Our Bookmobile and its unsung heroes

     Our library has a couple of unsung heroes.  Well, to me, that is.  I guess it's because Sheila and Holly have an office at the back corner of the Children's Library, close to Bookmobile stacks (bookshelves).
     The Bookmobile library was placed in the renovated three-bay garage when the Children's Library was moved to its present location.  So...because Sheila and Holly are at one end of the main library and I'm at the other, I don't see them very often.  Unless, of course, they're working at the circulation desk on the days they aren't on the road.
     The Bookmobile library is just one of four libraries in the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library System.  Not many people think of it that way, but the system has the Bookmobile and main library (headquarters), as well as the Doerun Municipal Library and the Ellen Payne Odom Genealogical Library.
     The Bookmobile library (housed in the main library) is not a library just everyone can visit, like the others.  It's actually the place where there are seven long, long stacks of over 20,000 books for Bookmobile patrons.  The Bookmobile, itself, also holds over 2,500 books...the library on wheels with our unsung heroes, Sheila and Holly, taking it all over the county.
     They told me they just finished their first run for June.  They covered nine routes with approximately 15 stops per day, serving approximately 150 people each day.  (Can you imagine how hot it was out there on all those roads in our 100-degree South Georgia weather?)  Holly said their turnover is about every six weeks, with a week or two in between runs to catch up on office work and other stuff.
     They'll have their second run after the July 4th holiday, starting on July 11th.  Their final run for the summer will be July 25th, because when August comes around and school starts, they will begin their school runs also, bringing their routes up to a total of fourteen.
     Holly told me a little something special about Sheila.  I found out she's an exceptional Bookmobile librarian.  Because she knows the adult patrons on her routes so well, she often bags pre-selected books for them.  She knows exactly what kind of books they like.  And since one little boy loves alligators, they bag "alligator" books especially for him!  Now, that is personalized attention!  In fact, Holly said Sheila is so organized she will have bags of books stacked in the Bookmobile library ahead of time, just waiting to be put on the Bookmobile and delivered to their patrons on each route they take.
     Sheila said they have over 100 children this year on the summer routes.  She and Holly call the patrons a day ahead of when they plan to be in their area and then again when they reach the designated stopping place.  The mix of patrons is about half and half of adults and children.  The children also include the young adults, ages 12 to about 18.  There are less than ten men who are patrons, making the majority women and, I suppose, lots of children.  The limit of books to check out is 25 per person and patrons are allowed to keep the books for six weeks.
     Sheila recently took a trip to Jacksonville to Mumford Library Books to purchase new books for the Bookmobile, most of which were children's and young adults' books.  You can bet her patrons look forward to their new selections for summer reading.
     Just remember, the next time you see our Bookmobile sitting beside the library, it's not a permanent fixture.  Remember it has wheels and travels the county with Sheila and Holly taking books to the many patrons who watch for them.  You can bet your bottom dollar, those people don't think of our Bookmobile librarians as unsung heroes.  They sing their praises as they hollar:  "Here they come!  Here they come!"
     If you have a hard time obtaining library books and need assistance, call the library at 985-6540 and ask for Sheila or Holly.  They'll see what they can do to get books to you, because they're good at their jobs!