April 14 is National Bookmobile Day

Ron Martin, Community Bookmobile

National Bookmobile Day is April 14. This is a good time to become aware of the bookmobiles operated by the Fresno County Free Library. There are three. The Community Libraries Bookmobile is a full-service library branch with 43 stops per month. The Children’s Bookmobile serves daycare centers exclusively. The Aprendo Van serves low-income communities instructing parents in fostering literacy.

The Aprendo van gives away books for parents to read to children and is funded through the tobacco tax increase that Californians voted in several years ago. It is based in Firebaugh and reaches out to families of agricultural workers.

The Community Libraries Bookmobile was housed in a new 33-foot vehicle in October 2007. It has a hydraulic wheelchair lift, and approximately 13 book cases with 63 shelves holding 3,000 items to lend in the same categories as the “stationary branches:” novels, nonfiction, magazines, children’s books, early-reader books, music CDs, books on CD, DVDs, videogames, and more. Borrowers have access to the entire collection listed in Valley Cat through hold requests; borrowers make around 70 hold requests each month.

Children patronizing the Bookmobile can participate in the Summer Reading Program, with presentations at two of the stops. Every visitor is given a schedule of stops printed with the days and times of their stop that they can write on their calendar to be ready to get their items returned at the next visit, which is their due date. The one-month stop cycle results in longer borrowing periods from the Bookmobile. If borrowers miss their stop, they can return items at any branch of the library consortium, in Fresno or from California City to Livingston. If borrowers misplace their schedule copies, they can access it at the library website, through the links to library branch hours.

The Bookmobile stops at a dozen senior residences and two convalescent care centers, near eight schools of the Central Unified School District and four of Fresno Unified and two other districts, and at two daycare centers near Auberry. It is in Auberry two days per month, and stops in Friant and and Cantua Creek. It visits four community centers, the Fulton Mall, and two southeast Fresno apartment developments. Schedule modifications are made near the beginnings and ends of school years.

When the Bookmobile workers are not on the road, during business hours they are in the Bookmobile office at the Sunnyside Regional Library. Just give them a call at 458-7323.