Beardsley Library Delivers the Goods

WINSTED — Stressing the importance of reading, the Beardsley & Memorial Library is offering a new program to homebound residents in Winsted, Colebrook and Barkhamsted. Thanks to volunteers and the Winsted Lions Club, homebound residents can have library materials delivered to their homes at no charge.

The program will allow citizens who cannot get to the library on their own the opportunity to read books, listen to music or watch movies.

"They can go onto our Web page to see what we have or they can ask us to select something for them," said library Director Linda Senkus. "They can give us a call and we have some volunteers who can go out and deliver these materials to their homes. The volunteers make arrangements to bring the materials back to the library."

This service is available to anyone who is unable to drive to the library themselves, for any reason. The library wants to make its material available to every resident in the area.

While other towns, such as Waterbury, have established similar programs in which library materials are mailed directly to the patron's home, Senkus said that type of library funding is not available locally.

"We depend largely on donations and volunteers to make our services available and I am thankful that we have volunteers who can make these services available," Senkus said.

According to the Connecticut Public Library Statistical Profile for 2005-06, the Beardsley & Memorial receives state funding of about $17 per capita, while the state average for library funding is $30.76 per capita.

"Yes, we are lowly funded. Take a good look at what you're getting at half the money," Senkus said.

The homebound delivery program now coinsides with a delivery program the library has established with local senior housing complexes.

"The friends of the library deliver books to our local elderly housing units [Chestnut Grove, The Glen and Laurel Hill] and swap them out monthly," Senkus said. Each facility has 20 books signed out to it on a monthly basis.

For more information on the homebound delivery program, contact the Beardsley and Memorial Library at 860-379-6043 or visit beardsleyandmemorial.org.