A bookmobile is Aurora Public Library’s newest tool in reaching residents

AURORA | Aurora residents who can’t make it to a library branch can now have the library come to them with the Aurora Public Library’s new bookmobile.

The city purchased the bookmobile last year and did a few events, but had its official grand opening last week with a tour of a number of Aurora locations, including Stanley Marketplace and the Aurora Municipal Center.

The bookmobile is a fully-functional library. Patrons can use it to check out and return books, pick up items on hold, sign up for a library card and use the internet. The 120-square foot vehicle is more than just a truck full of books — it has a Wi-Fi connection and a sound system, as well as a 10-foot awning that can be extended to make a shady outdoor space.

Library officials say they hope the bookmobile will help increase access to the library for people who have difficulty making it to one of APL’s brick and mortar locations.

“The new Bookmobile helps Aurora Public Library meet people where they are by bringing library services to them, especially to those who can’t access a physical library location,” Library and Cultural Services director Midori Clark said in a statement.

The bookmobile will be used to visit local schools, some of which don’t have their own libraries, assisted living facilities and places in the city that are further away from the branches, city spokesperson Abraham Morales said. He said that some schools have already reached out to express interest in a visit. 

“It’s bringing the library to where people are, that’s the key,” he said.

This isn’t the first APL bookmobile. According to the library’s website, the city purchased its first bookmobile in 1959 for $13,198.80. Adjusted for inflation, that’s over $135,000 in today’s money. The bookmobile was able to store almost 3,000 items and helped provide library services to people in unincorporated Arapahoe County.

The new bookmobile cost about $150,000, $80,000 of which came from money earmarked for the purchase by avid library patron Joan M. Schobert. Schobert died in 2019 and left the money to APL with the specification that it be used for a bookmobile. The remainder came from the city’s general budget fund.

The bookmobile is one of a number of new developments at APL this year in what Clark said was an effort to invite people back to the library post-pandemic. The library system went fine-free at the beginning of the year and opened up a new branch in Chambers Plaza, bringing the number of branches back to seven for the first time since 2009. It also expanded hours at several of its branches, including Central and Tallyn’s Reach.

A calendar of where the bookmobile will be will be available on the library’s website at auroralibrary.org. Community members can also request the bookmobile to come to a specific location by filling out an online form.