City and local officials joined library staff and others from the community on Thursday to officially launch the Perry Memorial Library Bookmobile, a state-of-the-art library – on wheels!
WIZS’s Scout Hughes got a quick tour from Youth Services Librarian Melody Peters after the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
There are shelves filled with books for browsing, and a couple of computer stations at the rear of the custom-made vehicle. There’s a hotspot for internet access and a printer, too. Peters predicts that to be popular among patrons who climb aboard when the bookmobile is out in the community.
The route is still being established, but Peters said for sure the bookmobile will make its way to schools, neighborhoods, the food bank, nonprofits and more places throughout the county.
The library applied for and received a grant for about half the cost of the bookmobile back in 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on construction, but it gave the community a chance to show its support through financial donations. Now, four years later, the library on wheels will be rolling out into the county to meet patrons in more rural areas who may face challenges preventing them from visiting the brick-and-mortar facility at 205 Breckenridge St.
Peters said she’s brainstorming ideas for how to use the bookmobile, from “literacy in the park” events to story time and a movie (yes, the bookmobile has a movie screen, too!) and much more.