Home Delivery and Outreach Services

Library materials delivered to your doorstep! Sponsored by the Westwood Council on Aging and the Friends of the Westwood Public Library.

The Westwood Public Library, in partnership with the Friends of the Westwood Public Library and the Westwood Council on Aging, offers a delivery option to provide library materials for Westwood residents who are confined to their homes by an illness or injury, either temporary or long term, and are therefore unable to travel to the library.

A team of friendly library and COA volunteers and staff will assist you with selecting library materials, including books, DVDs, audiobooks, music cds, and magazines. Requests for materials will be filled and delivered to your home by a Homebound Delivery Volunteer for a three-week loan period. Materials will be delivered and retrieved on the same day. We can select items for you by title or provide you with a selection based on your reading interests and preferences.

This service is free and based on the volunteers’ availability. For additional information, please contact:

Karen Gallagher, Head of Circulation Services

Phone:  781-320-1049                                   

Email: kgallagher@minlib.net

Who is eligible to take advantage of this program?: Westwood residents who are confined to their homes by an illness or injury, either temporary or long term, and are therefore unable to travel to the library, may register for this service. 

Who will deliver the library materials?: Library or COA volunteers will deliver and retrieve the materials.

What type of materials can I borrow?: All circulating library materials, including books, magazines, audiobooks, dvds, and music cds will be delivered to your home for a 3-week loan period.  Materials will be delivered and retrieved on the same day. We can select items for you by title or author, or if you prefer, library staff will select a variety of materials based on your reading interests and preferences.

How can I register for this service?: To get started, complete and return the ENROLLMENT FORM to Karen Gallagher at the Westwood Public Library.  Please note that you must be a Westwood resident and have a valid Minuteman Library card. Our mailing address is:

Westwood Public Library

Attn: Karen Gallagher

660 High Street

Westwood, MA  0209

When can I expect delivery to my home?: When your enrollment form is received, someone will contact you within one month to discuss your reading preferences and determine when a volunteer is available to begin delivering materials to you.

All homebound delivery volunteers must pass a CORI, SORI and Driver Record Check. CORI forms are available at the Westwood Council on Aging and at the Library.  Please contact COA staff directly at 781-329-8799 to schedule an appointment.  Please bring this completed application with you for your scheduled appointment.

The Process

1.  Complete Volunteer Application.

2. Arrange for CORI Check by contacting COA staff at 781-329-8799.

3.  When CORI approval has been secured, Library staff will contact you and arrange for you to come into the Library for a brief training and information session.

4.  You will be paired with a Homebound Delivery partner. 

5.  It will be your responsibility to contact this person, introduce yourself, and determine the details of delivery – including day of the week, time, and logistics of drop-off and retrieval of library materials.

6.  Volunteers will pick up the designated materials in bags marked with the name of the individual requesting Homebound Delivery.  These materials will be selected and appropriately processed by library staff prior to delivery.  The materials will then be transported by the volunteer to the destination.  Volunteers will deliver and retrieve materials at the entry (i.e. DOORSTEP!)  of the residence.  At no time is a volunteer to enter the home.  All materials are delivered and retrieved at the doorstep.

7.  Volunteers will respect the privacy and confidentiality of all requests for materials and agree to respect the confidentiality of the recipient of these materials.