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Garland Library reports strong turnout for Club Curiosity; launches phase 2 of "Library at Home" homebound deliveries
Summary
The Club Curiosity summer reading kickoff drew more than 500 attendees May 31 and the library has received hundreds of activity trackers. The library also launched phase 2 of its Library at Home pilot: a limited homebound physical-delivery service that began June 2 and is limited to 15 households during the pilot.
Garland Public Library reported strong early participation in this summer’s Club Curiosity reading program and said it has launched the second phase of a homebound-delivery pilot, “Library at Home.”
Library staff said the Club Curiosity kickoff on the downtown square on Saturday, May 31 drew more than 500 people for carnival-style activities, crafts, a scavenger hunt and performances. Staff said participation in the program’s first weeks produced substantial returns of activity trackers; the presenter said the weekly figure was nearly 237 trackers, and later in the update corrected that 674 trackers were turned in by the end of the reporting period.
Performers and partners included family-friendly acts, a science-discovery truck from the Perot Museum, Magic James and a live-raptor program from the Blackland Prairie Raptor Center. Staff said several programs reached capacity and that cultural-arts staff helped host larger events when Central’s facilities were not yet available.
On outreach, Morgan Blackburn, library outreach and events coordinator, described the Library at Home phase 2 pilot, which launched this spring and began deliveries June 2. The pilot is limited to Garland residents and capped at 15 households; at the time of the meeting staff reported four people had signed up (three who are receiving physical deliveries and one who is using digital-only services). Deliveries are scheduled for the first Monday of each month, with the library picking up returns at the same time. Each patron is limited to three physical items per delivery; the loan period for items in the pilot was extended to four weeks.
Blackburn said the program does not ask applicants why they are homebound and that staff will help patrons obtain library cards by phone if needed. Bags used for delivery are weather resistant and labeled with a code name to protect patron privacy; staff contact patrons the week before each delivery to confirm participation. The pilot accepts preferences including large print, non‑romance-only requests, DVDs and audiobooks, and staff said the service is available to homebound patrons of any age (for example, a temporary need after surgery, a new parent or an older adult).
The outreach coordinator said the pilot was designed small to measure public interest and staffing time; if demand grows, staff will evaluate delivery methods including mail service and potential budget impacts for postage and staffing. The presenter also said the library researched similar services at neighboring systems while designing its pilot.
Ending: Library staff asked board members to help spread the word about Library at Home and summer programming; staff said they will report back as the pilot fills or expands.
