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Note the text was in bold in the email distributed to the older person email list.  Looks like text to voice was used.

HOME LIBRARY WORKING GROUP MINUTES

February 23, 2026 – ONLINE VIA TEAMS

HOSTED BY CANADABAY LIBRARY SERVICE

10.00 AM TO 11.35 AM

ATTENDANCE: KYLIE STREETER (CANADABAY), ADAM RAE (CANADABAY), SAQIB MAHMOOD (PENRITH), SCOTT POOKE (INNER WEST), KRISTY NIGHTINGALE (RYDE), JAWED WIJNGEBRAEL (BURWOOD), SUZANNE SPENCER (NORTH SYDNEY), JUDY HANNAH (BURWOOD), CAITLIN CALLINAN (WOOLLAHRA), KATHERINE OWENS (CUMBERLAND), DANI (LANE COVE), ELIZABETH THORNTON (KIAMA), SONYA CAMPION (HORNSBY), THERESA LOCK (BLUE MOUNTAINS), STEPHEN PEACOCK (SUTHERLAND), ROBERTA CARBONE, CHRIS BAKARICH, NICKI FOX (NORTHERN BEACHES), GLENN WARDMAN, Anna (Waverley), ALISON WARD (PENRITH)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY – ADAM RAE

INTRODUCTION TO CANADABAY OUTREACH SERVICE – ADAM RAE

COVERS ADULT SENIORS AND MULTICULTURAL PROGRAMS, HOME LIBRARY SERVICE
CREATIVE PROGRAMMING – POTTERY, JEWELLERY,  ITALIAN BINGO, BOARD GAMES GROUP.
TECH SAVVY SENIORS – ENGLISH AND MULTICULTURAL
INFO TALKS – EG, AGED CARE, HEALTHY LIVING, ENERGY SAVING
HOME LIBRARY SERVICE: 60 INDIVIDUALS AND 6 NURSING HOMES CURRENTLY
3 VOLUNTEERS DO DELIVERIES ONLY
KYLIE DOES 20 HOURS SERVICE DESK AND 15 HOURS FOR HL SELECTION AND OTHER PROGRAMMING DUTIES
HOSTS FOR 2026 MEETINGS
JUNE 1  - 
NOVEMBER 2 –  HORNSBY LIBRARY

INTRODUCTION OF PARTICIPANTS
  * SAQIB (PENRITH) + ALISON – PROGRAMS TEAM, HOME LIBRARY 5-6 YEARS
  * SCOTT (INNER WEST) – BEEN IN POSITION 8 YEARS, CURRENTLY 150 PATRONS AND 10 AGED CARE HOMES
  * CAITLIN (WOOLLAHRA) – ACTING CURRENTLY 3 MONTHS, 100 PEOPLE AND 8 AGED CARE HOMES.
  * JAWED (BURWOOD) – OUTREACH OFFICER, 40 INDIVIDUAL PATRONS, 3 AGED CARE/RETIREMENT VILLAGES. HOPING TO EXPAND NUMBERS
  * KRISTY (RYDE) – ROUGHLY 5 YEARS. 100 PATRONS PLUS 8 INSTITUTIONS. LOST 2 IN LAST YEAR DUE TO REAL ESTATE PRICES. WORKS ALONE, HAS DRIVER WHO DOES DELIVERIES, PRO – GOOD WHEN RAINING, CON – NOT GETTING PATRON FEEDBACK
S  * USANNE (NORTH SYDNEY) -  90 INDIVIDUALS -DELIVER  EVERY WEDNESDAY MORNING ON  FOUR-WEEK CYCLE FOR DIFFERENT ROUTES.  THREE  IN THE TEAM, ALL PART-TIME.
  * THREE RETIREMENT VILLAGES/NURSING HOMES.  DELIVERY THEMSELVES – 2 STAFF PER DELIVERY
  * JUST ONBOARDED 2 VOLUNTEERS, RESTARTING POST COVID  SO HOPING TO GROW THAT SERVICE AS WELL. 
  * KATHERINE (CUMBERLAND) -  FAIRLY NEW TO THE ROLE -  FILLING IN AT THE MOMENT.  LOOKING FORWARD TO LEARNING FROM US.
  * DANI  (LANE COVE)    -BEEN IN THIS ROLE ABOUT 18 MONTHS AND WE HAVE 150 INDIVIDUALS FROM ACROSS HUNTERS HILL AND LANE COVE. WE HAVE THE CONTRACT FOR HUNTERS HILL, SO AS LANE COVE AND WE HAVE ABOUT 7 AGED CARE IN HUNTERS HILL AND 7 IN LANE COVE AND THERE'S THREE OF US. WE ALL WORK PART-TIME. WE HAVE NO VOLUNTEERS AND SO WE DELIVER ON TUESDAY, WEDNESDAYS AND THURSDAYS AND WE HAVE I THINK 7 DIFFERENT RUNS, SO WE ALTERNATE THEM MONTHLY.
  * JUDY – BURWOOD
  * OUTREACH SERVICES LIBRARIAN. WORKS WITH JAWED. JAWED DOES PRETTY MUCH ALL THE LEGWORK FOR HOME LIBRARY SELECTIONS AND DELIVERY. JUST SORT OF DIPS  IN AND OUT OF IT A LITTLE BIT AND IS A  BACKUP. UM, BUT I ALSO DO OTHER OUTREACH ACTIVITIES. FOR EXAMPLE,  LUNA LANES. SO IT'S ABOUT PROMOTING THE LIBRARY.
  * TRYING TO GET OUT TO MORE HOME, NURSING HOMES, AND RETIREMENT VILLAGES. NOT THAT WE'LL PROBABLY PICK PEOPLE UP FROM RETIREMENT VILLAGES WHO WANT HOME LIBRARY, BUT THEY MAY EVENTUALLY.USED TO WORK AT CANADA BAY UP UNTIL LAST YEAR.
  * ELIZABETH (KIAMA) -  THREE DAYS A WEEK. I'M THE ONLY HOME LIBRARY SERVICES OFFICER WE HAVE. I DO HAVE A FEW VOLUNTEERS THOUGH WHO HELP WITH SELECTING AND WITH DELIVERIES. I HAVE ABOUT 50 PEOPLE THAT WE DELIVER TO. AROUND HALF OF THOSE ARE IN OUR NURSING HOMES, WHICH WE HAVE TWO OF IN OUR AREA.
  * SONYA (HORNSBY) – 6 YEARS IN ROLE. 230 INDIVIDUAL CUSTOMERS AND 13 NURSING HOMES THAT WE VISIT. THERE'S ME AND TWO OTHER STAFF  AND A ASSISTANT PART-TIME AND I'M FULL-TIME AND YEAH. WE DO THE DELIVERY AND THE SELECTION HERE.
  * THERESA (BLUE MOUNTAINS) - ROLE IS THE OUTREACH AND MARKETING COORDINATOR. SO AMONGST OTHER THINGS, I SUPERVISE THE HOME LIBRARY SERVICE TEAM AS WELL AS CHILDREN'S AND YOUNG ADULT PROGRAMMING, CAREER SERVICES LIBRARY.
  * LOCKERS AND ALL THE EVENTS AND MARKETING. SO WE HAVE ABOUT 67 INDIVIDUAL CLIENTS AND THREE INSTITUTIONAL CLIENTS AT THE MOMENT IN OUR HOME LIBRARY SERVICE. WE'RE ALMOST AT CAPACITY. AND WE'VE ONLY BEEN GOING AS A HOME LIBRARY SERVICE FOR THREE YEARS. THIS GROUP WAS REALLY INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING US LEARN HOW TO GET OFF THE GROUND.
  * STEPHEN (SUTHERLAND) - I'VE BEEN HERE ABOUT EIGHT YEARS IN HOME LIBRARY. UM, THERE'S THREE OF US. THERE SHOULD BE THREE OF US , TWO FULL TIMERS AND 1 PART TIME (CURRENTLY VACANT). THERE'S ABOUT 340 MEMBERS. 
  * NICKI (NORTHERN BEACHES) - I'VE BEEN HERE FOR ABOUT 8 YEARS. WE CURRENTLY LOOK AFTER ABOUT 310 INDIVIDUALS.
  * WE GO TO, IN EXCESS OF 15 AGED CARE WE HAVE A NUMBER OF BOOK CLUBS. WE ALSO GO TO THE NORTHERN BEACHES HOSPITAL AND DELIVER TO SOME OF THE WARDS UP THERE.
  * WE'RE ACTIVELY PROMOTING AT THE MOMENT AND TRYING TO GO MORE TOWARDS THE DISABILITY SECTOR RATHER THAN THE AGED CARE SECTORWE'RE A TEAM OF SIX. THERE ARE FIVE PART-TIMERS AND I'M FULL TIME.
  * AND WE DELIVER MOST DAYS OF THE WEEK OUT OF THE BRANCH THAT I WORK IN, APART FROM FRIDAYS. OTHER BRANCHES DELIVER SOLELY ON A WEDNESDAY AND THEN ONE BRANCH DELIVERS TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS. WE'VE GOT IN EXCESS OF 20 VOLUNTEERS TO DELIVER.
  * WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET THE DELIVERIES DONE WITHOUT THE VOLUNTEERS.  IT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE. 
  * ANNA (WAVERLERY) – IN ROLE 2 YEARS, 28 HOURS PER WEEK, HAS DRIVER. 100 INDIVIDUALS AND 5 NURSING HOME/RETIREMENT VILLAGES.

VISION AUSTRALIA 

 STEPHEN – WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO USE THE VISION AUSTRALIA CATALOG TO  MINIMIZE THE TIME SPENT DOWNLOADING. (ABOUT 1 MINUTE VERSUS  AVERAGE 3-4 WITH CURRENT SYSTEM) CAN SPEND HOURS SOME DAY.
PROBLEM - GETTING COUNCIL TO AGREE -  THEY DON'T WANNA DOWNLOAD ANOTHER APP OR PROGRAM ONTO THE THE NETWORK.  FOR YOU KNOW, THREE PEOPLE IN THE LIBRARY TO USE THIS SPECIFIC  PROGRAM. IN ADDITION -  MANAGEMENT OF THIRD-PARTY PATRON PROFILES, US MANAGING SOMEONE ELSE'S PASSWORD TO USE VISION AUSTRALIA FOR THEM. UM, THE COUNCIL LEGAL PEOPLE SORT OF SAID, OH, THAT'S A BIT OF A GREY AREA, DON'T REALLY WANT TO GO DOWN THAT PATH, SO.

POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS

PHRASE IT AS A DISABILITY DISCRIMATION AND ACCESS ISSUE
LOOK AT GETTING THEM ON BOARD AS A TRIAL
ISSUES WITH GOVERNANCE RE FORM FOR SIGNUPS – DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEAS.
SELECTIONS  - GENERALLY QUITE GOOD, EXTENSIVE  AND UP TO DATE, SYSTEM CAN BE CLUNKY BUT EASY TO GET USED TO, CAN BE RUN IN THE BACKGROUND WHILE DOING OTHER THINGS.
DELIVERY BAGS – ANNA – WAVERLEY, LOOKING FOR ADVISE ON PROS AND CONS OF DIFFERENT DELIVERY BAGS
INNER WEST – HEAVY DUTY PVC VINYL , COOLER AND SATCHEL BAGS FROM CLAYTONS, CUSTOM ORDER
INDIVIDUAL CLIENTS ONLY, BRANDING FADES OVER TIME, WATERPROOF, 2 SIZES – SMALL AND LARGE
GOOD FOR PEOPLE WITH WRIST CONDITIONS, HI VIS COLOUR, DISINFECTED AFTER EACH DELIVERY, EASY TO STORE
USES PLASTIC CONTAINERS FOR NURSING HOMES

NORTHERN BEACHES – CLAYTONS BAG, USED FOR ALL CLIENTS, 1 LARGER SIZE, ONLY 1 BROKEN IN 10 YEARS  OF USE, FITS NICELY IN TROLLEY, DOUBLE STRAPPING AROUND BAG, CLEANS AFTER EVERY USE, HEAVY SMOKERS – PLACE OUTSIDE FOR A FEW DAYS AND SPRAY WITH GLEN  20

PENRITH – USES 6 COLOUR CODED BAGS, STANDARD NON WOVEN SHOPPING BAG LIKE WOOLLIES GREEN BAG, SMALL POCKET ON FRONT, LAST WELL – ONLY REPLACED IF DAMAGED OR DIRTY (MOST OVER 1 YEAR)

SUTHERLAND – STRONG PLASTIC BAG LIKE KIND USED IN SPECIALITY SHOPS
PRINT OUT LABEL AND ADD DELIVERY DATE, USE SAME BAG EACH DELIVERY FOR CLIENT UNTIL UNUSEABLE – CAN BE 1 OR 10 USES DEPENDING, EASY TO STORE, FOLDS FLAT
NOT SURE HOW FITS IN WITH COUNCIL’S PLASTIC BAG FREE POLICY

  * KIAMA – USE WOOLLIES STYLE BAG LIKE PENRITH, NOT WATERPROOF, CAN RETAIN SMELLS, UP TO 8 BOOKS – OTHERWISE TOO HEAVY, PRETTY PRACTICAL, RELATIVELY HARDY
  * CANADABAY – CANVAS TOTE BAG, CURRENTLY RE -DESIGNING TO A MORE HEAVY DUTY CALICO BAG - GREENPAC
  * SENIORS FESTIVAL EVENTS
  * CANADABAY – CHAIR YOGA, BINGO, STILL LIFE DRAWING WORKSHOP, AGED CARE TALKS
  * BLUE MOUNTAINS – 2 INTERGENERATIONAL STORYTIMES, CYBER SECURITY TALK, 2 UNDERSTANDING AGED CARE SEMINARS
  * WOOLLAHRA – FESTIVAL OF FUN BOOKLET – ALL SENIORS ACTIVITIES NOT JUST SENIORS FESTIVAL
  * EG. GRANDPARENTS DAY, BRAIN AND AGING DISCUSSION GROUP,  FRENCH CONVERSATION
  * PENRITH – POP UP LIBRARY AT COUNCIL EVENTS, HISTORY WALK, AGED CARE TALK, 3D PRINTING INTRODUCTION, MOVIE MORNING, MORNING TEA PROVIDED AT EACH EVENT, PROGRAM SENT TO AGED CARE HOME IN CASE THEY WANT TO BRING RESIDENTS
  * SUTHERLAND – HOME LIBRARY CUSTOMERS – BUS TO LIBRARY TO SELECT OWN BOOKS, LIGHT MORNING TEA
  * LIBRARY IN GENERAL – HEALTHY AGING  SEMINARS, AUTHOR TALK, FRAUD AWARENESS, MEMOIR WRITING
  * BURWOOD – FAMILY HISTORY WORKSHOP, LEGO BUILDING, STALL AT GALA LUNCH FOCUSING ON DIGITAL LIBRARY AND CYBER SAFETY
  * 
  * NORTH SYDNEY – RUNS BUS TO BOOKS MONTHLY, SOCIAL CONNECTION WITH SOME BORROWING

SPYDUS PROFILING
INNER WEST – TAKES TIME TO SETUP, NOT REPLACEMENT FOR STAFF, BASIC SELECTION TOOL.



AI AS SELECTION ASSISTANT

LANE COVE  TRIALING WITH HL CLIENTS – LOOKING TO PRESENT FINDINGS AT FUTURE READERS ADVISORY SEMINAR
FINDS SELECTING TAKES LONGEST TIME
USING CLAUDE- SET UP AS HLS ASSISTANT, TRAINED IN READERS ADVISORY, LITERATURE DATABASES ALLOWED TO SEARCH  EG. GOODREADS– TITLES NEED TO MEET NUMBER OF RREVIEWS AND STAR RATINGS THRESHOLD
UPLOAD SPREADSHEET WITH CLIENT PREFERENCES,EXCURSIONS, GENRES, AUTHORS, SHORT, SOFT COVERS,NO SWEARING ETC.
PUT IN DATE RANGE TO MAXIMISE THE CHANCE OF HOLDING ITEMS
SPITS OUT LIST OF TITLES AUTHORS – DOES NOT INTEGRATE WITH LIBRARY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
COPY/PASTE INTO LIBRARY CATALOG TO SEE IF HELD
CAN GET AURORA SPECIFIC SEARCHES -NARROWS DOWN SELECTION TO COPY/PASTE
CAN UPLOAD SHOPPING CART – WILL GO THOUGH READER PROFILES TO CHECK FOR BALANCE. EG. IF COZY MYSTERY  25% WILL TELL IF TOO MUCH/NOT ENOUGH

SUTHERLAND – LIMITED USE , EG.TITLES IS THERE SWEARING

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT - DEALING WITH DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS REGARDING DEATH AND DYING
USE ACTIVE LISTENING
MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID COURSE – WESLEY MISSION, ST JOHNS
DEATH DOULA TRAINING
PALLATIVE CARE ORGANISATIONS
COUNCIL EAP
LIFELINE – ACCIDENTAL COUNSELLOR COURSE

BOOKS FOR CLIENTS WITH COGNITIVE DECLINE

- DISCUSS WITH FAMILY ONGOING NEEDS
DAMAGING ITEMS  --- GIVE WITHDRAWN BOOKS, DONATIONS, OLDER AUTHORS/TITLES NOT IN HIGH DEMAND
EARLY DEMENTIA – GIVE TITLES PREVIOUSLY GIVEN 2-3 YEARS AGO, CHILDRENS PICTURE BOOKS  (CAN BE THEMED), JUNIOR NON-FICTION (LARGE PICTURE, LIGHT TO HOLD), MAGAZINES, LINFORD MYSTERIES, WESTERNS AND ROMANCES (TIMELESS,LIGHT IN WEIGHT, NOT TOO GRAPHIC OR GRUESOME)
BOOK HOLDERS

-PERSPEX RECIPE BOOK HOLDER
SOFT TABLET HOLDER
BOOK CUSHION
BOOK PILLOW
BOOK BEAN BAG