Library Books by Mail and Homebound Delivery: Find a Program Near You

Written by Mustafa Bilgic, Operator Sources checked: September 26, 2026
✓ Last Updated: September 2026 | Checked against official sources by Mustafa Bilgic, Operator

If illness, disability, age or distance keeps you from the library, many library systems will bring the library to you. Some mail books in a reusable bag with return postage already paid, some send staff or trained volunteers to your door, and some let a friend borrow for you. Use the finder to see the programs we checked in your state, who qualifies and how to sign up.

Find a books by mail or home delivery program

Choose your state and the situation that fits you best. The finder lists the programs we checked there, shows whether each library's own page covers your situation, and gives the steps and phone number to sign up.

Pick a state and a situation to see who delivers, who qualifies and how returns work.

When is my mailed package due?

Works for the programs whose pages give a loan period.

How library books by mail works

  1. You sign up first. Most programs start with a form, a call or an email. Some ask for proof: the New York Public Library needs a signature from a physician, nurse or social worker, Anne Arundel County Public Library in Maryland asks an eligible certifier to sign, and Ocean County Library in New Jersey requires a physician's verification form.
  2. You choose, or staff choose for you. You can ask for specific titles, or describe what you like. Mid-Continent Public Library's specialists in Missouri select or suggest titles from your interests, and NYPL sends several picks about once a month if you ask it to. LA County Library lets a friend, family member or staff member choose.
  3. The books arrive in a reusable bag. Lincoln City Libraries uses a blue canvas bag, Mid-Continent a green one, Ocean County a blue nylon bag and Queens Public Library a zippered canvas bag.
  4. You mail them back without paying postage. You flip the address card or label so the library's address shows and hand the bag to your mail carrier or leave it where your mail is picked up.

Many of these programs describe the service as free, and every mail program here that explains returns has the postage prepaid. Not every program uses the post office: Cleveland Public Library delivers by UPS, and Shaker Heights Public Library's staff bring items to your door.

19 programs we checked

These programs cover 15 states. If your library is not here, call and ask whether it offers homebound or outreach service.

LibraryProgramHow it reaches youLoan or schedule
Pima County Public Library (AZ)Books by MailBy mailLarge type and audiobooks
LA County Library (CA)Books by MailBy mailUp to 4 books; return within a month
Los Angeles Public Library (CA)Library Card for Homebound PatronsSomeone borrows for youProxy card valid 3 years
Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library (IN)Meals on Wheels partnership and Materials to YouWith Meals on Wheels, Visits to care facilitiesMonthly with Meals on Wheels
New Orleans Public Library (LA)Books-by-MailBy mailStandard loan and renewals
Maine State Library (ME)Homebound Library ServicesBy mailStatewide by mail
Anne Arundel County Public Library (MD)Library By MailBy mail4 weeks, 5 renewals
Arrowhead Library System (MN)Mail-A-BookBy mailUp to 6 titles per online order
Rochester Public Library (MN)Library At HomeVolunteer deliveryThird Thursday of each month
Mid-Continent Public Library (MO)Library-By-MailBy mailUp to 20 items, 6 weeks, 2 renewals
Lincoln City Libraries (NE)Home Outreach by MailBy mail3-week loan
Ocean County Library (NJ)Books by Mail, Home Borrowers Service and Mobile LibraryBy mail, Volunteer delivery, Visits to care facilitiesMail, volunteer visits about every 3 weeks, monthly facility visits
New Mexico State Library (NM)Books by MailBy mailPostage-paid mail
New York Public Library (NY)Books by MailBy mailStaff picks about monthly if you ask
Queens Public Library (NY)Mail-A-BookBy mail, Visits to care facilitiesCanvas mail bags, return postage included
Cleveland Public Library (OH)Homebound ServicesBy UPSDelivered by UPS
Shaker Heights Public Library (OH)Homebound DeliveryStaff deliveryStaff door delivery
Washington County Cooperative Library Services (OR)Library Mail ServiceBy mailPrepaid mailbag
Laramie County Library System (WY)Homebound ServicesStaff delivery, Volunteer deliveryMonthly visits

From each library's own page, checked September 26, 2026. New Orleans, the New York Public Library and Pima County block our server, so their pages were read from archived copies made in June to September 2026.

Who qualifies

Every program serves people who live in its area, and nearly all serve people who cannot leave home because of illness, disability or age. The details are where they differ:

  • How long you are homebound. Lincoln City Libraries and Washington County Cooperative Library Services in Oregon ask for a condition lasting at least six months. New Orleans, NYPL, Cleveland and Rochester Public Library in Minnesota accept temporary or short-term needs, and Anne Arundel will try to help someone recovering from a medical issue.
  • Age. New Orleans and Ocean County's mail service are for adults over 18, and Shaker Heights serves adults. NYPL and Queens take readers of all ages.
  • Care facilities. LA County Library serves people in convalescent homes, Washington County serves adult care facility residents, Laramie County Library System in Wyoming visits nursing homes and retirement communities, and Queens sends rotating collections to nursing homes and senior centers.
  • Distance. Some programs are for rural readers too. The New Mexico State Library mails to people who do not live near a public library or a state bookmobile stop, and Arrowhead Library System covers rural residents and people in Minnesota cities without a public library.
  • Vision and print. Pima County Public Library in Arizona mails large type books and audiobooks to people who cannot read regular print comfortably, and New Mexico serves readers who can only read large print.
  • Caregivers. Washington County accepts in-home caregivers of older adults, and Queens says caregivers and family members may qualify.

What you can borrow and for how long

Some programs send books only. LA County Library mails up to four at a time and asks for them back within a month, and New Orleans also limits the service to books. Others mail far more: Washington County sends large print and standard print books, magazines, audiobooks, movies and music CDs, and Queens adds DVDs, CDs and books in several languages.

Loan periods vary. Lincoln lends for three weeks. Mid-Continent lets you keep up to 20 items for six weeks and renew twice, and Anne Arundel lends for four weeks with up to five renewals of four weeks each unless someone is waiting. Neither charges overdue fines. Ocean County ships new items only after the current ones come back. Arrowhead mails two catalogs a year and takes up to six titles per online order.

The due-date helper in the finder works out the dates for the four programs whose pages give a loan period. Mail takes time both ways, so send items back a few days early.

Other ways to get library books at home

Volunteer and staff delivery. Ocean County Library matches readers with trained, background-checked volunteers who visit about every three weeks. Rochester Public Library delivers on the third Thursday of each month with volunteers from Family Services Rochester, and Laramie County staff or volunteers visit once a month. In Indiana, Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library sends monthly library materials with Meals on Wheels.

Someone borrows for you. Los Angeles Public Library mails a homebound library card, valid for three years, so a friend or neighbor can check out and return items for you. LA County Library offers a designated borrower option too.

Talking books. If regular print is hard to read, the Library of Congress National Library Service mails braille and audio books to your door for free through a national network of cooperating libraries. See our talking book library guide to find yours. The Maine State Library notes that homebound readers who struggle with print may qualify for large print and talking books as well.

A bookmobile stop. If you can get to the curb but not to a branch, our bookmobile finder lists library systems with bookmobiles in your state. For other services, see our library accessibility guide.

How to ask your own library

The Maine State Library suggests homebound readers also check with their local library for other options, such as in-person volunteer delivery. When you call, ask for homebound, outreach or books by mail service, and have these ready:

  • Your library card number, or a way to get one. LA County Library needs a valid ID to issue a card.
  • How long you expect to be homebound, since some programs set a minimum.
  • The formats you want, such as large print, audiobooks or DVDs.
  • Who can sign a form if one is needed, such as your doctor, nurse or social worker.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is library books by mail?

A library service that mails books and other materials to readers who cannot get to a branch, usually in a reusable bag with return postage already paid. You apply once, request titles or let staff choose, and mail the items back when you finish.

Who qualifies for library books by mail?

Usually residents who are homebound by illness, disability or age. Some programs also serve people in care facilities, rural readers far from a library, readers who need large print, and caregivers. Each library sets its own rules, and some ask for a condition lasting at least six months.

Is library books by mail free?

Most of the mail programs we checked prepay the return postage, and many describe the service as free. LA County Library, Queens Public Library, Mid-Continent, Anne Arundel and Washington County all call it free or at no cost.

Do I need a doctor's note for books by mail?

Some libraries ask for one. NYPL's application must be signed by a physician, nurse or social worker, Anne Arundel asks an eligible certifier to sign, and Ocean County requires a physician's verification form. Others, such as Rochester, register you by phone or form.

How do I return library books by mail?

Put the items back in the same bag, turn the address card or label over so the library's address shows, and give the bag to your mail carrier or leave it where your mail is picked up. The postage is prepaid.

Can I get library books if I live in a nursing home?

At several of the programs we checked, yes. LA County Library serves people in convalescent homes, Washington County in Oregon serves adult care facility residents, Laramie County visits nursing homes, and Queens and Ocean County bring rotating collections or a mobile library to care facilities.

Related Library Guides

Library Bookmobile Finder Talking Book Library by State Library Disability Services Get a Library Card Online Digital Library Resources Library Programs Near You

Sources

Every rule, fee and figure on this page comes from the official page listed here. We read each one on September 26, 2026. Programs change, so call the library before you apply.