Connecting seniors to vaccine information
As part the City of Toronto’s ongoing effort to ensure residents have the information they need to register for vaccines, TPL has mobilized its staff to reach out to seniors to make sure they are aware of how to register for vaccinations and to provide further information if needed.
TPL staff are calling 7,000 library users who are seniors aged 80+, and will follow this up with calls to 25,000 seniors between 70 and 79. During the calls, TPL staff are ensuring seniors are aware of available resources for vaccine registration, sharing information provided by the City of Toronto and Toronto Public Health. Library staff aren’t booking vaccination appointments for seniors, but are connecting them to Toronto Public Health or the appropriate resource if they have additional questions.
Calls started earlier this month and staff are reaching approximately 1,500 seniors per week.
This latest outreach builds on the Seniors’ Wellness program that was launched in 2020 to connect with isolated customers during the pandemic. To date, TPL staff have made 19,000 wellness calls.
Read here for the latest information on Covid-19 impacts at the library.
Quotes
Vickery Bowles, City Librarian
“We’re proud to be part of the City of Toronto’s effort to get more Toronto residents vaccinated. Connecting people to information is an important part of what public libraries do, and to doing it in such a meaningful way with instant feedback is a truly rewarding experience for our dedicated staff.”
Nalini Battu, Senior Branch Head
"As a public librarian, I love connecting with our customers. But we're currently in a situation where we need to keep in-person interactions brief and efficient. When I make these calls to our senior customers, it's completely different. I'm able to spend a few minutes checking in with them, making sure they are doing well, and most importantly that they have all the information they need to get a vaccine if they want one. "
Claire Argyropoulos, Senior Services Specialist
"Being part of this outreach is incredibly rewarding. Seniors genuinely appreciate the vaccine information, and it’s also touching to hear how much our seniors miss us and how important library services are to them."
About Toronto Public Library
Toronto Public Library (TPL) is the world's busiest urban public library system, with more than 46 million annual visits to our branches and online. We empower Torontonians to thrive in the digital age and knowledge economy through easy access to technology, lifelong learning, and diverse cultural and leisure experiences, where, when and how our customers need us. To learn more, visit tpl.ca, email Answerline at [email protected] or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to email updates.
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