A new program offered by the Webster Public Library (WPL) is helping to bring the joy of reading to our town’s older residents.
It’s called BookBox for Seniors, an initiative the WPL introduced last year to deliver library services to senior living communities, whose residents often find it difficult or impossible to travel to the library proper.
It’s basically a mobile library dedicated to serving our community’s senior citizens. The idea is simple: once a month, WPL staff members stuff a few suitcases with several dozen books, drive on over to the senior community, spread them all out on tables in a common room, and let residents choose the ones they’d like to check out. Large-print books comprise most of the selection, but a smattering of coffee-table books and books about local history are mixed in as well.
The BookBox for Seniors program grew from the kernel of an idea proposed almost 10 years ago at a library staff meeting. But it was when Outreach Coordinator Jason Poole attended a conference in 2024 that the idea really took wing. He saw a presentation there by another librarian who described a similar program using discarded large-print books. He immediately recognized this as a way for the WPL to expand its services to Webster’s seniors.
But first, he needed to test the waters to see if such a program would float. Jason reached out to Maggie McNamara, Director of Resident Programming at Castle Pointe at Baywinde Senior Living Community, to see if she’d work with the library to run a four-month trial program. If it didn’t get a lot of traction, they could think about making some changes or maybe try a different location.
To their delight, the initial trial, which ran from January through April 2025, was incredibly well received at Baywinde. They even started to see some regulars coming back every month. Following that successful spring run, Julia Cougle, the library’s Communications and Outreach Library Assistant, took over the program, and last September extended its reach to Maplewood Nursing Home in the Village of Webster.
For each visit, library staffers bring three suitcases packed with as many as 40 books, plus a CD player and a selection of books on CD. Everything is spread out on one or two long tables, sorted by genre to help make the display less overwhelming. Residents can check out as many materials as they like (the librarians use those classic due-date cards) and keep them until the following month. They can even borrow a reading stand to help manage heavier books. Each visit lasts about 45 minutes.
The BookBox program is clearly a win-win for everyone involved — the library, the residents and the senior center directors.
Maggie McNamara wrote,
It has been wonderful working with Jason and the Webster Library team to launch the Senior BookBox program at our independent and assisted living neighborhoods. This partnership brings the joy and convenience of an in-house library directly to our residents, making it easy for them to browse and check out books without leaving the community. The library team thoughtfully selects novels they believe our residents will enjoy, including a variety of large print options. This program helps residents continue their love of reading with independence while enjoying the comfort and convenience of home!
The BookBox for Seniors program is not the WPL’s first seniors outreach effort. Mary Ann Kwaitkowski has been holding a book discussion group with senior residents at St. Ann’s Cherry Ridge for more than 15 years. She brings books from the library and meets with members to discuss them, and regularly draws as many as 20 participants.
Both programs are helping spread the joy of reading to a population that is too often overlooked. Through BookBox and years of dedicated outreach, the Webster Public Library is proving that you’re never too old for a good story, and you’re never too far for a special delivery.
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(posted 7/11/2026)
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