Please excuse me, but I have to brag a bit.

About a year or so ago we began discussing how to bring service to areas of the city outside of the library. Bookmobiles were expen$ive,
branches and stations have to be staffed and operated -- not to mention building them! The idea of small trailer, towable by the Library's Subaru station wagon, was conceived.

We discussed how to fund such a project, what it would look like, what
it would do -- and then the community got involved and things moved
quickly.

Rollout was on June 14. The three Rotary Clubs in town, the Portneuf
District Library, and other organizations are partners in the project.
You can see a picture of the Book Trailer at our web site
-- if you click on the picture it takes you to the Book Wagon page.

The Wagon is 8 feet long, 5 feet wide, and is towed by the Library's
Subaru station wagon. It will accomodate about 500 books on the shelves and of course more can be carried inside. Total cost of the project has so far been under US $5,000.00 -- the trailer sales company provided it at their cost and picked up the cost of larger side doors than we originally thought we would have. There is no connection (yet -- we're working on it) to the [library's automation system]; circulation is done by the paper & pencil method. On one side are books from this library and on the other are books from the Portneuf District Library. Both libraries staff the Wagon.

We are taking the Wagon to parks, the farmers' market, and similar
places this Summer; last Saturday it was at Riverfest. When Summer is
over we plan to take it to schools, nursing homes, the Senior Center,
the community recreation center, even up into the neighborhoods. Being small it can visit where a bookmobile can't go -- and it costs far, far less to operate.

Does it work? Well, since June 14, 495 people have visited the Book
Wagon in the parks, at Riverfest, and elsewhere. Seven new patrons have been registered at the Marshall Library. 15 volunteers have told or read stories. 65 children have signed up for the summer reading program.

End of brag time.