A library that comes to you

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Read on: Una has been a Home Library Service user for five years
Read on: Una has been a Home Library Service user for five years

There’s one knock on the door each fortnight that is a welcome call for housebound members of the community, with Campbelltown City Council’s Home Library Service delivering much more than library resources.

For those physically unable to visit their local library due to age, illness, injury or disability, the service is a chance to access a full range of books and other library resources for free.

The service is also available to residents in aged care facilities within the Campbelltown Local Government Area. Bulk loans of materials to certain care facilities can be arranged.

The Home Library Service provides access to books (including large print), talking books, magazines, DVDs, CDs and foreign language materials. There are also opportunities to borrow eReaders or Kobos.

The service is individually customised, with Home Library staff consulting with clients to ensure a personalised service that matches books and other resources as closely as possible with the client’s specific interests or needs.

Items are delivered every two weeks by Council’s Home Library staff, with assistance from volunteers from Meals on Wheels, and the service is available to members for as long as required.

Mayor of Campbelltown, Cr Clinton Mead, said the Home Library Service highlighted the library’s diverse and extensive range of services available to the community.

“This service enables people who are unable to visit their local library due to mobility or health issues to access library resources from the comfort of their home,” Cr Mead said.

“It’s yet another way our library service is connecting with its community, without the need for library members to physically visit the library,” he added.

Eligibility for the Home Library Service is subject to conditions. For more information, or to join, phone 4645 4444 or visit campbelltown.nsw.gov.au/homelibraryservice.

Meanwhile, in preparation for History Week celebrations next month, Campbelltown City Library is calling on people to lend items for a display titled ‘Campbelltown at the Home Front’.

The display will reflect this year’s theme, ‘The Great War’, in light of 2014 marking the centenary of the outbreak of World War I. Memorabilia such as clothes, homewares, farming equipment, photographs or everyday items from the 1914 to 1918 period in Campbelltown are currently being sought to feature in the display. In addition to items from the home front, the library is also seeking war-related memorabilia such as diaries, letters or photographs for the display.

The History Week exhibition will run from 6 to 14 September at HJ Daley Library in Campbelltown.

History buffs are also invited to join a History Week trivia night on Wednesday, September 10, giving people with a penchant for the past a chance to test their knowledge. The event will be held at HJ Daley Library in Campbelltown from 6pm.

Teams of up to six people are welcome, with some great prizes up for grabs. Tickets cost $10 per person, including refreshments, and bookings are essential.

Mayor Clinton Mead, said History Week was a chance to reflect on our past and the significant events that led to the shaping of our city and the nation.

“This year is particularly significant as we honour 100 years since the outbreak of World War I, and consider its impact, both abroad and at home,” Cr Mead said.

“Campbelltown City Library kindly welcomes the loan of any documents or items of interest dating back to this era so that the display can help bring stories from our past to life,” he added.

For more information on local History Week celebrations, contact HJ Daley Library on 4645 4436 or visit campbelltown.nsw.gov.au/library

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