Our Youth Services Outreach staff use the Library Bus to bring the library experience and resources into the community. Many adults report some of their fondest childhood memories included trips to the neighborhood bookmobile, and as a library system, we are thrilled to continue this service. Our current bookmobile/library bus has been in operation since 2004 and makes regular visits to early care and education centers, summer camps, and neighborhoods. Library staff deliver storytimes, enrichment activities, teacher resources, and library materials to an average of 1,300 people per month. However, hundreds more are served when the bus participates in larger community events like Touch-a-Truck or the Boone County Community Activities Fair.
Staff also interact with just as many people on outreach visits without the bus to schools and community venues. Making social, emotional and intellectual connections with people is at the heart of everything we do and can only be achieved by having a consistent presence in the community.
Children look forward to regular visits from their “library lady”, and staff take pleasure in watching them take on new challenges and develop over the school year.
Pictured above is our new Library Bus. You may remember our recently retired bus, called the Community Center on Wheels (CCOW). The CCOW experienced much wear and tear in its 14 years of operation and became unreliable so we had to replace it. The new vehicle has us all excited and will bring our programs and services to the forefront of everyone’s minds rather than its mechanics.
For more information about Youth Services Outreach, contact Lisa at 859-342-2665, extension 8127, or by email at lsensale@bcpl.org.
Adults look forward to visits from their library ladies, too! The Adult Outreach Department delivers over 1,000 items to approximately 165 people each month. These people live in individual homes, independent living, assisted living and nursing facilities. Items delivered include books, music, movies, and magazines. Library staff have introduced retired adults to virtual reality, reminisced about Boone County Christmases past and touched on many points in between. Service in the past was provided from the trunks of employees’ private vehicles. We are excited to announce that we now have an Adult Outreach Vehicle (AOV) pictured above. This van enables us to serve more customers without an increase in library staff.
If you know of an organization, center or facility that would be interested in adult library programming, please contact Kaitlin at 859-342-2665, extension 8157, or by email at kbarber@bcpl.org.
Ever wonder about the big library bus you see around town?
