated in the written description. Patrons shall be given the opportunity to discuss the basis for the suspension with the Library Director.
- Suspensions may be appealed by the affected patrons to the Library Board by a written request submitted to the Library Director within fourteen (14) calendar days of receipt of the notice of suspension. The suspension shall be reviewed by the Library Board at the next regular monthly Library Board meeting and will be subject to the provisions of the Open Meetings Act. The Library Board may, at its discretion, uphold the suspension or reinstate the patron’s privileges. The decision of the Library Board is final.
* Only adult volunteers (volunteers over the age 0f 18 who have passed a criminal background check) may participate in providing homebound delivery service.
Library staff shall develop such rules and procedures as are necessary to carry out and ensure compliance with this Homebound Delivery Policy.