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Date: 6/19/2015
CHICOPEE – If getting to the library is difficult, the library may be coming to you.
On June 11, the new bookmobile for the Chicopee Public Library made its public debut. Made possible through a $75,000 donation by the Polish National Credit Union, the converted van has a wide selection of materials to borrow as well as providing Internet access, Nancy Contois, chief librarian said.
Mayor Richard Kos said “This is a special day. We talked about a bookmobile for the last eight months, if not longer.”
Kos added, “This is a new direction benefitting our entire city.”
Contois said the mayor challenged the library staff to develop ways to better serve the city.
Contois explained to Reminder Publications there is resurgence across the country in bookmobiles. She said that with tight municipal budgets libraries “are difficult to staff at multiple places and at multiple times.”
With a bookmobile the library can go where the people are, she added.
The Chicopee Library is one of three systems in the Commonwealth with a bookmobile. The others are Worcester and Natick. Contois said Worcester library officials were very helpful during the development of the Chicopee bookmobile.
The Chicopee bookmobile will operate all year-round, she said and the schedule has been set for the months of June through September. The van will come to locations every other week. During the “A week” the bookmobile will be at the RiverMills Center, Sunshine Village, the Farmers’ Market, the Chicopee Boys and Girls Club, Wisniowski Park, Ray Ash Park, Ike Albert Park and two other locations to be announced. In the “B Week,” the locations will be the RiverMills center, Lincoln Grove Park, the Farmers’ Market, Cabot Manor, Sara Jane Herman Park, Garrity Grove Park, Williams Park, Willimansett Heights and Bowie Park.
The bookmobile features 154 adult fiction books, 70 juvenile fiction and paperbacks, 20 juvenile board and easy reader books, 220 juvenile picture books, 38 large print books, 82 adult paperback books, 16 audio books, 26 Blu-rays, 154 DVDs and 50 juvenile DVDs.
Adding to the offerings of the bookmobile was new children’s books donated Susan Jaye Kaplan, the co-founder of Link to Libraries. In the last eight years the non-profit literacy organization has donated more than 19,000 books to the Chicopee school system.
At the bookmobile library patrons can check out materials for two weeks, get their library card, request materials from the main library, and access the Internet, Contois pointed out the van has a large retractable awning to provide shade for a portable table and chair where four iPads are available.
Kos also announced the Chicopee Falls branch library would be closed, but would still be used for programming from both the library and the Parks and Recreational Department.
“We can’t wait to get on the road,” Contois said with a smile.
For more information, go to http://www.chicopeepubliclibrary.org/news/check-out-summer-bookmobile-schedule or call 594-1800.