MCPL reveals green Bookmobile

The Monroe County Public Library took a “green” step Friday.

The new energy-efficient Bookmobile, which is a small version of the public library on wheels, will be celebrated at all its stops through Thursday, Feb. 10.

The unveiling allowed Bloomington residents and IU students to take a tour of the vehicle parked outside the library on Kirkwood Avenue. Tours were available Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The new Bookmobile, The Bookmobile has several new features that allow it to comply with 2010 EPA standards. It has a Cummins diesel engine, producing low emissions.

There is also a hybrid generator system running lights and computer equipment from battery power. The batteries are charged by a solar panel on the roof.

Art Leach, community outreach librarian, said other new features include a rear-view camera system and all-around better visibility compared to the old Bookmobile.

“Driving it isn’t as difficult as I feared,” Chris Jackson, community outreach director, said. “You just need to be aware of your width when you’re making turns.”

Jackson said it was custom-built in Canton, Ohio, after the previous Bookmobile had been on active duty for 14 years.

“The old one hasn’t retired just yet. But after 15 years, it’s on its last legs,” Leach said. “It can barely creep down the road, especially in this weather.”

The new Bookmobile started its route two weeks ago, Leach said. However, the opening celebration and public tour wasn’t held immediately because several kinks still needed to be worked out.

Two MCPL workers operate the bus at a time. One is a librarian who drives the bus from stop to stop. The other is a clerk who helps with checkouts.

Different librarians and clerks work each day. Most work in the Bookmobile two days per week. They spend the rest of their time working in the main branch.

The bus makes several stops a day and 27 in a week, following a set route around Monroe County. Some destinations are elementary schools, but the Bookmobile also stops at apartment complexes and even around College Mall.

The Bookmobile has a collection of 6,000 items, including books, magazines, DVDS and audiobooks. No book stays on the shelf for more than five to six months, Jackson said.

Jackson said the Bookmobile targets rural, low-income  and senior citizens.

“We try to bring the library to smaller towns in the county,” he said. “Our saying is that we put the ‘county’ in Monroe County Public Library.”

Stops can last anywhere from a half an hour to 90 minutes, Leach said.

If patrons want an item to be available in the Bookmobile for checkout, they can order it online to be held on the vehicle.

The Bookmobile began its route in 1929 and has run since, remaining a staple of the Monroe County community, Jackson said.

“I’ve got people that have been coming to the Bookmobile stops since it first began,” Jackson said. “They say they remember the very first Bookmobile driver.”

He said though the service has had to adapt to new technology, it is still used throughout the county.

“With the rise of e-books and Nooks and Kindles, the world of books is changing, but literacy is more important than ever,” Jackson said.