Homebound Service Policy

Patron Eligibility
Homebound service will be provided to residents of McDowell County who are not able to come to the library. “Homebound” is defined as being generally confined to the residence either temporarily, due to illness or accident, or permanently, due to age, disability or other mobility problems.

Library card registration/use
Each homebound patron must register for a library card if he or she does not already have one. The volunteer or staff member who makes the initial delivery will take care of registering a patron who does not have a card, and homebound patrons will retain their cards. A file containing the homebound services registration forms, including library barcode, will be maintained in the Homebound Services Department for use in checking out materials to these patrons.

Delivery Schedule/Loan Period
Materials will be delivered by a volunteer once a month. At the time new materials are delivered, the items from the previous delivery will be retrieved and returned to the library. Deliveries will be made in partnership with McDowell County’s Senior Center.

Fines/Fees
Homebound delivery service is free. Overdue fines will not be charged on homebound materials, but patrons are responsible for damaged or lost items.

Materials Available for Homebound Delivery
Currently, only books and audio books are available to be checked out. As the service progresses we will consider adding other types of materials. Each delivery will be limited to one bag of materials.

Homebound Environment Required for Delivery
Our homebound service is largely run by volunteers and their safety is extremely important to us.  With this in mind, we ask patrons requesting homebound services to provide a safe and appropriate environment for volunteers or staff members.  Some examples of an unsafe home include, but are not limited to:

• If any person in the home presents threatening behavior or harasses the library’s representative.

• If pets are not confined (with the exception of service animals trained to assist a disabled person).

• If any person in the home exhibits signs of illness that may jeopardize the health of the library’s representative.

• And if conditions in the home are unsafe.

If a volunteer or staff member must leave the home due to concerns about their safety, they will notify the Homebound Services Department and the Library Director.   Service will be suspended until the issues reported are resolved.