Bookmobile News

Our volunteer crew accomplished a lot this year! With our best ever outcomes, including getting great books of choice to almost 17,000 people throughout Sonoma County, the Free Bookmobile depended on major support behind the scenes. These generous folks hauled and sorted books, helped patrons on-site, cleaned the bookmobile and its facility, got the word out to communities we were visiting, and much more. We decided it was time to celebrate.

Thanks to donation of a lovely event space by Lisa Kurtz of West County Herb Company, we were able to gather on a sunny spring day in Occidental. Program Assistant Stacy Ruppert put together a nice spread, and Sonoma County Public Library Foundation board member Sheila Almquist (not pictured because she took the photo!) also attended to express gratitude to these dedicated individuals. We enjoyed a great afternoon together sharing food, laughs, and tales of why folks give up their time for our cause. The best part was seeing new volunteers who had never met connect so easily over books and reading. If you’d like to find out more about volunteering for the Free Bookmobile, just send us an email through our “Contact Us” page.

Big welcome to Alison Finch, our new part-time driver/mobile librarian! As detailed in the previous news item, our friends at Sonoma Wine Country Weekend were enthusiastic about our proposal to expand our service by adding more routes. Their funding, along with increased book donations from the community and other sources, has allowed us to make that notion a reality. Alison had been a steady volunteer on board the Free Bookmobile since March of 2015, giving us a chance to see just how well she interacted with our patrons and to enjoy her attention to detail. Her librarian background helped seal the deal, and thankfully, she’s quickly learned how to handle the ‘mobile out on the road.

So no longer will it just be our Director’s face behind the desk. Alison will be out and about, serving up high quality books to anyone and everyone, about one day per week. Please give her a warm welcome when you see her…she’s got some great reads for you!