Plumas County Library’s new bookmobile has arrived, reports county librarian Dora Mitchell. The bookmobile will spend its first three weeks in Quincy. After being showcased at the Plumas-Sierra County Fair, the bookmobile will have its shelves stocked and be presented to the Plumas County Board of Supervisors at its Aug. 6 meeting. The bookmobile will then be moved to The Spot in Greenville, where it will open its doors to library patrons Aug. 13 on an established schedule, said Mitchell.
In January 2022, Plumas County was among 15 libraries across the state to receive the Stronger Together: Improving Library Access grant from the California State Library to acquire or upgrade their bookmobiles or community outreach vehicles. The $200,000 grant was intended to provide a bookmobile for Greenville and the surrounding area in the wake of the Dixie Fire, which burned the Greenville branch library and all its contents to the ground in August 2021.
This project was supported in part by funding provided by the state of California, administrated by the California State Library. Mitchell reported that an additional $12,000 to stock and support the bookmobile came from the GoFundMe page created by El Dorado County Friends of the Library and El Dorado County Library Director Carolyn Brooks and managed by the Quincy Friends of the Plumas County Library; the February 2022 book sale held by the Friends group; and generous donations from individuals, other libraries and their support groups, and other organizations.
Some items originally purchased by Plumas STARS for the Greenville temporary library will also be transferred to the bookmobile, said Mitchell, such as supplies for programming, as well as materials purchased through various grants after the Dixie Fire.
The bookmobile was purchased from Ohio-based Farber Specialty Vehicles. After several delays due to COVID-related production complications, the vehicle was delivered July 18. Plumas County Library staff then received comprehensive training on the vehicle and its special features, including the wheelchair lift.
Mitchell said the library is awaiting approval from the county before it can start recruiting for the bookmobile assistant position. Once a staff member is hired and trained, the bookmobile will start its regular schedule, which will allow it to reach residents directly in Greenville, Crescent Mills and Taylorsville. The bookmobile will also appear at various events around the county, including the Chester and Greenville farmers markets.
In January 2025, a new route based on feedback, requests and the goal of expanding its reach into the rest of the county will be created and implemented, said Mitchell. Local organizations may request their location as an active library spot in future route schedules, or for a one-time visit at their events through a form available on the library’s website.
Greenville’s temporary library location — a classroom provided by Plumas Unified School District, first at Greenville Elementary School and then at Greenville Junior-Senior High School — will mark its last day Aug. 8, with the exception of two previously scheduled Summer Reading Program activities for kids Aug. 15 and 22. Plumas County Library continues to express its gratitude to PUSD and especially Patty McCutcheon for hosting the library from February 2022 to August 2024, said Mitchell.
Plumas County continues rebuilding efforts in Greenville, and Mitchell said those efforts will include a library building in the future.
More information about the bookmobile and its finalized schedule is available on the library’s website at http://www.plumascounty.us/546/Library.
Information provided by Plumas County Library
