Outreach Services does not have an area open to the public. You may reach the department by phone (513-369-6963) 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday.
Manager: Elizabeth Zuelke
About the Department
The Outreach Services Department (formerly Institutions/Books-by-Mail IBBM) has its roots in three earlier Library departments, the Bookmobile, the Homebound and Institutions Departments, and the Exceptional Children’s Department. In 1927 the Library took to the road with two “book wagons,” delivering Library materials to rural areas of Hamilton County. During the height of bookmobile service in the 1970s, four bookmobiles traveled to schools and neighborhoods throughout the county. The Homebound and Institutions Department was begun in 1968 and was one of the earliest public library departments developed to provide service for individuals unable to take advantage of traditional Library services. These two departments were merged in 1980 with a new name, Institutions/Books-by-Mail.
Since 1966, the Exceptional Children’s Department has been providing library service to children of Hamilton County with special needs, including children who are physically or mentally disabled, learning disabled, and gifted. In 2000, the Exceptional Children’s Department merged with the Institutions/Books-by-Mail Department.
Over the years, the services offered by Outreach Services have changed as the community has changed. Demographic shifts and an increasing number of branch libraries resulted in a waning interest in bookmobiles service, leading to the retirement of the last bookmobile in 1992. The growing percentage of older adults, on the other hand, led to a dramatic expansion of services in the late 1980s and early 1990s to serve older adults. Today, Outreach Services has grown to encompass a number of services for those with special needs, including:
- Service to Institutions
- Library materials delivered to nursing homes, retirement centers, senior centers and hospitals throughout Hamilton County.
- Books-by-Mail
- Books and other Library materials are sent to individuals in Hamilton County who are confined to their homes and do not have access to the Main Library or a branch.
- Service to Schools
- Classroom collections are provided to teachers in elementary and middle schools throughout Hamilton County.
- Service to Correctional Facilities
- Library material are provided for the Hamilton County Justice Center and other local correctional facilities.
- Service to Exceptional Children
- Specially selected collections are delivered to schools, hospitals, and other facilities serving children with special needs. Staff also provide programs including storytelling, puppet shows, and book talks.
The Collection
Outreach Services’s collection is geared toward meeting the needs of users with special needs and the professionals who work with or care for them. A large collection of juvenile books, magazines and audiocassettes are used for providing Service to Schools. A wide variety of adult materials is available for Books-by-Mail Service to Institutions and Service to Correctional Facilities.
Materials covering education, children with special needs, aging, arts and crafts and activities are available to teachers, activity directors, nursing home administrators and other professionals served by Outreach Services.
Special Collections
Large Print Books
Outreach Services has one of the most extensive collections of large print books in the U.S. The collection includes popular fiction, non-fiction, and classics. A browsing collection of large print books is located in the Fiction & Young Adult Department on the first floor of the Main Library’s South Building. Large print books are available through all of the department’s services; they can also be sent to any branch for pick-up. Juvenile large print titles are available from the Children’s Learning Center.
To locate large print books in the Library Catalog, choose Large Print in the Media Type drop-down menu of the search form.
In 1992, the department was awarded a G.K. Hall Community Service award in recognition of its outstanding large print services.
Bi-Folkal Kits
Bi-Folkal kits are multi-media programming aids on numerous topics, designed to arouse memories and stimulate discussion in groups of older adults and other users with special needs. These kits are available for loan.
Children with Special Needs
The department maintains a special collection of juvenile books about children with developmental conditions and a collection of adult books about children with special needs.
Programs
This is one of the most important functions of the department with over 170 programs presented by staff each moth. Programs for exceptional children are planned according to the needs and abilities of the group and are delivered at the school or facility where the children are located. Programs include puppet shows, storytelling, and booktalks. Programs for adults are conducted at senior facilities throughout the county and include booktalks and bookclubs.
Reader’s Advisory Service
Outreach Services staff can provide advice to parents, teachers, or other adults who need assistance in selecting reading material for children with special needs.
