A library at your doorstep
KHCPL reaches out through bookmobile, to-your-door, and library at home services
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Most people like the idea of a library, but some just never manage to find the time to visit one. The Kokomo Howard County Public Library (KHCPL) wants to help by bringing books and more to your door.
The KHCPL’s bookmobile is probably the most recognizable service it provides. For decades, the mobile library has been in service. Today, there are two bookmobiles in service, and they will travel all over the community this summer.
“The bookmobiles go all over parts of the county, and we're open to new stops,” said Caele Pemberton, KHCPL’s head of marketing and community engagement. “We go to the schools, which is a really big part of what they do. So, a lot of materials that you'll find on the bookmobiles are children's materials.
“But you can place a hold on books and tell us you prefer to pick it up on the bookmobile. We’ll bring it out to a stop that works for you. You can return materials on the bookmobile, too. I don't think a lot of people realize that.”
The bookmobile schedules through May 2024 can be found at www.khcpl.org under the Bookmobile/Outreach tab. However, the summer schedule expands and hasn’t yet been finalized. Pemberton estimated that the new schedule will be announced with the library’s May newsletter, which will unveil the massive Summer Reading Program.
Still, people who are out and about at community events this summer likely will run across a bookmobile.
“The bookmobiles do a lot of things in the parks, like story and craft times,” said Pemberton. “There will be one at the Strawberry Festival. They go to a lot of community events like the Farmers’ Market. We’ll be figuring out those stops soon.”
Using the bookmobile does require a library card. For those who don’t have one, they can sign up at a bookmobile, too. There is no need to travel to a library branch.
“So as long as you live in our taxing districts, you can get on the bookmobile and sign up for a library card,” said Pemberton. “You just need to bring your ID showing a valid address in our taxing district.
“If you don't live in our taxing district, there are a couple of options. You can get a Public Library Access Card. So, if your home library is Greentown, for instance, and you want to be able to use our services and materials, you can pay $65 for the card -- an amount set by the state – and use any library.”
Pemberton has a Public Library Access Card and believes it has been well worth the cost. She visits libraries when she travels, and she has checked out more than $1,000 in books, games, and other materials over the past year.
Of course, the bookmobiles can’t get to every neighborhood, though they get close. And some people may be unable to visit, even in closer proximity. Fortunately, KHCPL has a couple other options to get materials to its patrons. The library’s “to-your-door” service is one such option.
“To-your-door is for people who are just really busy,” said Pemberton. “Life gets in the way. You just can't make it into the library. There are kids’ soccer games or a work schedule that just doesn't align with our hours. We can bring materials to your door. We drop them off in tote bags.”
Most of what the library offers is available through to-your-door service. Books, movies, video games, and music all can be delivered.
The same holds true for KHCPL’s other outreach service, Library at Home, which is designed for people who are homebound.
“A lot of the population we serve through library at home includes seniors,” said Pemberton. “We will visit the person's home and do a little to figure out what they like and what kinds of materials they want.
“Then, once a month, we will bring up to 50 items to their home. We’ll come back the next month to drop off new items and pick up the previous month’s items.”
And best of all, regardless of which outreach service a patron chooses, there are no late fees if they forget to visit the bookmobile or return the items when they are due.
“We don't have late fees at all,” said Pemberton. “We just want there to be barriers to accessing the library. If we can bring materials to you, we will do that. We love that. We want to do more of that. So, we hope people will take advantage of it.”
For more information about the library’s outreach services or literally anything else the library is doing or has planned, visit www.khcpl.org.