by Sara Edmiston
Ebooks aren’t for everyone, and we understand that. That’s one of the reasons why we offer our library by mail program to anyone in Adams County who has a temporary or permanent handicap, is elderly, or is ill and can’t go to the physical library. We’re happy to provide Library by Mail for those who can’t come to the physical library, don’t want to read ebooks, or can’t use ebooks.
Library by Mail is provided free of charge to Adams County Library cardholders, and it’s a simple process to join the Library by Mail program. Simply fill out the Library by Mail application, available on our website, www.adamslibrary.org, or request the form from any one of our six locations. Once the application is received, the applicant’s library card will be verified, and the account will be changed to a Library by Mail account. Within a few days, participants will receive their first bag of library items.
So, how does Library by Mail work, and what are its limitations? The Library by Mail program allows users to request all library materials—books, DVDs, and audiobooks. We try to customize the experience for each Library by Mail user as much as possible. Users tell us their favorite authors, genres, likes, and dislikes.
Like regular library users, Library by Mail participants can place their holds on materials that the library system owns. One caveat of Library by Mail is that the interlibrary loan is not available to the library by mail users. If they’re looking for an older title that the library system does not own, we, unfortunately, are unable to fulfill that request. If Library by Mail participants are uncomfortable or unable to place their holds through the online catalog, the library staff will take into account their favorite authors, genres, likes, and dislikes when pulling titles for them.
We will mail between three and six items at a time to all Library by Mail participants, depending on the type of material. Items are checked out to the participant, placed in red mailing bags, postage is paid, and the bags are placed in the mail. When the participant receives the bag, they unzip it and enjoy the library material within.
Items are checked out for six weeks to accommodate the time the materials spend in transit.
Returning materials is easy. Users simply put the items back in the red bag, flip over the mail tag, and place the bag in the mail. The library handles all of the postage for Library by Mail. Once the returns have been received, library staff will begin to work on sending the next. We try to send out new Library by Mail bags as soon as possible.
One thing to know is that when someone is enrolled in the Library by Mail program, they are unable to check out other materials from the physical library locations. Should Library by Mail be a temporary need, we can easily switch the account back to that of a regular library user.
So if you or someone you know could benefit from Library by Mail services, or you just want more information, please don’t hesitate to contact the library. The Library by Mail application can be found on our website, www.adamslibrary.org, under the Services tab.
Sara Edmiston is Public Services Librarian at the Adams County Library System.