Way back in the 1500s, Chaski (runners) delivered messages with khipus (a language using knotted string) to officials throughout the vast Incan Empire. In the 1800s, Pony Express riders delivered mail and other documents from Missouri all the way to California. In the 1930s, the book women of the Pack Horse Library Project provided books to the isolated hills and hollers of Appalachia.
Fast forward to 2023 and coming to Sarasota County communities: A Pop-Up Mobile Library! According to Renee Di Pilato, director of Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources, this modern, state-of-the-art, 21st Century bookmobile “will allow our staff to take library resources to underserved communities throughout Sarasota County” (Herald Tribune, May 18, 2022). “[I]n my opinion, having the mobile service is a fantastic way to reach the entire county” (Herald Tribune, May 4, 2022).
The Library Foundation for Sarasota County website describes the Pop-Up Library as being “staffed with a full-time librarian and outreach specialist,” providing “mobile Wi-Fi, STEM-based makerspaces, employment services,” and including “programming for children, families, and senior citizens.”
In our baby boomer past, many of us fondly remember the bookmobiles that traveled to rural areas throughout the country, bringing a rich selection of books and other materials for all ages. My family lived ten miles from town, and consequently, didn’t make it into town as frequently as we might have liked. My sister remembers getting picture books and other books for younger children when the bookmobile came to our house in the country. She recently recalled a childhood instance of somehow getting chewing gum in her hair, right before the bookmobile arrived. Because she had gum in her hair, our mother wouldn’t let her go into the bookmobile. She was quite upset about this, and felt it was “the worst day ever!” All these years later, my sister, Jennifer Taylor, is the published author of three historical romance novels.
Based on the experience of that one little girl, if historical statistics were available and applied exponentially, dedicated bean-counters would likely conclude that bookmobiles have enriched and inspired a whole generation of people. The new Pop-Up Mobile Library will continue to expand upon this legacy, providing not only books and DVD’s, but a wider array of ideas and services: information about low-cost internet access, science programs such as learning about 3-D printing, results-oriented information regarding job hunting, and more connection to vibrant cultural activities. The Pop-Up Mobile Library will have a broader, more Space Age reach than your grandpa’s bookmobile, and it’s coming soon, to a neighborhood near you!
Carey Chaney, Betty J. Johnson North Sarasota Library
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