Phil Ford Gina Card

The Blooming Days About the Library

The Bookmobile service was introduced to county residents in 1977. The first Bookmobile was replaced in 1986 and our current Bookmobile was purchased in 1999. This vehicle allows the Library to provide quality service to child care facilities, assisted living centers, at-risk neighborhoods, retirement communities, and special needs populations. An electronically networked system of computers keeps the Bookmobile in direct contact with the Library's automated catalog and Internet presence.

Facility & Services Books & Materials Collection: 13,000+ Manufacturer: Ohio Bus, Inc. (Canton, Ohio) Length: 31 feet, 8 inches Height: 11 feet, 6 inches Engine: Rear mounted Caterpillar Diesel Transmission: Allison w/ retarder Generator: 10.0 KW Onan Quiet Diesel 

Schedule service was 60 stops:a combination of daycares, retirement facilities, subsidized housing neighborhoods and at-risk afterschool programs.

Community Days

(Varina Day)

Parades

(Glen Allen Day Parade)

Festivals

(Que Pasa Festival)

We’ve had our fair share of problems too:

“During our budget discussions over the past few years, we have been planning for the replacement of the current Bookmobile…this vehicle has been the major outreach arm of our public library … and those services will continue.”

  “…we will be receiving a brand new flame red Sprinter

van…that will replace our current Bookmobile.  It is a much more economical vehicle to operate and maintain, and will be specially fitted to allow for rolling book carts instead of fixed shelving to support a more mobile delivery system.  The smaller size of this vehicle will also allow for greater access and flexibility at various stops and events.”

Um……yay?

Library Service Plan (LSP)

Mission Statement

Collaboration

Our new Library Service Plan included outreach as a priority across the system.

“Establish an Outreach office to include mobile library services.”

Mission Statement (2002) Realizing that Library services and programs cannot be limited by

physical boundaries, the Henrico County Public Library is committed to providing meaningful, quality outreach services to residents who do not have ready access to a Library facility. Bookmobile service is the Library's primary means of providing outreach service. The main role of this service is promotion of reading readiness, with a secondary role of providing access to recreational reading materials. The service is provided at day care centers, nursing homes, retirement communities, and subsidized housing projects.

We evaluated our current stops; what was working, what wasn’t and WHY. Could some of them be served by branches in an outreach capacity? How can we make our service more flexible as well as specific to the needs of our patrons?

Proposed Mission Statement (2011) The Henrico County Mobile Library is a unique outreach service

designed to provide comprehensive library service to people that are unserved or underserved due to economic, social, geographic, and physical or other barriers.

Staff / Administration

Community

Some examples:

The Department of Social Service stops we went to see, will now to be served by the local branch library in the area; an example of collaboration with branch staff and community agencies.

In order to focus our Children’s service to daycares with a high-risk population, Admin looked at the County Schools’ free lunch program and we could use that as an emphasis point, a target of focus for daycares.

Retirement homes are a major focus of the new service, which has transitioned to lobby stops; which we believe would be easier on our patrons (no outdoors, no scary stairs, no seasickness on the rocky bus).

Greensboro, NC

Williamsburg, VA

Charlottesville, VA

ALA – D.C. RVA

ABOS listserv

Meeting with other Bookmobilers; via field trips, ALA, conferences, workshops (online too!)

Social networking; Facebook, Twitter, all that fun stuff.

Good and open

Freedom to create the service we envisioned

Let your needs be known

Flexibility to reassess and adjust as our future needs change

It’s not about the vehicle,

it’s about the people!

Look for the solutions of service.

Keep a diary or blog of the journey, have fun with it.

“During our budget discussions over the past few years, we have been planning for the replacement of the current Bookmobile…this vehicle has been the major outreach arm of our public library … and those services will continue.”

  “…we will be receiving a brand new flame red Sprinter

van…that will replace our current Bookmobile.  It is a much more economical vehicle to operate and maintain, and will be specially fitted to allow for rolling book carts instead of fixed shelving to support a more mobile delivery system.  The smaller size of this vehicle will also allow for greater access and flexibility at various stops and events.”

Um……yay?

So remember this?

“During our budget discussions over the past few years, we have been planning for the replacement of the current Bookmobile…this vehicle has been the major outreach arm of our public library … and those services will continue.”

  “…we will be receiving a brand new flame red Sprinter

van…that will replace our current Bookmobile.  It is a much more economical vehicle to operate and maintain, and will be specially fitted to allow for rolling book carts instead of fixed shelving to support a more mobile delivery system.  The smaller size of this vehicle will also allow for greater access and flexibility at various stops and events.”

YAY!

We highlighted…

An ongoing process, initial ideas may not be what you end up with, service is ever-changing to support the needs of the community. Flexibility is key!

Smaller vehicle results in a more pinpointed service, more focused and relevant to the specific needs of your people.

Communicate in person with your people. This is one of the most important gestures of good service that you can give them during this time of change.

Here is our current new work model…

Bi-weekly service

Daycares on board

Big Bus full of books

Monthly Service

Daycare “mini-visits”

Carts that are site specific

Author visits

Teen Scene camps

eBook petting zoos

Facebook class

Daycare Directors

Retirement Homes Activities Director

Other library staff

Your patrons

Re-evaluate the service you have now

Field Trips

Good relationship with Admin and PR

Keep the model flexible

Stay positive

Keep a blog

Define your service to your people’s needs

Communicate with your people

What are your experiences?

What are some successful outreach programs you offer with your service?

Phil Fordpford@henrico.lib.va.us

Gina Cardgcard@henrico.lib.va.us