The library's temporary locations are at the Beech Street Center and the E.C. Benton Library. For more information, including hours of operation, please click here.

Homebound Delivery Policy

Books on Wheels – Homebound Delivery Policy

Patron Eligibility

Homebound service will be provided to residents of Belmont, MA who are not able to come to the library. “Homebound” is defined as being generally confined to the residence either temporarily, due to illness or accident, or permanently, due to age, disability, or other mobility problems.

Library Card Registration/Use

Each homebound patron must register for a library card if s/he does not already have one. New Library cards will be mailed and homebound patrons must retain their cards. Several options will exist for setting up a new account.

  • New patrons can be mailed an application by the Library, and they mail it back filled out (no photo id verification needed).
  • A family member, friend, or other volunteer can bring an application to a new patron and return it to Library filled out and with a copy of a valid photo id for the patron.
  • If able, patrons could make a one time visit to the Library to set up a new account.
  • Accounts cannot be created over the phone. An application must be filled out by one of the methods stated previously.
  • Additional names (of volunteers) may be added to individual accounts for delivery purposes.

Delivery Schedule/Loan Period

Belmont Public Library canvas bags will be supplied for deliveries. Each bag will have an affixed name placard with the patrons name, home address, telephone number and other contact information.

Materials will be delivered by the Belderbus Driver from the Council on Aging on the 3rd Thursday of the month beginning at 1:00pm. This once a month delivery may expand in the future as we judge the amount of participants and the demands for the service. At the time materials are delivered, the items from the previous delivery will be retrieved and returned to the library.

Supplemental Deliveries will be allowed by additional Volunteers of the Library or Council On Aging, but must be registered to the program either in conjunction with a particular patron (listed on their account) or for deliveries in waiting.

Fines/Fees

There is no fee for homebound delivery. Overdue fines will not be charged on items from the Belmont Public Library. Only items belonging to the Belmont Public Library will be allowed

Items obtained through ILL may still be subject to owning library’s borrowing rules. The replacement costs will apply for damaged or lost items from any library.

Loan Periods

1 month loan periods, with 1 available renewal.

Materials Available for Homebound Delivery

All formats of materials are eligible for homebound delivery, but items in high demand may be excluded. Homebound patrons will receive longer hold times on checkouts as stated above. To avoid making other patrons wait extended periods of time for materials, certain items will not be included in the program. Any items deemed “Speed Reads or Speed Views” will not be available to the homebound delivery program. In addition items with holds will not be available to the homebound delivery program. Each delivery will be limited to one delivery bag.

Requesting materials

  • Call the Library to make requests or make requests online.
  • Arrange for a staff member to choose titles for you in a certain genre or material type (Discussion required with Library staff to begin).

Delivery Guidelines

The Council on Aging is also committed to ensuring that all delivery recipients be treated with dignity, respect and impartiality. In addition the Council on Aging  is committed to ensuring that the driver of the BelderBus be treated with dignity and respect and that he is safe while serving the public. To that end we have established a set of guidelines that delivery recipients need to abide by

  1. Patrons must be punctual at delivery time. The Council on Aging reserves the right to leave after waiting for five minutes for any individual Patron to answer the door so as not to make others wait longer for their deliveries.
  1. All patrons must speak courteously to the driver at all times. Any words or acts of intimidation will not be tolerated and may lead to the Council On Aging suspending further access to the Books on Wheels program for that individual.
  1. Proper attire is required at delivery time.
  • Patrons must protect all library materials while in their custody. Any library material currently in the possession of the homebound patron appears to have been willfully defaced, mutilated or damaged while in the custody of the homebound person.

Volunteers may recommend suspension of the service for violation of any of the following guidelines. If a volunteer wishes to recommend suspension of service because the occurrence of any of the above is deemed to make the home environment for delivery unsafe or inappropriate, the volunteer shall provide the Beech Street Center Director and the Library Director with notice of why such action occurred together with any recommendation for length of suspension of service.

The Head of Circulation shall send written notice to the patron with the reason for and the length of, any continuing suspension of service and shall provide a copy of the notice to the Library Director. No suspension of service in excess of thirty (30) days shall be imposed unless it is recommended by the Library Director. Any homebound patron may request in writing that the suspension of service be reviewed and reconsidered.

If you have any questions please feel free to call

The Council On Aging

Nava Niv-Vogel, Director

Brian Jennings,Transportation Coordinator

at 617-484-5501.

The Belmont Public Library

Peter Struzziero, Director

Lisa Cassidy, Head of Circulation

at 617-489-2000

Adopted August 27, 2015

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