A Different Way to Check out Books

One long hot day last summer Bean and I were tired of being inside the house and decided to go for a walk.

I regretted our decision as soon as the hot moist heat hit my face, but Bean was scootering happily down the street so I decided to be a good sport and follow her.  She circled around me a few times, chattering as she does, and we headed down the slight hill from my house toward a nearby park.

Suddenly she stopped and looked way down the street, then turned toward me with an excited request.  “Here comes the Bookmobile, Grandma! Can we go? Please Please?”

Past and Present Connect

As the big blue van drove slowly toward us, memories flooded over me of waiting on a rural street for the Bookmobile many years ago.  Then it had been Bean’s mother by my side, and it wasn’t her way to jump up and down, like her daughter was doing now, or to clap happily as the vehicle pulled into a side street and the doors opened with a thunk. In her quiet way, however, she had let me know she was also excited. Holding my hand tightly, she held her breath as the library on wheels approached, and squeezed it tightly as it came to a halt on the side of the road. We lived a long way from town, and visits to the public library had so far been few and far between. The Bookmobile then had provided a valuable opportunity for my daughter to enjoy a regular variety of reading material,  and I had always been grateful for its presence in our lives.

This was my first visit to the Santa Cruz Bookmobile, but Bean had been a regular visitor the previous year at a site near her rural preschool, where it stopped twice a month.

So as we climbed the stairs to the tiny (air conditioned!) library, she was greeted cheerfully by name as the two library volunteers sitting in the driver and passenger seats rose to assist us.  On this day, the Bookmobile parked near a senior housing complex;  other scheduled stops on its route, according to the brochure I picked up from the counter, would be affordable housing communities, farm labor housing, and facilities that house and/or educate persons with physical or mental challenges.

Regardless of the initial reason a stop is selected, however, all members of the public are welcome to use the Bookmobile.  The Santa Cruz Bookmobile carries a variety of library materials in both Spanish and English for children, young adults, adults, and seniors, and the staff that day assisted newcomers to complete applications for library cards and check out books.

We are fortunate to have several branches of our public library open at convenient hours, and Bean has always enjoyed regular forays with her mother or me to attend story hour, browse the shelves, and select a few volumes to take home and enjoy.  However, the Bookmobile provides a particularly intimate experience.  The volunteers reminded me of personal shoppers; as regular patrons approached the check-out area, books were taken off the Patron Requests shelf and handed across, along with an occasional suggested author or new book by a beloved author with the simple explanation, “I thought you might like this one, too.”

Bean was known to like dragon and fairy stories, and when she asked for a specific book from a series about Pegasus, the librarian promised to bring it the next time, then showed her the location of other books in the same genre.

Bookmobiles can be found in many parts of the country, and are funded in a variety of ways. The rural Virginia Bookmobile, for example, was originally funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  The Shawnee, Kansas Bookmobile is an outreach of Hands to Hearts, Inc. a 501(c)(3) corporation. Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, depends on school district funding. Sometimes the vehicle is purchased by private donors, then maintained with regular library funding, but most require some additional funding from outside sources.  Creative people find creative solutions to supporting this wonderful institution.

Visit Your Local Bookmobile

If you happen to live in or near Santa Cruz, you can find the location and time of each Bookmobile stop by visiting www.santacruzpl.org and clicking “Branch Locations & Hours” or you can call them at 831-427-7721.  Each stop is made once every two weeks.  If you don’t live in Santa Cruz, inquire at your local public library or school district office to learn if your community has a Bookmobile.

Do you have a Bookmobile in your community?  I’d love to hear about your visits with grandchildren. Please use the Comment section to share your adventures.

Thanks to Local Santa Cruz County nature photographer, Sebastian Kennerknecht, who took the exterior photos of the Bookmobile shown here, and to Jasmin Avila, library staff, who took the photos of Bean and me.