|
|
 |
Thursday
March 18, 2010 Since 1922 |
Sterling’s Bookmobile
By David Bloom
Baytown Sun Published July 20, 2008 In late August, an era of library service in Baytown will end. Unless public outcry can stop it, Sterling Municipal Library is retiring the Bookmobile.
The mobile library service began in 1969 with Service League volunteers delivering books to low-income areas using then library director Flora Wilhite’s VW bus. One year later, funds were raised by community organizations to purchase the first Bookmobile.
Over time, a bookmobile parked in a Baytown neighborhood or bumping down a road evoked not only the opportunity to escape, explore and be entertained, but also the emotions associated with a visit from a friend.
However, Sterling’s Bookmobile has seen dwindling attendance and circulation. The decrease in usage, combined with the increase in the cost to operate the Bookmobile, prompted the Library administration to decide to take the Bookmobile out of service.
They said it was the best economic decision.
But, we think the deeper issue here is that of service, not funding.
We can attribute the decline in bookmobile use to the rise and prevalence of technology – but if that really were the case, wouldn’t libraries themselves be dying?
Before retiring the Bookmobile, we, as a city, should ask: Have we exposed children to a library experience? Have we helped children improve their reading skills? How many senior citizens feel less isolated because they experienced contact with others? Have we been able to reach out to minorities and isolated residents?
Furthermore, are we retiring the Bookmobile because it is no longer relevant? Is library outreach any less necessary today than it was, say 50 years ago?
We don’t think so.
The very function of the bookmobile is to provide information resources to those who are otherwise unable to access a library (whether that be because of distance, well-being, or some other reason), and in our opinion, those people still exist.
According to library figures, through June, the bookmobile has been open 379 hours at 31 different locations with a circulation of 6,130 and attendance of 3,415. The numbers may be down, but that is still a lot of books and people.
To us, the need for a bookmobile is still there.
Baytown Sun Published July 20, 2008 In late August, an era of library service in Baytown will end. Unless public outcry can stop it, Sterling Municipal Library is retiring the Bookmobile.
The mobile library service began in 1969 with Service League volunteers delivering books to low-income areas using then library director Flora Wilhite’s VW bus. One year later, funds were raised by community organizations to purchase the first Bookmobile.
Over time, a bookmobile parked in a Baytown neighborhood or bumping down a road evoked not only the opportunity to escape, explore and be entertained, but also the emotions associated with a visit from a friend.
However, Sterling’s Bookmobile has seen dwindling attendance and circulation. The decrease in usage, combined with the increase in the cost to operate the Bookmobile, prompted the Library administration to decide to take the Bookmobile out of service.
They said it was the best economic decision.
But, we think the deeper issue here is that of service, not funding.
We can attribute the decline in bookmobile use to the rise and prevalence of technology – but if that really were the case, wouldn’t libraries themselves be dying?
Before retiring the Bookmobile, we, as a city, should ask: Have we exposed children to a library experience? Have we helped children improve their reading skills? How many senior citizens feel less isolated because they experienced contact with others? Have we been able to reach out to minorities and isolated residents?
Furthermore, are we retiring the Bookmobile because it is no longer relevant? Is library outreach any less necessary today than it was, say 50 years ago?
We don’t think so.
The very function of the bookmobile is to provide information resources to those who are otherwise unable to access a library (whether that be because of distance, well-being, or some other reason), and in our opinion, those people still exist.
According to library figures, through June, the bookmobile has been open 379 hours at 31 different locations with a circulation of 6,130 and attendance of 3,415. The numbers may be down, but that is still a lot of books and people.
To us, the need for a bookmobile is still there.