Homebound Service Policy
The Berkeley Public Library offers Homebound Services to those patrons residing in the Village of Berkeley who are unable to visit the library. 'Homebound' is defined as being generally confined to one's residence either temporarily, due to illness or accident, or permanently due to disability, age, or other mobility issues.
Patron Eligibility, Registration, & Use
A patron applying for homebound service must first have a Berkeley Public Library card in good standing. If the patron does not have a library card, the staff member who makes the initial delivery will require the patron to complete a library card application. Interested parties are asked to contact the library's circulation department to participate.
Patrons registered for Homebound Service may call or email the library to request specific titles, or they can request that a librarian select materials based on the patron's reading preferences.
Delivery Schedule & Loan Period
Deliveries of library materials will be made by library staff or volunteers as material availability or staffing levels permit. Participating patrons will be contacted by phone in order to set an equitable time for delivery. Standard library loan periods apply to items provided through Homebound Service, and it is the patron's responsibility to contact the library to schedule a pick up prior to the expiration of the loan.
Fines/Fees/Renewals
There is no fee for participation in the homebound service. Overdue fines may be incurred if the library does not receive a request for pick up by the end of the loan period. The library's standard fee schedule will apply for damaged or lost items.
Materials Available for Homebound Service
All circulating materials are available for homebound service, though special arrangements may have to be made for certain heavy or bulky items or a larger quantity of items.
Homebound Environment Required for Delivery
Patrons requesting homebound services must provide a safe and appropriate environment for staff members or volunteers who make deliveries to their homes, and patrons must protect all library materials while in their custody. Volunteers or staff members may choose not to enter a home, to leave a home immediately, and/or to recommend suspension of the service if any of the following conditions existing:
-
Pets are not confined (with the exception of service animals trained to assist a disabled person)
-
A clear and safe path to the home, with snow shoveled and ice removed
-
Any person in the home is dressed in revealing attire
-
Any person in the home presents threatening behavior
-
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 representative
-
Any person in the home exhibits signs of illness that may jeopardize the health of the library's representative and the library has not been notified of the illness
-
Any person is engaging in any illegal activity in the home at the time of the library's delivery
-
Any library material currently in the possession of the homebound patron appears to have been willfully defaced, mutilated, or damaged while in the custody of the homebound person
-
Conditions in the home are unsafe or unsanitary
​
If a volunteer or staff member must leave the home, deny service, or wishes to recommend suspension of service due to the occurrence of any of the above, and deems that the home environment for delivery is unsafe or inappropriate, the volunteer or staff member shall provide the Director of the Berkeley Public Library with a notice of why such action occurred along with a recommendation for length of suspension of service.
The Director shall send written notice to the patron of the reason for and the length of any continuing suspension of service. No suspension of service in excess of 30 days shall be imposed unless it is recommended by the Library Director and approved by the Board of Trustees. Any homebound patron may request in writing that the suspension of service be reviewed by the Board of Trustees at the next regular monthly Board meeting.
​
ADOPTED AND APPROVED by the Berkeley Public Library Board of Trustees on this 17th day of December, 2014.
REVISED and APPROVED by the Berkeley Public Library Board of Trustees on this 24th day of July, 2019. AYES: 5 NAYS: 0