Geauga County residents are about to see a new Bookmobile on the roads. This 35-foot bus, wrapped in a colorful, pastoral depiction of Geauga’s rolling hills holds approximately 4,000 materials and makes up to 33 stops per week, primarily in Amish communities.
This new vehicle replaces the 12-year- old blue Bookmobile that has faithfully served the county through rain, sleet, snow and sun. Over the course of time, the former Bookmobile’s maintenance costs began rising to the point where replacing it became the fiscally responsible decision.
The new Bookmobile will make its official debut at the Maple Festival Parade, Sunday, April 29th. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will occur at 1:30 p.m., Monday, April 30th, immediately prior to its first delivery route. Middlefield Mayor Ben Garlich will be on hand to officiate the proceedings.
“The new Bookmobile is our largest vehicle,” says GCPL Mobile Services Manager Nick Fagan. “We’re often the highlight of people’s day. Having access to reading materials is important. Not everyone can get to the library, so when we can help facilitate education and entertainment through our collection via the Bookmobile, we’re having a positive impact on people who may not otherwise have an opportunity to get materials.”
In addition to the Bookmobile, Mobile Services operates the Fun Bus Bookmobile, designed for community events and preschools. GCPL also operates the Lobby Stop Vehicle with book carts that are wheeled into assisted living facilities, nursing homes and senior centers. In total, Mobile Services serves more than 3,000 people every month at more than 250 stops, checking out over 350,000 items annually.
The Amish comprise a robust segment of Mobile Services patrons, a large piece of the customer base, or between 65 – 70 percent of total Bookmobile circulation. The Bookmobile makes 64 monthly stops at rural Amish locations.
“Serving as many citizens as possible is our goal,” says GCPL Director Ed Worso. ”GCPL strives to effectively reach citizens wherever they may be. Geauga is a large county, and transportation is an issue for some of our citizens. If people can’t get to the library, then the library will visit them and ensure that all citizens have access to books and other materials.”
About the Geauga County Public Library
The Geauga County Public Library includes four full-service branches in Bainbridge, Chardon, Chesterland (Geauga West) and Middlefield; two library stations housed in schools in Newbury and Thompson; a Mobile Services fleet that serves rural areas and community centers; and an administrative center where technical services, computer services, facilities and administrative functions reside. GCPL has more than 750,000 books and ebooks. The collection also contains more than 100,000 audio / video items and 400 research databases available through its website. GCPL is a member of the Clevnet consortium, giving patrons access to more than 12 million items. Learn more about the Geauga County Public Library at Geauga County Public Library.
Pictured In Cover Photo: GCPL’s new Bookmobile is making its debut at the Geauga County Maple Festival
Parade, Sunday, April 29th. It will begin delivering library materials to rural communities Monday, April 30th.
