(Chelsea Update would like to thank Patty Roberts for the information in this story.)
Chelsea District Library recently partnered with St. Joseph Mercy-Chelsea’s new cancer center (SJMC) to help improve quality of patients’ treatments by providing books, magazines, music, and movies to patients receiving cancer treatment.
The Cancer Center had decided to purchase tablets and iPads for patients to use while onsite and the library is providing several dozen new eBooks, Netflix movies, streamed music, and digital magazines. Although each tablets’ digital content is funded through donations to the hospital, the library provided its expertise to load each tablet with apps and its initial collection along with creating user guides for the patients.
The library’s Adult Services staff will continue to manage the tablets’ collections on a quarterly basis by adding new best sellers and patients’ requests. Gary Munce, who is both a volunteer at the Chelsea District Library and SJMC, was also instrumental in launching this project by training the Cancer Center’s concierge Ken Zaha to handle the day-to-day maintenance and address user questions from patients.
“We are so grateful that our library reached out to us and asked how they might help bring a good experience to our patients receiving cancer care,” said Judy Stratman, director of marketing and development for the hospital in a press release.
“Through their continued support, patients who may not otherwise have access to the benefits of online services such as books, magazines and movies, will now have the opportunity to use these resources,” she said, adding, “It is our hope that our infusion patients, some who are here two to three times a week for three-five hours at a time, will find reading a good book, while receiving chemotherapy, an enjoyable way to pass the time.”
Stratman also thanked Patty Roberts, Chelsea District Library marketing coordinator, “for bringing this idea to us” and Bill Harmer, Melanie Bell, Keegan Sulecki and Ron Andrews “for the behind-the-scenes work to bring this project to fruition. What a great example of collaboration.”
