By Cara Beth Lewis
For over 25 years, Bladen County Public Library’s current BookMobile has served the community. Bladen County’s first BookMobile dates back to the 1940s. Recently, the traveling library has been updated and renovated, and it is ready to hit the road again.
Library Director Sheila Nance said, “So many Bladen County adults have fond memories of boarding the bus to browse the quaint shelves and select books to check out. We want to bring that joy back for today’s children – particularly those who might otherwise not get to visit the library.”
The BookMobile is a great resource for those who may not be able to visit one of Bladen County’s public libraries. The bus makes rounds and visits all over the county to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to check out books and have a library experience.
Nance added, “We hope to reach out to the schools. Particularly charter schools and private schools that don’t have libraries of their own.”
Library Assistants Kim Wilson and Kayla Brewington are working hard to reach out to the community and schedule visits to areas across the county. Nance said, “We hope to particularly target rural locations that do not have immediate access to one of our branches.”
Kim Wilson shared, “The BookMobile will carry many of the items available at our branch locations. In addition to a selection of great books, there will be information about programs, resource kits, a collection of music CDs, audio books, and other items.” Those who visit the BookMobile will have an opportunity to set up a library card of their very own on-site, if they do not have one already.
Listed below is the current book mobile schedule for February:
- February 2nd: Elizabethtown Farmers Market – 106 MLK Drive, Elizabethtown.
- February 9th: Bladenboro Church of God – 702 W Seaboard Street, Bladenboro.
- February 16th: Champs Gas Station – 7647 NC-41, Bladenboro.
- February 23rd: Ammon Community Center – 120 Ammon Community Center Road, Garland.
The BookMobile will be at each of the locations listed above from 2 pm until 4 pm every Wednesday in February. If you have any questions or would like to request a location to be added to the schedule, contact Bladen County Public Library at (910) 862-6990. You can also contact Kim Wilson via email at kwilson@bladenco.org, or Kayla Brewington at kparker@bladenco.org.
In Wilson’s words, “The BookMobile is a full-service vehicle. We like to call it our ‘Library on Wheels!'”
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