Addison Public Library launches new 'Book Bins' program at Hamdard Center
Patients at Addison's Hamdard Center will now discover "Book Bins" in the waiting rooms, thanks to a partnership between the center, Addison Public Library, Addison Early Childhood Collaborative, and the Friends of the Addison Public Library.
On Friday, Sept. 20, library staff delivered "Book Bins" filled with English and Spanish books to the Hamdard Center. The idea is simple: read a book while you wait for your appointment. If you don't finish the book, you're welcome to take it home.
But to Kathy Welko, head of community engagement at the library, and Brandon Pettigrew, director of development and strategy at Hamdard, the "Book Bins" are more than just new reading material for the waiting rooms. They are an opportunity to serve and connect with the Addison community.
Hamdard Center, located at 228 E. Lake St., is a nonprofit community health center that provides a variety of services, such as behavioral health services for adolescents and adults, general primary care and family medicine, health education, immunizations, and more to any patient in need regardless of ability to pay.
To Pettigrew, their services don't stop there.
"(Hamdard) recently went through a needs assessment that has really helped us see what else our patients need beyond health care. Often times it's education and literacy where we need to connect," Pettigrew said. "We really view ourselves as a safety net, and the goal of any good safety net is to connect with other safety nets to form a strong support network."
In addition to the literacy benefits of the new "Book Bins," Pettigrew hopes Hamdard's patients will "get some enjoyment out of what is sometimes a scary experience" at the doctor's office.
"If they remember the joy of leaving with a new book and they want to come back, their experience is more positive," Pettigrew said.
Welko first got the idea for the Book Bins through a library networking group that specifically focuses on sharing outreach ideas. She credits Outreach Services Librarian David Kelsey of the St. Charles Public Library for mentioning the idea at one of those meetings.
"Our populations are different, so we're doing our program a bit differently," Welko explained. "But I knew that it would be a great program to replicate for the Addison community."
On a separate occasion, Hamdard reached out to the library to discuss new ways they might be able to work together to help the Addison community.
Hamdard and the library had previously worked together on programming around nutrition and healthy relationships, but after meeting with the staff at Hamdard to learn more about their services, Welko and Pettigrew knew the "Book Bins" program would be a perfect fit and that Hamdard would be the ideal pilot location.
In order to launch the "Book Bins" program, the Friends of the Addison Public Library donated books for the first set of bins - three bins containing about 20 books each.
Welko also credits the Mary Haley and the Addison Early Childhood Collaborative for their help in finding more resources to stock the bins with donated books so that the library can keep the "Book Bins" stocked with titles to enjoy.
Pettigrew said he looks forward to watching their latest partnership with the library take flight.
"Libraries are really taking it upon themselves to recognize the needs of their communities," he said. "So many people rely on libraries. We want to be able to spread that message, just like the (Addison Public Library) spreads our message when they refer people who need our services to us."
Welko, too, is excited about the new "Book Bins."
While she hopes that the program will inspire more community partners to reach out to her about hosting Book Bins at their locations, she is most eager to see the "Book Bins" make a difference on a more personal level.
"We really hope ("Book Bins") encourage people to enjoy reading, whether it's a child reading on their own and improving their reading skills or it's a parent taking an opportunity to read with their child," Welko said. "And in the end, we'd love to see them come visit the library. We want them to know that we want them here, and that the library is here for absolutely everyone in the community."