Devon Home Library Service

The Devon Home Library Service is a free service delivered on behalf of Libraries Unlimited which is responsible for library service provision in Devon. Books are delivered by volunteers in a variety of formats for those who can no longer get to the library due to health, mobility or caring responsibilities. This service can be provided on both a temporary or permanent basis and books are chosen to suit the reader, or can be ordered online by the reader. Books can also be kept longer than a normal loan period.

Catherine Saunders has recently been appointed as the service manager for the Devon Home Library Service; her most recent employment has been with the Office for National Statistics in Dorset, so her new role has involved a move into Devon.  The majority of her career has been with the Civil Service, although she is looking forward to a complete change and working in such a highly regarded and historical voluntary organisation. She says: “Having been an avid reader all my life, which began with an introduction to using the library service as a child, I feel that no longer having access to books in some format would leave a huge gap in my life.”

The service also serves as a valuable contact point, as sadly the volunteer may be the only person the reader sees. In the majority of libraries, the team of volunteers is led by a co-ordinator whose role involves meeting with prospective new readers, taking a few details including a reader profile, and matching the reader with a volunteer.  All volunteers are DBS checked. David Martin, who has lived in Tavistock since 1989, has recently become the new volunteer co-ordinator for Tavistock Library.  Having retired from working as a software engineer, he now enjoys cycling, tennis and gardening and is keen to build up the Home Library Service in the Tavistock area.

If you, or someone you know would be interested in receiving books via the Home Library Service or volunteering you can contact Catherine on 07786635163 or find out more at home.library@librariesunlimited.org.uk