FUN ON WHEELS

While festivities begin for the grand re-opening of the gorgeous New Castle-Henry County Public Library, there's a related triumph to celebrate. An upcoming reunion of bookmobile staff will be a harvest of fond memories.

My experiences with the NCHCPL Bookmobile are "recent history" as I worked there just a couple of years ago. I worked with Terry & Marcia in, "The Love Shack," a tiny commercial building on Indiana Avenue which housed the bookmobile's burgeoning off-road collection and various small, semi-domesticated animals. As the new main library structure was being built on the same block, we dutifully kept the bookmobile rolling, resting off-site in a local grain garage several miles away.

Physical discomfort aside, I miss my bookmobile days for many reasons. There is a serious and real need to keep literature on-the-move and accessible. I absolutely loved being a part of that. The face-to-face contact with patrons in remote locations is rewarding to both parties. There's something about being 'out,' meeting folks literally where they are, that becomes a passionate quest as you rumble from stop to stop, viewing the physical beauty of Henry County. The pulse of the community beats a little quicker when it can receive a free, personal service like the bookmobile. A positive memory and a love of literature is created in children. They get the thrill of escaping the normal school day to climb aboard a fun-filled library on wheels with creative themes and an "A-List" of the very best books, chosen with care. That same caring staff knows your kids, your struggles, your vacation spots and your hopes for the future.

My hope for the future of the NCHCPL Bookmobile is that it keeps rolling into the lives of an ever-curious and ever-growing population in a place that will always need literature and will always crave connection.

Congratulations on a beautiful, new, much-deserved bookmobile home. Enjoy it everyday.