Are you or is someone you know homebound? Unable to travel to the Library due to a physical challenge or visual limitation? That’s no reason to give up your love for reading, enjoying a new movie, or listening to audiobooks. The Library provides a regular delivery service to homebound residents of our town and valley, for both temporary and ongoing conditions.

House Calls is the name for this service. It ensures that all residents can continue reading, listening and learning. Clients enjoy home-delivery of items selected around their interests, and brought to their doorstep.

Volunteers are an essential part of the Library–including the House Calls program. Fran Gabrielson (pictured here) is a Library volunteer who makes weekly deliveries. During the stay-at-home days of the pandemic, it was Fran who made regular calls to clients, many of whom live alone, to make sure they were doing fine.

How are deliveries made? The House Calls program uses a doorstep approach. Before an appointment time, clients place their Library returns outside their front door, and a Library volunteer replaces that with a bag of new books and materials. Conversation is done from outside and safely-distanced.

What materials are available for check-out? Anything that checks out of the Library can be checked out through House Calls. New clients indicate the types of materials they enjoy (favorite authors or genres; special areas of interest; preferred types of media, etc.). You can ask for specific titles, or say, “Here’s what I like to read. Surprise me!”

We also offer the tremendous resources of the Colorado Talking Book Library: audiobooks with easy-to-use equipment, plus Braille, and a huge selection of Large Print titles. Give us a call, and we’ll get you connected.

Who is eligible? If you reside within the Library District and are unable to visit the downtown building  due to one of the following conditions, you can sign up for the Library’s House Calls. Eligibility may include any one of the following criteria:

• You have a short or long-term illness
• You have visual limitations
• You have physical challenges
• You are in non-driver status
• You’re a caregiver whose responsibilities make it difficult to visit the Library

If you’d like to find out more, or if you know someone that would benefit from home deliveries, call Gretel Bock, House Calls Coordinator, at (970) 586-8116, extension 827, or email gbock@estesvalleylibrary.org. You can also find out more by visiting this House Calls link.

The program is open and ready for new clients. “Do you make House Calls?” The Library’s answer is: “Yes!