Customers who are no longer mobile are happy about a delivery service from the library in Vaterstetten.
After delivery problems, a red electric bike is now in use.
fatherstetten
– "I was blissful when this service existed," says Edda Ulrich.
She has just received a new "delivery" of books to borrow from the library in Vaterstetten, placed directly on the table from a cloth bag by library employee Bettina Scharnagl.
The 82-year-old, smartly dressed, finds it difficult to leave her home on the first floor of the house in the community of Vaterstetten.
She suffers from Parkinson's disease, can only move with difficulty, uses a walker.
But mentally she is perfectly fit.
She used to travel a lot, both professionally and privately, all over the world, today she travels reading books.
"The Little Tea Shop in Tokyo" by Julie Caplin is on the table this time.
In her own bookcase are classic works of adventure literature such as Moby Dick by Herman Melville.
More offers for seniors
"We have done a lot for children and young people," says Patrizia Schukowski, head of the community library in Vaterstetten.
There were also considerations to become more active in relation to seniors.
But neither the staff nor the capacities were available for this.
An additional position had already been applied for by her predecessor and finally approved.
Corona initially made new approaches difficult.
But with the first loosening, more was possible again.
Brake through Corona
An early idea: to bring non-mobile or disabled customers home after pre-ordering books.
The new part-time position was filled with Bettina Scharnagl 2020.
In addition to the usual tasks in the library, she looked through files of possible older "customers" who were already registered, called.
First approach for a possible user group: over 80 years.
Initially, however, the response was small.
Basically barrier-free
In principle, the community library near the grammar school is barrier-free.
But people in wheelchairs, for example, simply cannot reach the top shelves, says manager Patrizia Schukowski.
Some were ashamed to ask if they could be helped.
This group has also been considered.
Ecological reasons for the bike
The decision for a delivery service was clear.
For ecological reasons, the library relied on bicycles as a means of transport.
Initially, Bettina Scharnagl used her own bikes.
But the weight of the many books per delivery was too much for the bicycles in continuous use.
Two broke, were destroyed.
"It's my own fault, I shouldn't have driven.
Maybe the town hall will pay me something for it,” says Scharnagl with a smile.
An electric cargo bike was ordered, paid for from a federal program.
But the delivery of the bike was delayed due to technical problems and missing parts.
It took 13 months in total.
"We didn't want to advertise our additional service back then."
interim solution of the town hall
In the meantime, an e-bike from the town hall of Vaterstetten could be used as an alternative.
But now the red cargo bike is here.
Eleven customers are currently being supplied in the area of Vaterstetten and Baldham.
The villages of the greater community are not included in the scope.
The distances would be longer.
"We would need a car for that and we don't have that," says library manager Zhukovsky.
50 kilograms per lap
Bettina Scharnagl drives three tours every four weeks.
Each user can borrow ten books for these four weeks.
A total of 15 kilometers would come together.
"It always depends on how I lay my routes - about five kilometers per lap." She estimates the additional weight of the books to be "definitely 50 kilograms per lap".
What if it's raining at delivery?
"Then I pack the books in plastic bags and only then in the delivery bags and still drive in rain gear."
Orders in different ways
Orders go in different ways.
Interested people come to the library, choose something and then have the books delivered to their home.
Or they get information on the Internet and send an order.
This can also be done by phone.
Or they simply ask whether the book they have heard or read about somewhere is also available in the Vaterstetten library.
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Ready for action: Bettina Scharnagl (left) and Patrizia Schukowski, manager of the community library, with the dog Frida and the cargo bike to deliver the books.
© Library
Granddaughter asks for grandma
Sometimes relatives also get in touch.
"Sometimes a granddaughter asks for her grandmother because she has read or heard something about the service." Current bestsellers, travel literature and regional crime novels are particularly popular, says Scharnagl, who herself prefers to read fantasy and history.
Sometimes the customers want a choice suggested by her.
The trained "Specialist for media and information services - specializing in libraries" likes to do that.
She tries to find out in discussions what her customers would like.
"I need a feel for that.
And then afterwards I want to know how they liked the books.”
Conversations are important
There is a second thought behind this.
Driving out is often more than just a delivery service.
“Many of our customers have a need to talk and want contact.” Sometimes they are asked to stay for coffee or tea.
"I don't really have time, but I'll take it anyway.
It's frightening how many people are lonely.” Edda Ulrich was looking forward to the visit.
She ordered seven books this time.
"That's enough for four weeks." She has been a loyal customer of the library in Vaterstetten for a very long time.
She used to carry the borrowed books home in a tote bag on foot.
When that became too difficult, she used her car.
Even that is no longer possible because of her illness.
She is all the happier when new reading material comes along.
But they should be paperbacks, she says.
She just couldn't hold the heavier, bound editions any longer.
If necessary, you just have to wait until the lighter version appears.
Traveling with books
Ulrich used to be the chief secretary in a technical company that dealt with semiconductors, among other things.
Later she organized trade fair appearances for her company all over the world.
She also traveled a lot privately and had a house in South Africa, among other things.
She took many photos in the country, of landscapes, of animals.
Fascinating paintings in warm tones were created on this basis, which hang on the wall in her living room.
She likes to talk about her travels to distant countries or cruises.
Witty, knowledgeable and deeply interested.
You can see that in your reading.
Incidentally, one of her favorite authors is Barbara Wood, whose novels are set in a wide variety of settings around the world, for example in Australia.
So traveling is also possible and it is also a nice change,
You can find more current news from the district of Ebersberg at Merkur.de/Ebersberg.
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