Library on wheels brings books to county

For more than a century, humans have nourished the concept of making books available by vehicular transportation. Residents of rural areas such as Sanders County, where libraries are nonexistent or far and few between, have an appreciation for this notion. The Sanders County Bookmobile has been part of many lives since its conception in the 1960s, when the county voted it in.

Functioning as a library on wheels, the Bookmobile facilitates monthly visits to Dixon, Hot Springs, Lonepine, Paradise, Plains, Thompson Falls, Trout Creek, Noxon and Heron.

"We serve several schools throughout the county and work with teachers to have the resources they need for their students," stated Sandy Hough, decade-long director and driver of the Bookmobile. "We offer many books for children, whose parents may not have time to stop by the library, and therefore are able to check out books from the Bookmobile at their schools."

A plethora of books can be found on the "bus." Approximately 2,500 books are transported throughout the county fulfilling fiction, non-fiction, young adult, junior, children's, large print, Christian, seasonal, audio and Montana author categories.

"We also have approximately 3,000 reference and fiction books in our storage barn to be rotated in the Bookmobile as needed," added Hough. Books, exclusive of new releases, were formerly borrowed from libraries in Missoula and Kalispell for a fee. The Bookmobile Board discovered it was more cost efficient if they purchased their own books. The money saved went toward regularly offering their patrons necessary resources and new reading materials.

These very books sit nicely arranged on the shelving of the Bookmobile in regular library fashion. When asked if any of the books have ever fallen off the shelves while driving, Hough laughed and said no. She did share a story when she had a close call though.

"I only got stuck once," she recalled. An oncoming driver decided to "take his part out of the middle," Hough shared. "I either hit him or hit the ditch." It was an easy decision for her. The Bookmobile sat partially tipped in the ditch until towing services arrived to help her. She shared that the successful rescue took some time so as to not tip the vehicle and make a mess of the carefully organized books housed inside.

According to the county's Bookmobile board, one of the first documented bookmobiles date back to the 19th century. The Warrington Perambulating Library was mobile by the effort of horses and served Britain in 1858. The "craze" caught on in the U.S. resulting in the Library Service Act passing in 1956 by President Eisenhower. The Act was developed to promote public library development in rural areas, resulting in a bookmobile boom.

Hough commended two pioneer librarians with historical significance in the bookmobile movement. Sarah Byrd Askew was hired by New Jersey Public Library Commission to increase "traveling library" popularity in small towns. In 1906 she sent shipments of books to community buildings in these areas. Then in 1920, she converted a Model-T into a bookmobile, providing library service to rural areas for the first time.

In Maryland, during 1905, Washington County's Free Library librarian, Mary Lemist Titcomb, made good on her determination to reach the county's rural occupants giving birth to the first bookmobile. "Titcomb started distributing library books with a book wagon, delivering fresh reads to faraway towns," commented Hough.

The Bookmobile, which sees its most activity in Lonepine, Hot Springs and Trout Creek, receives funding from the county although supplemental funds are necessary to circulate new releases. Hough shared that a raffle will take place beginning in May and continue throughout the summer. Items are currently being donated for prizes and the winners will be selected during the Huckleberry Festival in August, where they will also host a book sale fundraiser. Raffle tickets will be available at the Bookmobile locations for purchase or may be arranged by contacting Hough at [email protected] or calling (406) 274-6490.

To make book returning easy, Bookmobile return boxes are located throughout the county at Dixon Senior Center, Hot Springs Library, Plains City Hall, Trout Creek School, Noxon School, Heron Library and Thompson Falls Courthouse. Hough shared that the drop boxes were made by the Thompson Falls High School shop class.

Sanders County Bookmobile Board members are Breezy Coston Stipe (Chair), Jim Jacobson (Vice Chair), Lynette Ek, Mellisa McJunkin, and Sandra Thompson. Hough shared that Ek used the Bookmobile when she was a child.

Hours and locations of operation may be located online at http://co.sanders.mt.us/departments/bookmobile/.