Bookmobile Return Disrupted By State Air Regulations
Sonora, CA — All of the Tuolumne County library branches are fully operational after earlier being closed due to COVID 19.
One recent disappointment on the library front, however, has to do with the bookmobile. Library and Recreation Manager Eric Aitken says, “A bummer coming out of COVID was that we had all of the staff back and were ready to rock and roll and get the bookmobile back out on the road. However, we found out that with some of the air resource restrictions in California, our current bookmobile is no longer legal to be driven on the roads in California.”
It is about 20 years old.
The library is now working to find funding to purchase a new vehicle, whether it be from grant money or other sources. Even if a new bookmobile was purchased today, Aitken says it takes around 18-months to two years to receive that type of vehicle. It will offer new technology and more “bells and whistles” than the previous version. In the meantime, some smaller SUVs owned by the county may soon be utilized to serve as a scaled-back version of the bookmobile to deliver books and provide some services to the outer areas of the county.
The bookmobile discussion came up when Library and Recreation Services were discussed on Mother Lode Views over the weekend. There was also an update about creating a five-year plan to help ensure the library is sustainable into the future. You can find the full Mother Lode Views by clicking here.
