New Mexico’s popular bookmobiles are resuming their runs the first week of August. Service was on hiatus during July to consolidate bookmobile offices from four to three regions and to develop schedules to align new stops with higher patron usage.
These “libraries on wheels” will be making stops at more than 110 communities in 25 counties, bringing a full range of children's and adult titles, fiction and non-fiction, paperbacks, books-on-tape, CDs and videotapes.
While most stops remain the same, there have been a few changes and cancellations. The selection of stops is based on a variety of factors including distance from a community library and usage by customers at each stop.
“The idea is to get the bookmobile where it’s needed most,” said State Librarian Susan Oberlander. “We are proud to be able to provide such personalized and comprehensive library services.”
“Bookmobiles have served New Mexicans for more than 50 years,” said Cultural Affairs Secretary Stuart Ashman. “The program is crucial for the people of our state because it helps to eliminate the physical and cultural barriers of access to books and other important informational materials.”
Summer 2008 schedules of routes and stops are now available here on the New Mexico State Library’s web site.
The bookmobile program, managed by the New Mexico State Library, serves as an extension of the library to meet the reading and information needs of rural and underserved citizens who do not have access to a local public library. The program is funded in part with a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services which administers the Library Services and Technology Act.
