Westchester Library System

WLS outreach services are managed by the Department of Public Information and Engagement, which works to connect underserved and unserved communities to local libraries and the library system. Target audiences include low-income families, immigrants, those with low print- or digital literacy, and those with a cognitive or physical disability. We also work to connect institutionalized adults, i.e., those in hospitals, and nursing homes, as well as those currently in or returning from a correctional facility.

Several programs specifically reach older adult populations. These include: Senior Benefits Individual Counseling Services (Medicare and related benefits counseling), Senior Law Day programming (legal and financial education and counseling), and Music and Memory at the Library (at home care for those with dementia). We also offer on-demand consultation on enrollment and use of the NYS Talking Book and Braille Library and mobile devices to help patrons “Read for a Lifetime.” A pilot program, Vision Labs for visually impaired adults launched in July 2020 in partnership with member library, Yonkers Riverfront Library and supported by a generous grant from the Field Hall Foundation.

WLS public outreach services continue at its pre-pandemic pace now with social distancing in place. For example:
● Senior Law Day Workshops: Senior Law Day has transformed the service platform from in-person, one-on-one engagement with subject experts to live webinars almost weekly and will be doing so in the months to come. The programs are recorded and posted to the Senior Law Day Collaborative website, managed by WLS which also offers the opportunity to ask a question of the team of more than 150 professionals supporting the collaborative—attorneys, financial planners, geriatric care managers, and more.
● Senior Benefit Individual Counseling (SBIC):
The year began with the usual steady flow of counseling at nine library sites located throughout the county. At the beginning of March, we made the decision to suspend in-person activities to protect our volunteers and the seniors they serve during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since we have always offered remote counseling through a phone and email helpline service, the SBIC Helpline became our main counseling medium. Public Medicare presentations and Medicare Minute presentations will be delivered online, by phone and disseminated through our senior center contacts. We have leveraged our large volunteer force to help the library system promote information about the Census, as well as up-to-date sources for information related to the Covid-19 and senior support services.
● The COVID-19 pandemic has added many layers of additional stress to individuals’ lives and there has been an increased interest in programming that helps relieve this stress. WLS Director of PIE Elena Falcone has tapped into this interest and has been working with member libraries to provide virtual Breath-Body-Mind (BBM) programming to the public and to work with member library staff to build in BBM practices into their professional activities. WLS is further building capacity for local BBM instruction across County service sectors, including the member public libraries. All programs will of course be virtual using Zoom technology.

For more information on WLS Outreach Programs visit: https://www.westchesterlibraries.org/services-programs/