Outreach Services

Bookmobile

The Library’s Bookmobile carries carts loaded with bestsellers, children’s books, DVDs, audiobooks and other items. Staff visit daycare centers and senior living communities across the county, setting up a convenient mini-library. Additionally, the Bookmobile can be seen at special events throughout the year.

Little Free Libraries

The Delaware County District Library is a Steward for five Little Free Libraries™ within the county. In Alum Creek and Delaware state parks, campers and visitors have the opportunity to pick up a book at the nature center, camp store or marina. Visitors can also find books at Hyatts Road Park and in Radnor.

The boxes, which look like a cross between decorative mailboxes and birdhouses built to hold books, are part of a national campaign to promote a sense of community, reading for children, literacy for adults and libraries around the world. The hand-crafted structures built by the Delaware Area Career Center (DACC) and populated by DCDL contain constantly changing collections of books donated and shared by people of all ages and backgrounds. Browse the book selections available, take one for any duration of time, share it with friends, write a note in it for others to enjoy, and then pay it forward by bringing the book back or another book to share with others. 

• Charter #16966, Delaware State Park Camp Store, 5202 US 23 North
• Charter #16965, Delaware State Park Marina, 5202 US 23 North
• Charter #16968, Alum Creek State Park Nature Center, 2911 South Old State Road
• Charter #16576, Hyatts Road Park, 2500 Hyatts Road
  
• Charter #92951, Radnor, 4230 State Route 203

Discovery Bags & Kids Crates

For in-home daycare providers. Discovery Bags contain educational resources, books, DVDs, games, toys, and information on a variety of themes including insects, farm animals, food, fairy tales and more. For older children in daycare, the Outreach staff will put together Kids Crates. A collection targeted to the ages and interests of the children is delivered monthly.

Kids Crates Application

Home Delivery Services

For individuals unable to visit the library because of physical limitations. Our Outreach Services staff carefully selects books, audiobooks, DVDs and other items to suit individual reading, listening and viewing tastes. Delivered to your home once a month, Outreach Services staff will update you on new materials and determine what you would like delivered the following month.

Teacher Resources

DCDL is a great resource for local teachers, administrators, and students from the Buckeye Valley, Delaware City, and Olentangy school districts, as well as private schools in the area. Working with their school’s media specialist (or librarian), teachers can request materials by subject or title to help meet their resource needs.

Homeschoolers

We provide programs, curriculum support, and meeting rooms for homeschool students and families.

Drop Collections

For daycares and nursing facilities. The Outreach staff will hand-pick library materials (books, DVDs, etc.) based on theme or interests, delivering a new collection every four weeks.

Talking Book Machines

Provided by the State Library of Ohio, the Talking Book Program provides free recorded books, magazines, and playback equipment to eligible blind, visually impaired, physically disabled, and reading disabled Ohio residents. The Outreach Services staff will deliver the digital player and help customers complete the appropriate paperwork. For more information, call 740-548-1660 or email outreach@delawarelibrary.org. 

Memory Bags

For senior residence facilities. The Outreach staff will assemble a bag filled with activities and resources to help residents suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s or other memory loss diseases. Each bag is based on one theme and comes with library materials, CDs, worksheets and more. Contact the Outreach Department to sign up.

For more help with memory care, check out an item from the Library’s new Memory Care Collection, specifically collected and implemented for individuals and their loved ones who are suffering from memory loss or any illness on the spectrum.