Michigan’s Busiest Bookmobile is Tooting Its Horn

The Rochester Hills Public Library bookmobile is adding 2 new weekly stops to its line-up. Beginning March 14, the bookmobile will be visiting the Hampton Village Center at the northeast corner of Rochester Road and Auburn Road from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM and the Bedford Square Apartment Complex located (off of Tienken Road just west of Rochester Road) at 1685 Bedford Square Drive from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM.  Currently the bookmobile makes 26 weekly stops in a 72 square mile service area.

“The Library is adding the stops to provide more service to areas of the community that need the service,” said library director Christine Lind Hage.  “We constantly monitor bookmobile usage and attempt to place the bookmobile in areas that will attract library users.”

The 31-foot library on wheels is filled with over 3,000 books, DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, video games, graphic novels and other materials that library card holders in Rochester, Rochester Hills and Oakland Township can borrow. The bookmobile also offers internet access for customers. The bookmobile’s collection is focused on popular materials for the entire family.  “In order to make sure we have the popular movies and books that people want, we do not allow holds to be placed on bookmobile items,” said bookmobile librarian Rebekah Craft.  “The bookmobile collection is offered to all library card holders on a first come first served basis.

In addition to checking out bookmobile items, you can have main library materials delivered to a bookmobile stop close to your home or place of work.  You may also return any library item to the bookmobile and the staff will make sure it is returned to its proper home.

“In these tough economic times, the Rochester Hills Public Library is working hard to offer easier access to its materials through its mobile branch. Because not everyone can make it to the main library, the bookmobile offers a convenient way for library customers to borrow materials”, said Michelle Wisniewski, Outreach & Bookmobile Services Manager.

With higher gas prices and the advent of the road construction season the library anticipates that usage of the bookmobile resources will continue to grow, keeping it as the busiest bookmobile in Michigan.

For more information about the RHPL Bookmobile, please visit www.rhpl.org/Bookmobile.html.