Home library service

A home library service is a delivery service offered by some libraries (especially in Australia and the United Kingdom) for people who are unable to visit a library because of sickness, disability, or geography.

Home library services deliver to user's homes, as well as retirement homes and nursing homes, where the staff will work with librarians to deliver services. Users of a home library service may request specific titles, or list preferences like genre and format, and have librarians select items for them. Most users of HLS are elderly and may need large print books.

Some HLS services use couriers, while others will have librarians or volunteers connect with users directly. Direct connection means staff can connect users with further community activities and council resources. Proponents of HLS say that it can help people feel more involved with their community especially when HLS users form relationships with the volunteers or librarians.

While HLS is usually a public library service, it has been offered by academic libraries.

Australia
Despite not being a legal requirement of public libraries, HLS is offered by almost all major public libraries in Australia. It is strongly promoted by the Australia Library and Information Association (ALIA), who state "The home library service should be a mainstream, integral, part of a public library service, with priority equal to other services of the library" and provide guidelines for the service.

Australian public libraries are not allowed to charge for HLS services because of section 10 of the Library Act 1939 which states: "No charge is to be made for the delivery to a member of the library of any book or information that the member is entitled to borrow free of charge if the member for reasons of ill-health or disability cannot reasonably be expected to attend the library in person."

United Kingdom
In the UK, home library services are often delivered by volunteers rather than library staff. Some libraries offer HLS to people living in rural areas who do not have local libraries.

Other countries
Home library services also exist in Argentina, Thailand, The Netherlands, Finland, and Canada.