Farmington Community Library offers programs designed to meet the information needs of underserved or inadequately served target groups, such as disabled, homebound, senior citizens in independent/assisted living and nursing homes.
FCL provides services to older adults at the William Costick Activities Center and at over twenty-five senior residences including nursing homes, assisted living and independent living facilities. These services include book deliveries for deposit collections, and non-deposit collections, monthly book clubs, senior stories, memoir writing, poetry workshops, Book Buddy visits, and computer classes.
Our Senior Outreach Librarian, Anna Hay, determines the monthly book and media delivery schedule, plans programs at outreach sites, orders large print books for both FCL locations, weeds the collections and selects books and other media for each outreach site.
Are you a senior who’s new to the library and doesn’t know where to begin? Contact Anna to set up a tour of the FCL Farmington Hills location! Tours can be anywhere between 30-60 minutes. Tours will begin in the lobby next to the self-checkout machines.
Outreach Visits
Anna currently makes monthly visits to the following senior assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and memory care facilities in Farmington/Farmington Hills for large print book distributions and programs:
- American House – every first Wednesday of the month
- Anthology of Farmington Hills – every third Friday of the month
- The Baptist Manor- Alpha – every first and third Wednesday of the month
- Beaumont Commons (Independent Living Plus) – every third Friday of the month
- Beaumont Commons (Apartments) – every first Tuesday of the month
- Brookdale Senior Living – every first Monday of the month
- Canfield Care Manor – every third Monday of the month
- Carrington Place – every second Monday of the month
- Corewell Health: Farmington Hills - every third Tuesday of the month
- Costick Center – every fourth Tuesday of the month
- Fairmont Senior Living - every third Monday of the month
- Farmington Place – every fourth Tuesday of the month
- Farmington Hills Inn – every first Monday of the month
- Freedom Square – every second Friday of the month
- Halsted Place – every second Wednesday of the month
- Haworth Center – every third Thursday of the month
- Home Sweet Home – every third Monday of the month
- MediLodge of Farmington – schedule varies
- Orchard Manor – every fourth Monday of the month
- Tapiola Village Apartments: schedule varies
Large print books are delivered to each facility, and residents are able to select books to read. Anna also provides programs for senior residents, which include: memoir writing/sharing, poetry readings, arts and crafts hours, storytimes, library card sign up days, general book discussions, storytelling sessions, themed trivia games, individual technology assistance, music sing-alongs, and Hoopla/Libby help.
Library Events
FCL offers several ongoing programs of interest to the senior population listed below. For more information about other programs and events, check out the Library’s Event Calendar. You’ll be sure to find something of interest! If you have suggestions for adult/senior programming you’d like to see at the FCL, contact Anna.
Poetry in Motion
3rd Wednesday of the month, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
FCL Farmington Hills: Conference Room B
Join fellow poets and poetry lovers for our monthly Poetry in Motion sessions! Each session will focus on a different aspect of poetry and will have a portion where attendees write their own poems and share out with the group. If you have a favorite poem or have written poetry of your own, please bring and share! Poetry in Motion sessions will occur every third Wednesday of the month. Adult poets of all skill levels are welcome. We hope to see you there!
The Next Chapter
4th Tuesday of each month, 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Costick Center: 28600 W. 11 Mile Rd.
Join Anna every fourth Tuesday of the month at the Costick Center to learn about the Library, check out an assortment of large print books, and engage in a fun activity.
Book Buddies Homebound Delivery
Book Buddies is a free delivery service available for homebound senior residents of Farmington/Farmington Hills who are confined to their homes due to advanced age, illness, or injury and have no household member available to retrieve library items on their behalf. Residents must have a valid Farmington Community Library card in order to use this service. If you don’t have a valid FCL card, contact Anna to get one set up.
To sign up for Book Buddies, contact Anna Hay and request to be enrolled with Book Buddies. Anna will ask for the following information:
– First and last name
– Birthdate
– Home address
– Phone number
– Material type you’d like delivered (books, DVDs, CDs, books on CD, large print, etc.)
– Favorite genres (fiction, nonfiction, mystery, romance, best sellers, etc.)
– Favorite authors
– Other reading interests/needs you’d like to share
How Often Will I Get Deliveries?
Delivery schedules are coordinated between the homebound resident and Anna or a Book Buddies Volunteer.
What items can be requested through Book Buddies?
Patrons can request the following items:
– Regular print books
– Large print books
– Books on CD
– Music CDs
– DVDs
– Magazines
How many items can I check out through Book Buddies?
At this time, there is no limit on the number of items that can be checked out through Book Buddies.
Who will deliver the items to my home?
Anna or a Book Buddies Volunteer will deliver and retrieve items.
Will I be charged overdue fines for items checked out through Book Buddies?
FCL is fine free, so no overdue fines will be charged. However, patrons are responsible for lost and damaged items and will be billed for any items lost and damaged.
Library Resources for Seniors
We offer multisensory BiFolkal kits used for triggering memories and relaying information. These kits have been used for programming at senior assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and memory care facilities, and have props used for generating activities and conversations.
The Library has kits associated with the following themes: Remembering the fifties, Remembering fun and games, Remembering fashion, Remembering birthdays, Remembering fall, Remembering automobiles, and Remembering music.
These kits are located in the general Large Print section at the FCL Farmington Hills location.
The Library of Michigan and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) are partnering to support the ability of older Michigan residents to access live, online virtual classes on a variety of topics through GetSetUp.
GetSetUp offers virtual classes on a variety of topics including technology, meditation, brain fitness, art, cooking, financial planning, aging in place, and more. Fees for classes for the Michigan community are WAIVED using this code: MICHIGANHEALTH while booking a class.
The Farmington Community Library offers select titles in large print to accommodate people who have low vision. Check out the following links to browse our large print selections:
In the catalog, click on “Large Text” in the upper left-hand corner of the page to enlarge the page’s text size. Use the filters on the left-hand side of the page to narrow down search results.
FCL also offers large print titles in the Books to Go collection. Titles in our Books to Go section can be used for book clubs/discussions, since there are multiple copies available.
The Oakland Talking Book Service (OTBS) is a free service, administered by the Rochester Hills Public Library, that loans talking books and magazines, large print books, Braille and talking book players to eligible Oakland County residents of all ages. If you are unable to read or use standard printed materials as a result of temporary or permanent visual or physical limitations, you qualify for service. A talking book player and materials will be mailed at no cost as Free Matter for the Blind.
To apply for the Oakland Talking Book Service, visit their Apply for Services page to access the online application and printable application.
For additional questions about the Oakland Talking Book Service, contact the Rochester Hills Public Library at (248) 650-7150 or OTBS@rhpl.org.