KCLS unveils bookmobile, mobile computer lab in Renton

By Sepideh Behzadpour • July 27, 2010 1:04 pm
Gretchen Furber
Gretchen Furber

If you can’t get to the library, then the library will come to you. That’s the mantra of the new King County Library System (KCLS) bookmobiles, called Library2Go!

The official debut of the bookmobiles happened Friday in the Renton Library parking lot. Also introduced was another vehicle, the Digital Discovery Zone (DDZ), which is a computer lab.

KCLS Director Bill Ptacek said it was appropriate the debut was in Renton.

Introducing it to the community alongside IKEA Renton River Days was good publicity, he said.

With a lot of people out and about for the festival, “having the debut in Renton illustrates the partnership between the library and the city,” Ptacek said.

“The idea behind the bookmobile is to outreach to those who can’t get to the library,” said Gretchen Furber, the KCLS literacy-outreach manager. The bookmobile may go to child-care centers, adult senior-care centers and low-income housing areas, she said.

The red vans are designed so librarians can replace books, depending on where the bookmobile is going. The four bookmobiles will rotate among the 44 libraries in the system. Each library will have the bookmobile for one week, before it moves on to the next library.

The DDZ is a new program, housed in a similar vehicle to the bookmobiles, that aims to teach digital literacy to everyone, says Jerene Battisti, the DDZ project manager.

“The bus is one-of-kind,” she said. “The DDZ, which is solar charged and made of recyclable material, can go anywhere, including schools and teen centers, but it needs to be (reserved).”

Apple MacBooks are used inside the DDZ and come fully installed with Apple programs – Garageband, iMovie, etc. In addition, the five computers have parallel operating systems, so those who wish to learn Windows programs will be able to do so.

Those attending the debut said they liked the idea of the bookmobile and the DDZ and were excited for them to start traveling.

“I think the vans will inspire kids to read, because it makes information more accessible and it makes them feel more comfortable to come to the library,” said Lori Jones.


Sepideh Behzadpour is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory.