The Callander public library has received a $5,000 grant to launch a free delivery service, with the intention of reaching residents who may have difficulties accessing the building.
The grant comes from the Village Collective Impact Project, which operates out of Canadore College. Their purpose is to collaborate with seniors, their caregivers, and regional organizations to develop new ways to improve the lives of seniors.
See: Canadore College receives $1.99 million to develop programs to increase social inclusion for seniors
Specifically, the funding, comes from the Federal government’s New Horizons for Seniors Program, who provided the Village Collective with $150,000 to fund programs around the region.
Micheline McWhirter manages the Village Collective Impact Project, and notes that the collective “is very proud to partner with the Callander library,” as the staff and board “consistently find ways to improve services and support the community.”
Indeed, “they are the little library that can!” McWhirter enthused.
Although the aim is to help seniors, the library’s delivery program is available to benefit all residents who find reaching the library challenging.
“We know that community members experience a variety of barriers to accessing library resources,” said Melissa Sones, the library’s CEO.
“So, by offering a contactless delivery service we are able to remove one of those barriers.”
Once a week, the library’s volunteer core will deliver materials to residents—anything within the catalogue is up for grabs.
See: Get your game on at Callander Public Library
Moreover, patrons can also have tablets, iPads and Wi-Fi hubs delivered. The grant is also “covering the internet charges” for the Wi-Fi hotspots, Sones explained.
‘We are really excited to offer this service to the community,” Sones said, and for more information on how War and Peace can arrive at your door, contact the library at 705-752-2544 or visit their website.
See: Callander Public Library awarded grant to fund 'borrow the internet' program for seniors
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
