The options for library services are abundant but one-size-fits-all is not necessarily the “best” service approach for all St. Johns County residents. With six library branches and 3 bookmobiles throughout the county, there should be a library location close to you. But what if you can’t get to us? Well, check out our Books-by-Mail program.

Books-By-Mail (BBM) is a service that provides books and other library materials to library users of all ages who are homebound or unable to visit their local library or bookmobile for a variety of reasons. SJCPLS offers the BBM service for the convenience of browsing the library’s collection from the comfort home and at your leisure.

Materials are selected for each reader according to reading interests, or readers may make specific requests. Library materials are mailed in secure, zippered bags via the United States Postal Service with reversible address labels for easy return. Homebound patrons receive materials mailed at a special library rate and postage is paid both ways by SJCPLS. Regular BBM patrons receive their materials in a postage-paid bag and these materials can be mailed back, at the same rate, at the patron’s expense, or they can be returned to any SJCPLS library or bookmobile by a friend, family member, or caretaker.

Ready to get started? More information and the appropriate applications are available on the Books-by-Mail web page. Once your application is received, a BBM staff member will contact you to discuss the service and your reading interests. When the registration process is complete, you will receive your first Books-by-Mail delivery along with a flyer which further explains how the service works and includes contact information for when you have questions or want to place requests for library materials.

As the year winds down, many of you are looking for organizations to support and I hope you will consider helping SJCPLS continue its important work. On GivingTuesday, November 29, donate to the library to help us enhance the programs and services we offer to our community. With your gift, you can help support STEM classes for children, our Summer Reading Program, public programming for all ages, new materials, online resources, and much more. Make your contribution online at www.sjcpls.org/donate.

I hope you find as much value in your library as I do. Thank you for your continued support. I am grateful for you!

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at SJCPLS!