Do you remember the bookmobile? I do. Last year (
in this post), I recounted the story of how I loved the library when I was growing up in Louisville, KY. It wasn't long, however, that my mother moved us to a very small town far away from the gorgeous library I loved. The library in the small town was a long way from where we lived and we didn't have a car and there was no public transportation. Not to fear---the bookmobile came by every week! I loved the bookmobile. I remember climbing the steps, smelling the books that filled the tight space, and looking through the small collection to make my selection each week.
Needless to say, the story that appeared yesterday on NPR,
The Final Chapter for a Trusty Bookmobile?, brought back all of those memories. Especially since there is a bookmobile that has been abandoned close to my house as well.
I think of the bookmobile as the modern day version of librarian's on horseback, as depicted in Heather Henson's
That Book Woman. One way or another, librarian's have found a way to get books in the hands of those who need them. According to the article, a bookmobile cost around $90,000 and with shrinking library budgets, it's easy to see why they are not being repaired or purchased. Yet, there are still a lot of people, especially children, who will not have access to books without the bookmobile.
I put my faith in librarians. I know somehow, some way, they will figure it out. They always have!
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