And now vulnerable and isolated people living in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole have the chance once again to have novels delivered as the Home Library Service has resumed.

BCP Council’s libraries, working with the Council’s Together We Can volunteers and the Royal Voluntary Service, will be contacting existing clients to make arrangements to safely deliver books to them.

At a later date, the service is aiming to offer the Home Library Service more widely and to provide deliveries of books and toys from their toy libraries to vulnerable families.

Councillor Vikki Slade, BCP Council Leader, said, “For some of our more vulnerable and isolated residents, the Home Library Service is a lifeline for them and it’s important for their wellbeing that they are able to access books and other resources. Whilst the library service offers a fantastic online service which has increased in popularity during lockdown, we know there are some residents who are not able to access this service and therefore I’m really pleased, that with the help of our volunteers, we can now reintroduce this for them.”

All volunteers and library staff will follow safety guidance for the picking, packing and delivery of books. Returned books will be cleaned and quarantined in line with Public Health guidelines to ensure the safety of both residents and colleagues.