North Canton Public Library provides home delivery for new parents

In partnership with The Repository, every Monday, Stark Community Foundation highlights positive happenings in our community. Here’s to Good News Mondays!

Preparing to leave the house with young children can be a challenge, often involving a diaper bag, carrier, car seat, clothing changes, diaper changes, feeding supplies, toys and more.

Through the North Canton Public Library’s new Special Delivery Program, any resident of the North Canton City School District with a new child in their home can now request books, DVDs and other library materials for older siblings, the new child or themselves to be delivered conveniently to their door. 

For years, the library has been delivering materials to patrons who cannot visit in person due to physical limitations. It was a natural next step to expand the service to families who would also benefit from receiving materials without leaving their homes.

“When you become a new parent, your world is turned upside down in lots of wonderful ways but in lots of challenging ways, too — some that new parents can't even articulate, and some that are affected by post-partum depression or anxiety,” North Canton Library Director Andrea Legg said. “If we can take one stressor off the parents’ plates and provide them with materials that will enrich and uplift their home lives, then we're doing our job as an organization that strives to support all members of our community in as many ways possible.”

The library’s community relations department recently hired an additional staff member, making it possible to implement new initiatives  targeting specific community group , including the Special Delivery Program. Additionally, the library recently purchased its first outreach van, thanks to a grant from the State Library of Ohio, which is used for material drop-offs. 

Additional services and programs offered to families with young children can be found in the library’s most recent program guide on its website. This includes its Community Exploration Program, which provides experience passes to places that can be visited and enjoyed together as a family, such as the Akron Art Museum, Akron Children’s Museum, Akron Zoo, McKinley Museum and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Learn more about the North Canton Public Library and sign up for its Special Delivery Program at www.ncantonlibrary.com.