| This grant to renovate and rejuvenate the Bookmobile’s interior and book collection has allowed WCPL to improve the services and resources it offers through its Bookmobile outreach initiatives. Specifically, the project made improvements to traditional collections for books and materials on the Bookmobile and provided new technology/internet access for mobile research, job searches, and resume writing. The results of this grant will greatly increase WCPL’s capacity to offer more relevant, technological Bookmobile resources and services to our most remote and underserved citizens, which will positively impact hundreds of Washington County’s citizens.
The goal of this Bookmobile project is to address several specific needs in our rural community by providing the following: 1.Access to improved print collections and materials for all ages. 2.Access to databases and educational websites for personal, academic, or medical research, along with information professionals who can assist with searches. 3.Access to technology, high-speed internet, print services, and assistance in using technology. Although all of these services are available to the general public, this project will target people in our rural county most in need, especially senior citizens, citizens with physical and developmental disabilities, lower socio-economic level residents of remote areas who lack transportation and technology access, and other disadvantaged and underserved individuals and families. We anticipate that this project could reach 2,500 people or more in the first year now that the Bookmobile is getting back on the road. By focusing on the goal of improving our Bookmobile outreach and collection to include new resources and technology that can be shared on visits to the hospital, nursing home, senior nutrition centers, and communities along Bookmobile routes, WCPL can address needs in the most remote parts of our rural county and for underserved individuals in health facilities across the county. Bookmobile improvements now allow us to provide valuable research tools, informational books and online resources, wireless internet access, and databases, along with library staff assistance, to navigate complicated databases and websites. Thanks to new high-powered wifi equipment, WCPL staff can now assist citizens with job searches, resume writing and printing, test prep, and other tech-based needs out on the road. |
Project Completion: 2023 | Washington County