Starting with horse-drawn vehicles sending boxes of books to general stores and post offices more than a century ago, libraries have used bookmobiles to deliver information, technology and resources for lifelong learning to Americans of all walks of life.
On Wednesday, April 10, as part of National Library Week, National Bookmobile Day is celebrated, recognizing the contributions of the dedicated bookmobile staff that provide vital library services to their communities through a fleet of more than 930 bookmobiles.
The Paulding County Carnegie Library Bookmobile will celebrate National Bookmobile Day on two days, Tuesday April 9th at the Haviland stop from 5:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m.; and Wednesday, April 10th at the Grover Hill stop from 4:30 p.m.-7:00 p.m. Visit the bookmobile for special contests, prizes and one of a kind giveaways as the bookmobile team and patrons celebrate eight years of serving Paulding County residents.
The occasion is an opportunity for Americans to express their support for these important mobile institutions that often extend library services into areas that are not served by a physical library.
According to Susan Pieper, Library Director, “Paulding County’s residents have used bookmobile services off and on since the 1960s, outsourcing the service from the State Library of Ohio. After the State Library discontinued mobile services around 1990, with strong local support of the county’s village’s citizens, the Board of Trustees of the library opened branch libraries in Antwerp and Payne.”
In 2000 a branch library was opened in Oakwood, but that still left a large portion of the county unserved by a brick and mortar branch. In 2010 the Board of Trustees purchased a used bookmobile from the Caldwell Public Library in southeast Ohio for the bargain basement price of $3,000. This bookmobile now serves pockets of population throughout the county isolated from a “brick and mortar” branch library.
“Libraries are engines of opportunity. They level the playing field for every member of our communities,” says Kathy Heffley, manager of the county’s mobile library outreach services. “Our bookmobile serves people of all backgrounds and ages, providing access to almost every service that patrons find in library branches, including readers advisory services, programs for preschools, a Literacy Boost program for 3rd and 4th grades which encourages reading using age appropriate stimulating topics throughout the school year, and day-care visits with fun activities during the summer.” In addition to the bookmobile’s regular scheduled stops, the mobile library visits nursing homes and assisted living facilities year round and local campgrounds in the summer. Contests, games and crafty “Make and Takes” encourage engaging and educational participation from all age groups on a regular basis.
For more information, visit the Bookmobile when parked at its headquarters at the main library in Paulding at 205 S Main St Paulding, OH 45879, or call 419-399-2032. Check out the Bookmobile on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pauldingcountybookmobile.
You may use your Paulding County Carnegie Library card and are invited to visit the bookmobile at any of these stops:
Monday:
1:30-2:30 The Gardens of Paulding; 2:45-4:00 Country Inn Advanced Living Center; 4:30-5:30 5-Span Corner (North of the bridge at the public boat launch); 5:45-6:15 Junction (Pleasantview Church Parking Lot); 6:30-7:30 Cecil (In front of Harts)
Tuesday:
3:15-4:30 Latty (Village Hall); 4:45-5:15 Scott (Lion’s Club); 5:30-6:30 Haviland (Haviland Methodist Church); 6:45-7:30 Briceton (Lutheran Church)
Wednesday:
3:15-3:45 Charloe (Community Park); 4:00-5:00 Melrose (Methodist Church); 5:15–6:30 Grover Hill (Elementary School); 6:45-7:30 Broughton (Village Hall)
Thursday:
This day devoted to Preschools and the bookmobile is not open to the public
Friday:
Literacy Boost Programs for Paulding & Grover Hill 3rd Graders (Non-public stops); 3:30-4:30 Grover Hill (Elementary School)
Beginning May 17th the Summer Schedule will begin with the following stops:
Monday:
1:30-2:30 The Gardens of Paulding; 2:45-4:00 Country Inn Advanced Living Center; 4:30-5:30 5-Span Corner (North of the bridge at the public boat launch); 5:45-6:15 Junction (Pleasantview Church Parking Lot); 6:30-7:30 Cecil (In front of Harts)
Tuesday:
3:15-4:30 Latty (Village Hall); 4:45-5:15 Scott (Lion’s Club); 5:30-6:30 Haviland (Haviland Methodist Church); 6:45-7:30 Briceton (Lutheran Church)
Wednesday:
3:15-3:45 Charloe (Community Park); 4:00-5:00 Melrose (Methodist Church); 5:15–6:30 Grover Hill (Elementary School); 6:45-7:30 Broughton (Village Hall)
Thursday:
This day devoted to daycare facilities and the bookmobile is not open to the public
Friday:
11:00-12:30 Grover Hill (Elementary School); 1:00-2:30 Blue Water Campground (2757 CR 173, Grover Hill); 3:00-4:30 Woodbridge Campground (8656 Rd 137, Paulding)
