With libraries closed or operating at reduced hours due to the COVID-19 pandemic, outreach is essential to let the community know that the library is still there for them and providing essential services. That outreach is particularly important for senior citizens who rely on the library not just for books, but often as a lifeline to others. On Episode 60, Call Number with American Libraries looks at library outreach to seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic. First American Libraries associate editor Sallyann Price speaks with David Kelsey, outreach coordinator at St. Charles (Ill.) Public Library in St. Charles, Illinois, and president of the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services, about the importance of outreach to seniors, especially during the pandemic. Next Call Number host and American Libraries senior editor Phil Morehart talks with Kim Huntley, manager of Toronto Public Library’s North York Central Library, about the library’s project of telephoning more than 20,000 of its senior patrons for wellness checks.

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