Life can turn messy in a hurry. The pandemic proved that in spades.
This past December, I got up off the couch and was heading down the hallway to go to bed when my right foot buckled beneath me. After an emergency visit and one x-ray later, it was determined that I had a tender tendon. Nothing was broken, however I could hardly walk. When it was time to go to work, I kind of panicked and wondered how I was going to drive into work, walk the messy parking lot, and hobble around all day. Thankfully, I was able to make it to work, but not everyone in our community is so lucky.
We know life involves unexpected twists and turns and not-so-happy surprises at times. However, here at Greenwood Public Library, we want to make sure life doesn’t get in the way of utilizing library resources. We are proud to offer Book Dash – a homebound delivery service as part of an ongoing effort to make our library resources even more accessible to residents. When the pandemic started in 2020, we had to pivot quickly to keep books in the hands of our readers. One of the highlights of this time period was the introduction of our Book Dash program. In 2020, the Greenwood Library Foundation quickly raised the money along with our sponsor, Hubler Automotive Group, to purchase a GPL-branded van, and we started doing book dash deliveries. Book Dash has been slowly but steadily growing ever since.
So, who are we delivering to? We have delivered to patrons who have been in car accidents with broken bones that are recovering. Busy parents with sick kids and no car. Several of our book dashes are to our patrons who are dealing with prolonged eye issues and can no longer drive at all. Some have needed short-term help while completing chemotherapy and taking medication that makes them dizzy. Others have been quarantining due to COVID or the flu. One patron was walking several miles down U.S. 31 South, because she wanted to come to the library, but she had no car.
Any interested GPL residents simply need to give us a call or fill out our form online to request this free service. When you first request Book Dash, we give you the opportunity to choose the department that normally assists you with most of your book selections. This could be the Adult Department on the 2nd floor, the Kids Department on the 1st floor or Patron Services Department in the main lobby. Based on your selection, you’ll be assigned a personal librarian. Your librarian can select materials according to your reading preferences, or can bring the specific titles you are wanting to read. Deliveries are typically made one to two times per month in our GPL van.
We hope even more Greenwood residents will take advantage of our Book Dash service. We know how important it is to have access to the books you love, especially during rough times. It also can be a huge help to participants who are homebound to maintain some connection with the community by taking part in our Book Dash service.
Not only is this service beneficial to our residents, but our library staff appreciates this opportunity just as much. It hurts when a patron we know and love starts experiencing issues coming into the library to get their favorite reading material. We are here to serve our patrons, and love having this opportunity to do so.
If you or someone you know needs Book Dash services and would like to find out more about this program, please contact us at 317-881-1953 or visit our website at greenwoodlibrary.us/bookdash.
Sheila Harmon is an Adult Services Librarian at Greenwood Public Library. GPL staff members share in writing this twice-monthly column for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
