Book Mobile

The mornings are a crazy time at my library. Crazy in a good way. Busy. Busy with students using their library in ways they choose. I wish we could accommodate more students. With MAP testing and classes, and oh my! here comes the book fair next week, sometimes students don't get an opportunity to come check out a book. I thought I would try sending a book cart full of books down the hallways during that oh-so boring time in the morning before homeroom starts.

I heard another librarian mention this on Twitter, Facebook or a list-serve somewhere, so it is not an original idea. This is how our new "book mobile" was born. We have a two sided, six shelf book cart and library helpers push the cart down the halls in the mornings. They also have a wheeled crate-style basket that we are using as a mobile book return bin. Check outs are recorded by hand and transferred into the computer by me, later. The students and teachers like this.

Might I lose a book or two in this process? Yes. Might I gain more readers and keep my students supplied with books? Yes. Getting books into students hands is always going to trump the possibility of loss.

The library helpers love running the book mobile and have even decorated it with duct tape. When the newly remodeled book mobile debuted, the library helpers told me some of the students applauded them! Wow! How awesome is that?

The book mobile also helps divert some of the books that are waiting to be shelved to another "purpose".