By Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor
What stops should the Mount Sterling Public Library add to its bookmobile route for the summer?
During the school year, the bookmobile stops at Madison-Plains Local Schools on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. New stops are needed for these time slots when the schools are closed this summer.
“We’ll likely stop going to the schools just before Memorial Day and start up again after Labor Day. So, we’re looking for new stops for June, July and August. We’d really like input from the public,” said Chris Siscoe, library director.
To make suggestions, library patrons can call (740) 869-2430 or send email to csiscoe@oplin.org. Stops must be located within the library’s service area, which is the same as the Madison-Plains Local Schools service area. Suggestions are due by May 1.
The bookmobile’s year-round stops are: Range township hall and fire station in Midway, Tuesdays, 2-3 p.m.; Grace Church in South Solon, Wednesdays, 2-4 p.m.; and Meadowview Senior Complex in Mount Sterling, alternate Fridays, 10-11 a.m.
The bookmobile, new to the library as of last fall, holds up to 4,000 books, audio books and movie DVDs. Patrons can choose from those items or reserve items ahead of time for delivery via the bookmobile.
In the vehicle’s first six months of operation, patrons checked out an average of 800 items per month. Siscoe estimates that half of the bookmobile’s patrons are children and half are adults. He noted that South Solon has been the most popular stop.
The bookmobile’s service to the schools has been a success, as well, he said. The library supplied library cards to all of Madison-Plains’ 1,200 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. They can use the cards to check out items via the bookmobile. They can also download electronic books to their school-issued iPads.
