New program brings books to seniors
Jimmy Oneal, left, president of Quincy Friends of the Library, and Katherine Stafford, public health nurse, sort through collected books for the new Senior Services Mobile Library. The program is intended to get books into the hands of those residents who have limited access to libraries and other services. Photo by Victoria Metcalf
A questionnaire to isolated individuals, especially seniors, is going out soon asking whether they want to receive books from the new Senior Services Mobile Library.
The brainchild of Katherine Stafford, public health nurse for the Plumas County Public Health Agency, the program now offers free books to those 60 and older or those considered home-bound or with limited mobility.
Jimmy Oneal, president of Friends of the Quincy Library, willingly joined forces with Stafford. Oneal has sorted through donated books not sold at previous Friends quarterly book sale. These finds and specific donations have been catalogued so participants know what is available for selection.
More books are being donated by the Mohawk Resource Center, said Dana Cash, health education coordinator.
There are two different ways that participants can request and receive books, Cash said. Individuals can request books through the Meals on Wheels driver, or through Community Connections.
Oneal then fills the request or attempts to find a particular request and makes sure it gets delivered to the participant. Currently this new collection is housed at public health.
Those receiving books don’t have to worry about returning them. Participants can keep the book or pass it along to someone else.
Oneal said they have collected books in a wide variety of categories. Animals, art and photography, cookbooks, crafts, adventure, classic fiction and mysteries are just some of the categories.
Those who receive the questionnaire are asked to fill it out and call Oneal at 283-9854.
“We’re in the budding stages,” Oneal said about the new program, but with more than 100 books in the collection and more coming in, it’s off to a good start.
