Number of bookmobiles declines regionally, across nation
As Latrobe's Adams Memorial prepares to temporarily shut down the sole bookmobile affiliated with a Westmoreland County library, neighboring Allegheny County is forging ahead with three separate bookmobiles, each serving a distinct clientele.
On the national level, annual surveys conducted by the Institute of Museum and Library Services show traditional bookmobiles have been on a steady decline — from 734 in 2010 to 647 in 2016. In Pennsylvania, that number dropped from 29 to 22 during the same period.
But, according to the Association of Bookmobile & Outreach Services, which defines bookmobiles more broadly, the numbers are actually rebounding after a slump that followed the last decade's recession.
ABOS board member Michael Swendrowski said there are more than 800 bookmobiles in operation across the country.
According to Swendrowski, ABOS adds into that total more specialized vehicles, such as a mobile workforce training lab that may offer job search resources that can be found at a library.
Swendrowski notes library funding, and bookmobile fortunes, seem to follow the nation's economic health.
Regarding bookmobile numbers, he said, “There was a decline between 2007 and 2012, and then it started cycling back up again. For the last four years, it's been growing and growing. I see us at a new plateau now.”
As for the future, he said, “It's all about bringing services to the people. More and more people have access to Wi-Fi and electronic media now, so libraries can focus more on specific needs and get away from trying to be everything to everybody.”
In Allegheny County, a bookmobile service was introduced in 1952, with two vehicles operating from the Carnegie of Pittsburgh Library in Oakland. Over the years, bookmobile stops migrated from the city to outlying areas of the county. In 2003, the county library system took over operation of the bookmobile program.
Today, the Allegheny County Library Association Mobile Library Services brings books and other media to a general readership at six sites, under contract with local municipalities, public libraries and school districts. The ACLA crosses into Westmoreland County to operate some bookmobile stops for the New Kensington Library.
With funding support from the Allegheny Regional Asset District, the library association also provides free services to 51 low-income preschool and day care facilities — with an emphasis on Head Start programs in the county, excluding those in the City of Pittsburgh. Free service also is provided to senior citizens at 45 senior centers and living facilities throughout the county.
The Allegheny bookmobile system also serves special needs adults at a Mercy Behavioral Health facility.
Support from the Jack Buncher Foundation helped pay for a new preschool bookmobile this year, with room for children to come aboard for story time programs, ACLA Executive Director Marilyn Jenkins noted. As a bonus, she said, “Our vehicle maintenance costs have gone down.”
“Our program is very active,” Jenkins said. In 2017, it conducted 1,132 visits — traveling 16,646 miles to 101 locations in 47 municipalities.
She said the bookmobile system's routes focus on “pockets where people may not have transportation, there may not be a nearby local library or, because of the socio-economic situation, there may be more needs.
“On our preschool route, we found that, for 90 percent of the children that use that service, it's their first experience with a library.”
Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-836-6622, jhimler@tribweb.com or via Twitter @jhimler_news.
