Outreach: A Fresh Perspective

By: Christine Conroy

When I was young we had a bookmobile. It was a converted school bus and it was decorated in bright 1970s colors. It stopped half a block away from our home. That was a long time ago, but I still remember the excitement I felt getting on the bus, looking at the books and being able to check one out. The first day I started here at FCPL, in the lunchroom at HQ, I overheard Sarah talking about the “future” bookmobile and I just always knew I wanted to be a part of being able to give that magical experience to our children here in Forsyth County.

My first couple of months in Outreach have been a bit of a whirlwind. My first month, Lorraine made it a point that I attended every single stop. Sounds exhausting, but it was so informative and, in a way, exhilarating. That first month really opened my eyes to ALL that Outreach does. It’s not only about driving the bookmobile around town (which is really cool) or one specific demographic. It’s about connecting with EVERYONE and especially those who, without our Outreach Department, would have no connection to the library, literature, or the mental stimulation that comes from reading and/or program participation.

There are so many things I love about my position here at Outreach, but one thing that stands out for me is working with the senior citizens. (ALL OF THEM.) I love going to the facilities where the residents are independent and so into their books and authors. We literally get swamped when we walk into any of our lobby stop locations. We even tried going earlier to get set up “before the rush”,  but that didn’t work either. Instead, we ended up meeting new friends and patrons, which was awesome. I’ve become known as the one that can help them get library books to their Kindles and iPads, which is a bit time consuming, but it’s really fun to help them and see how excited they get when they can search and read on their devices. We all love how enthusiastic they all are about our visits.

Our mailbox book patrons never cease to amaze me, as well. Most are elderly, some are handicapped, but they are all so wonderful in their own special ways. We do our best to make sure they all have what they need. They send us notes back with their books or call us to talk about books, or whatever is going on in their day. I had a pretty good idea of how important books are to our older patrons just from working in the branches, but I realized quickly that for our Mailbox books, handicapped and assisted living patrons, they are an important lifeline. We had an instance, after Memorial Day, where one of our patrons did not receive her books for over a week and a half. We tried to explain to her that because of the holiday the mail was a bit slow and it had happened to a couple of our patrons. She called quite a few times. When I learned that she lived in a senior care facility not far from my farm,  I decided to deliver her some books to tide her over on my way home. When I walked into the facility, and shared with the receptionist I was from the library she asked, “Are you here for…?” and then a voice from the back shouted, “Oh my, have you brought books for…?” I explained that I had brought a couple of books for her to read while she waited on her mail bag to arrive. They were over the moon happy that I had done this and just the feels I got from that interaction was so worth the detour on my way home.

Visiting the elderly in memory care holds a very special place in my heart. My mother suffered from dementia in her later years and I know firsthand how important stimulation is for the seniors afflicted with memory issues. Just the fact that we are there, a new face, helps with mental stimulation. While visiting,  we are reminded that they may not receive visitors on a regular basis and our interaction with them, although only for thirty or forty minutes a month, helps fire up synapses in their brain that might otherwise have stayed dormant. The positive effects of our short interactions are so special to them. You hear it in their voices, even if they cannot find the correct words to express themselves. You see it in their eyes and smiles, even if they cannot speak. Those that can communicate fluidly love sharing their memories and talking about whatever it is we happen to be talking about that day. They are always so appreciative and thankful. Your heart is just so full by the end of a program, you feel like it just might burst.

I do not want to discount, however, how wonderful Outreach is to the children of Forsyth County and being able to be a part of reaching out to the underserved portions of our county. I love how excited the kids (and adults) are to be on the bookmobile or to see us when we are dropping off books and fun worksheets at a local laundromat. It’s wonderful that most of them truly want to engage with the librarian who is on duty that day. On the road, we always discuss with our patrons what they are wanting, needing, or would like to see as far as our collection on the bus.  I love sitting down right in the middle of the bookmobile and reading a little story to a toddler or watching one of our younger patrons do their favorite dance. We have young helpers at a couple stops too, which is super adorable.

I have only been here a couple months, but I realized almost immediately that Outreach is a completely different animal than working in a branch. You need to be able to switch gears quickly and more often. The work is intense and both mentally and physically challenging at times, but deeply rewarding. In the short time I have been here I have too many wonderful stories to share for one blog post, but I just wanted to share a couple with you. My goal is for everyone to leave the bookmobile with good vibes, a smile, and something to read, of course. It is truly a blessing to be a part of something that has such a positive and prodigious effect on our county. There’s just so much good energy surrounding what we do; it’s both infectious and beautiful. Thanks for taking the time to read my little tale.