The Home Library Service
Craven
Hambleton
Harrogate
Middlesbrough
Redcar and Cleveland
Richmondshire
Ryedale
Scarborough
Selby
York
The Home Library Service is a free personal service for people of all ages who live in North Yorkshire and are unable to physically visit their local library. This also includes mobility impairment, disability, illness, or because they are caring for someone.
You can use the home library service on a temporary basis if you prefer, for example only in the winter or for short-term reasons such as being at home with a new baby or recovering from an operation.
Teams of volunteers deliver this service once a fortnight. Volunteers can either choose items for customers to suit their tastes, deliver them, or a bit of both. If you can get to the library but find it difficult to carry books, you can also choose the items you want to borrow in the library yourself and we will then deliver them.
If you would prefer a family member or friend to choose the items you would like to borrow on your behalf, or for them to collect items selected by our volunteers, please talk to your local library team about what suits you best.
Most items you would borrow from a library can be delivered using the home library service, including:
books and audiobooks
DVDs
large print books
children's books
information
How the service works
After you let your local library know that you're interested in using this service, a volunteer or staff member will visit you at home and:
help you join the library if you are not already a member
find out what types of books you like or dislike
ask if you prefer ordinary print, large print or audiobooks
create a detailed reader profile, which we will use to select books matching your interests
Books will be delivered to you fortnightly or monthly depending on your preference. You can keep the books as long as you need and there are no fines or overdue charges. You can also ask for specific titles or authors and we will do our best to provide the books you would like to borrow.
If you would like to help a friend or family member who struggles getting out to borrow books and other materials, please talk to the team at your local library.
Join the home library service
The easiest way to sign up for this service is to get in touch with your local library - contact details can be found on our local libraries page. Other ways to get in touch with the libraries service are listed on our contact us page.
Volunteer with the home library service
We are looking for volunteers who are interested in meeting people and making connections and love reading, to help pick out and deliver books and information to people using our home library service. You can be involved as much or as little as you like. See our library volunteers page for more details.