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Bloomington Library Adds West Side Bookmobile Service

The head of the Bloomington Library Board says the library will create six new bookmobile stops west of Veterans Parkway. The move partly addresses a flap caused by a lack of west side bookmobile service.

"The staff is concerned about any population feeling that they are not being given the services they are entitled to."

Carol Koos says to start they will be using locations of several discontinued stops that were shut down for lack of use.   

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"We have to use certain parameters. It must be an area where the bookmobile can just pull in. Because of safety issues, the bookmobile does not back up, particularly with children being around."

Koos says a new special outreach committee will focus on finding out why those stops have not worked in the past and what kind of service west side residents want.

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"Particularly organizations on the west side of town to get their impression of what they feel the impression of the population that they serve is more likely to be receptive to."

The panel headed by Alex Cardona will also research best practices at other libraries.

Koos says to create the new stops, the library is shutting down some well used east side bookmobile locations. She says she expects complaints, but there are only so many resources. She says staff managed to limit the east side cuts to three by changing how the library stocks the bookmobile and other time saving procedures.

The moves are a response to questions raised when it was noticed there was almost no west side bookmobile service.

 

WGLT Senior Reporter Charlie Schlenker has spent more than three award-winning decades in radio. He lives in Normal with his family.
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