ST PAUL, Minn. — St. Paul Public Library has retired its beloved Bookmobile after nearly 20 years of service. The wheels on that bus were getting old.
However, all is not lost. With modern mechanics and updated art, a new vehicle is now going 'round and 'round St. Paul streets. SPPL received its new Mobile Library in late July and began its first route Aug. 4.
"Brand new, state-of the art," said Mobile Library manager and driver Savitri Santhiran. "This is a truck style. That's the most obvious thing. The last one was a step van … There was one door for the old vehicle. This one, there are two doors, so we're very excited about the flow."
The Mobile Library is shorter in length but wider than the Bookmobile, allowing more room for visitors to browse, Santhiran said, noting this will be especially helpful when classrooms visit during the school year. The goal is to have everyone check out at the front of the bus and exit from the back door, which is wheelchair accessible.
From its colorful exterior to the multilingual books on board, SPPL says the Mobile Library better reflects St. Paul's rich diversity.
Freelance illustrator Emma Eubanks did the artwork covering the vehicle, including people of different backgrounds and abilities in the design. Eubanks grew up visiting the Bookmobile and was last year commissioned to create art for Rondo Community Library's newly transformed children's area.
Santhiran says, today, most visitors are under 12 and over 60 years old.
"We visit neighborhoods, buildings and schools where the residents face some kind of barrier to going to a brick and mortar library building," she said.
The Mobile Library typically comes by each place every two weeks "so that we build those relationships with the same kids and the same people," said Santhiran, whose other position within SPPL is community services coordinator.
Wednesday, she parked the Mobile Library outside St. Timothy Lutheran Church. Soon-to-be eighth grader Toby Strack lives nearby.
"I've been reading some magical fiction recently," Strack said. "I've been enjoying the cookbooks … I can always ask about a genre and then next week the librarians will just have a stack of books they think I might like."
Santhiran says many people have asked if the Mobile Library can come to their event or a particular place. It can, but locations are limited to St. Paul. The library website has a request form. Its full schedule is also posted online.
Back on the Bookmobile, only staff had Internet access. There is public Wi-Fi on the Mobile Library, and technology services are set to further expand when a digital navigator joins the team. That person will help visitors find what they're looking for, improving their digital literacy.
"We'll [also] have Internet hot spots that people will be able to check out so they can keep the Internet with them at home," Santhiran said. "You're a resident of St. Paul, this is for you."