A new library on wheels could soon be coming to a park, school, or other community venue near you.
The San Luis Obispo Library recently announced its Branch Out initiative—a fleet of new vans capable of carrying hundreds of books that will be dispatched to sites across the county as mini mobile libraries.
The goal of the program, according to library Engagement and Marketing Coordinator Erica Thatcher, is to enhance the library’s ability to reach people where they are.
“It makes library services more convenient,” Thatcher said. “[The vans] are outfitted with shelves, books, DVDs, and other items, as well as carts that can be removed and taken into lobbies or taken on the sidewalk.”
The potential destinations for Branch Out vans are endless, Thatcher said. It could be a congregate living facility for seniors; a school, park, or beach; or a child care clinic, business, or hard-to-reach neighborhood.
Thatcher said that the library just started to roll out the program this month. While it’s still ironing out some kinks, eventually, the three vans will have regular routes and schedules—and will become known fixtures in the community.
“We are off to a good start. We just started visiting San Simeon—they don’t have library services up there,” she said. “There are families there who love the library, it’s just hard to get to Cambria. We’re visiting there monthly for the next year.”
What kind of content gets loaded into each library van will depend on the population it’s serving, Thatcher explained. Before departure, librarians will carefully curate the selection of books so that they appeal to the types of readers who will be perusing its mobile shelves and carts.
With the rollout of the new initiative, SLO County joins neighboring communities like Santa Maria and Santa Barbara in operating mobile libraries. The vans, paid for by a state grant, are part of a push to improve library access across California. That’s especially important now, Thatcher said, in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“Folks are still hesitant to come into buildings and public spaces,” she said.
Another critical component of that mission is to enhance libraries’ digital content. And the SLO Library just got a major contribution toward that effort in the form of a surprise $2.6 million bequest courtesy of Susan B. Silverstein.
Silverstein, a local resident and library supporter, left the generous bequest in her estate without much explanation, Thatcher said.
“The trust manager gave very little information about her,” she said. “She was a library supporter and a supporter of lots of arts and culture organizations in the county. She had donated to the [library] foundation before. But they didn’t really know anything about her, except she had thousands of books in her home.”
In the wake of that bequest, the library foundation recently cut a $100,000 check to the library to help it enhance its digital collection in the form of eBooks and audiobooks.
Demand for digital content has skyrocketed since the pandemic, and the SLO Library’s recent withdrawal from the Black Gold Cooperative Library System means it’s building up a new digital catalog. While that transition is taking some time, Thatcher said the payoff will be worth it.
“This gift will allow us to build the collection more quickly,” Thatcher said. “I think people will really start to notice that our collection is going to eventually surpass the other collections.”
Fast facts
• Central Coast Aquarium’s Tidepools on Tour will be coming to the Grover Beach Community Library on Saturday, July 23, from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. This free activity features “mobile aquarium tanks with live creatures including crabs, sea stars, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, sea anemones, sea snails, mussels, scallops, algae, and more,” according to the organization. Space is limited. Call (805) 481-4131 to RSVP.
• The Community Foundation of Estero Bay—a 30-year-old nonprofit that pays to help North Coast children participate in youth sports and recreation activities—recently reached a $500,000 donation milestone. Over the decades, the Community Foundation has given funds to more than a dozen separate programs across five agencies to “support the mission of helping children thrive,” according to the foundation. “Thousands of children have experienced the joys of participating on a team, learning music, and exploring enrichment programs over the past 30 years.” Δ
Assistant Editor Peter Johnson wrote this week’s Strokes and Plugs. Send tidbits to strokes@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Jul 21-31, 2022.