Seven elderly homes in Malta are set to get their own libraries for residents to enjoy.

The first library for the elderly was opened at care home Dar il-Madonna in Mellieħa, just as COVID-19 hit the islands, as part of a collaboration between Malta Libraries and Active Ageing and Community Care. Now, literature has become part of their daily routines through the in-house borrowing service.

It’s proven to be a great way to beat lockdown blues, and now, they even hosting weekly reading sessions.

“In the first months of COVID-19 restrictions, this was the only library in the entire network which could remain active and sustained the elderly residents’ reading hobby and love for Maltese literature,” Malta Libraries wrote in a statement.

“Similarly, elderly residents of other homes could still enjoy the online reading sessions whilst in lockdown.”

Now, CareMalta is extending the service to give seven other homes the chance to turn their residents into bookworms.

Dar Roseville, Villa Messina, Casa Arkati, Casa Marija and Casa San Paolo as well as in the Elderly Home of Żejtun and Żammit Clapp Hospital are all set to take part.

Each library will have brand-new books provided by Malta Libraries, Welfare Committee and Care Malta. They’ve also received book donations from publishers such as Kite and Horizons, as well as from the National Literacy Agency.

If you have a book you’d like to donate, get in touch with Malta Libraries.

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