The Kenosha Public Library Bookmobile
is on a mission to deliver books
and keep their community reading.
To learn more about how this program
got its start, I met with
the library's outreach coordinator.
- The Kenosha Public Library has had
bookmobile service since the 1950s.
We have long had
a home delivery program
and a deposit collection program
in nursing homes,
but in the last couple years,
we've really expanded the department
to include a lot of special events
and programs in schools
and programs in parks.
It's a lot of fun. [laughing]
We do what we can to get out into the community.
- Angela: The library has two bookmobiles,
each stacked with hundreds of resources.
- The big bookmobile is designed
to really be a rolling library branch, so we have
things for all ages in all formats. [checkout beep]
We have video games, and DVDs, and books,
and magazines, audio books.
There's quite a large collection for school-age kids.
We have a big collection of teen books
on the big bookmobile,
whereas on the small bookmobile,
because that's what we take to
the senior places, but also to a lot of special events
and also specific neighborhoods
that have a lot of Spanish speakers,
we have a bigger Spanish collection
and some kids books and a lot of large print books.
- And it sounds like part of the mission
of these bookmobiles is to increase the accessibility
of book borrowing to people in the community.
So, can you tell us about that?
- Yeah, we run into people quite a lot
that say that they
had stopped using the library because they can't get to it,
or they don't know how to get there,
or bus fare is an issue,
or there just isn't transportation available to them
on a consistent basis.
- So, given that this is your role,
what's your most favorite part
about working for the library?
- Almost everybody we see is so thankful
that we're coming to where they are.
That, for whatever reason,
they can't or don't
come to a building,
they just really appreciate having things brought to them,
and that the library thinks that they're worth coming to,
and we do.
Everybody is happy all the time to see us.
- I mean, what doesn't make people happier,
at times, than books? - Right.
- Child: I finally found it!
- Man: That's the one you were looking for? - Yeah.
- We're not the only ones
who find joy in the written word.
Along our route, I met Camille,
a library patron who requested the bookmobile
make a stop near her home.
What brought you to the bookmobile?
- Camille Gendusa Bluestein: I looked up
the bookmobile.
I thought maybe there's--
'cause I've heard that they go to different places,
so I emailed.
And then, they called me.
I said, I really--
I need the library,
and have no way of getting to a library.
- That's awesome.
I think bookmobiles, in general,
help with that accessibility issue that some people have
where they can't get to the library, but the library can come to them.
- Yeah, yeah, so that's why I'm here.
- Yes, and I like those books, too.
- Angela: This library on wheels
is worth checking out.