Life on the bookmobile is a bit different from the other JMRL branches.  We all have our ups and downs, our good days and bad, but there are some situations one only encounters out on the road.

I knew the end was near when the tow truck drivers started smiling and waving whenever they passed me on the road.  Our good old ELF (extreme low floor) bookmobile died last April, 2016.  A broken part was no longer replaceable, so that was the end.  It had been towed to the City Yard to find out if they could fix it and when it was determined that they couldn’t, I had to fetch it back to the library.  It was the scariest 20 minutes of my life!  The vehicle was all askew and I didn’t dare go over 20 mph.  I made it safely back and told my Director, my part-time helper, and anyone in the parking lot that no one is ever driving that vehicle again!  My assistant and I proceeded to empty the big bus and get the minivan ready to substitute (our “mini-mobile” as the patrons like to call it).

The Library went through the process of putting the old bus up for sale and, once it had been emptied, it needed to go back to the City Yard until a buyer was found.  The intrepid Billy (who does all the mechanical work) decided it needed to go out in style.  Over my protests, he decided to drive it back to the Yard.  The Yard had an intern at the time and the young man had come with Billy to make the ride back.  Before they took off, Billy preset all the radio stations to country and rock and roll, since he knew there was an exterior speaker up on the roof.  Billy cranked it up, blasted the music outside, and started down Rte 29.   (They were followed by a regular City truck, just in case.)  Each time the radio station would come up on a commercial, Billy pushed the next button to keep the music going.  They stopped behind a Jeep at one red light and totally confused the driver, who couldn’t figure out from whence the music came.  At another intersection, the homeless woman who was panhandling knew the source immediately.  She jumped up and danced through the song, giving Billy a grin and a big thumbs up when the light finally changed.  Meanwhile, the young intern was sinking lower and lower in his passenger seat.  Luckily, they made it back safely.  Later, the bookmobile was bought by a junk yard in Lynchburg to be sold for parts.   It was towed to its final resting place!

It’s been a long year in the minivan and we all, staff and patrons alike, eagerly await the arrival of a new vehicle next month.  Meanwhile, we have good stories and fond memories of the old bus.  RIP, Moby Dick!