Oxford County Library introduces new home delivery program for rural families with newborn

The new program, “Bundles of Joy,” will deliver books, parent resources and activities for older children directly to rural homes 

The Oxford County Library is introducing a new delivery program called “Bundles of Joy” for families in our rural communities who have welcomed a new baby in the past 12 months. Each Bundle of Joy kit will contain books for everyone in the household, resources for parents and activities for older children. Each kit will be delivered monthly to your home by the Ox on the Run mobile library unit and will be picked up when the next delivery is dropped off.  

Participants can access the program for up to one year, after which they are encouraged to visit their local library branch or visit one of the Ox on the Run rural stops in their community. 

Deliveries for each community will be made the same day each month from 1:00-4:00 p.m. Participants do not need to be home to receive their kit or set out the previous months kit for pick-up. In the case of rain or inclement weather, participants will be contacted to reschedule their delivery date.

Oxford County residents can register for the program online at www.ocl.net/our-services/bundles-of-joy/. Participants must have an Oxford County Library card to register; visit a local branch or complete the library card application form online at www.ocl.net to get a library card.

The program is only available to residents in Blandford-Blenheim, East Zorra-Tavistock, Ingersoll, Norwich, South-West Oxford, Tillsonburg and Zorra.

Comment

Lisa Marie Williams, CEO, Chief Librarian, Oxford County

“Reading to your baby helps provide the building blocks for language and strengthens your bond together. Understanding how challenging it can be to get to your local library branch after welcoming a new baby, this program was designed to make library materials more accessible for parents by bringing them directly to participants.”

About Oxford County Library

With a vision to “connect, discover, share, become,” Oxford County Library provides Oxford’s communities with excellent, responsive services in a welcoming and inclusive environment. Services encompass free lending of books, DVDs and other materials; access to online catalogues, databases and lifelong learning tools; community information; local history and genealogy support; children’s, teen, and adult programming; literacy services; job search resources and information about government services; computer access; the Kitchen Library and more. The Library’s 14 branches are located in Brownsville, Burgessville, Embro, Harrington, Ingersoll, Innerkip, Mount Elgin, Norwich, Otterville, Plattsville, Princeton, Tavistock, Thamesford and Tillsonburg. For more information visit www.ocl.net. 

About Oxford County

Located in southwestern Ontario at the crossroads of Highways 401 and 403, Oxford County has a population of approximately 140,000 people across eight area municipalities that are “growing stronger together.” A partnership-oriented, two-tier municipal government, Oxford County is committed to 100% renewable energy, zero waste, zero poverty, and being 100% housed. Oxford County is situated in one of Ontario’s richest areas for farmland, with a diversified local economy that is home to an innovative agricultural industry, leading automotive manufacturers, and the Oxford County Cheese Trail. Oxford also offers a thriving local arts and culinary community, as well as conservation parks, natural areas and more than 100 kilometres of scenic trails. The County’s Strategic Plan puts forward a vision of “Working together for a healthy, vibrant, and sustainable future.” The Oxford County Administration Building is in Woodstock, Ontario. Visit www.oxfordcounty.ca, follow us on social media, or download our Facts and Stats to learn more.