ABSTRACT
Goal. The goal of the paper is to show the implementation of library services in the homes for older adults in the city of Zagreb during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to June 2022. Approach/methodology/design. Library services in homes for the older adults in the city of Zagreb are implemented within the Books at your door programme of the 65 plus project at the Zagreb City Libraries. The COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions have made it difficult to design and implement library services for older people in libraries. Due to the protection of health, particularly large restrictions have been placed on contacts with elderly people in homes for the older adults. As a result of this challenge, the librarians have devised ways to stay in touch and provide library services to the home users during periods of greater and lesser restrictions on access to the homes. Results. The paper describes in detail the implementation and the results of the Books at your door programme from March 2020 to June 2022. Library services and various cultural programs that were carried out during the pandemic in homes for the older adults, organized by the Zagreb City Libraries, are presented and described. The results are based on and supported by the statistical data from the annual reports of the 65 plus project. Originality/value. The cultural activities that are carried out for the older adults by the libraries, sometimes in difficult business circumstances, are examples of good practice aimed at sensitizing the public and increasing care for the well-being of the elderly people. The experiences gained during the implementation of the Books at your door programme in difficult conditions during the pandemic can help experts and practitioners in designing library services in times of crisis. The data recorded in this paper also represent a kind of public archive on the cooperation between libraries and homes for the older adults in the Zagreb area during the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2023, Hrvatsko Knjiznicarsko Drustvo. All rights reserved.