San Luis Obispo County residents no longer need to step inside a library to check out a book. Instead, they can head to a park.
As of Oct. 21, the county’s mobile library vans are making regular stops at two public parks, bringing books and other services to residents who may have difficulty visiting a library.
Through the San Luis Obispo County Public Libraries’ Branch Out program, visitors to Templeton Park and SLO’s DeVaul Park can browse books, check out and return materials, and sign up for or renew library cards.
After testing park visits earlier this year, the new stops have become a regular part of the vans’ routes.
“The vision is kind of like a mini book fair where we have a pop-up tent and carts with books for people to browse,” said Erica Thatcher, the library system’s marketing and communications coordinator.
The county chose the two parks in hopes of reaching residents who don’t live near a county library or have trouble finding time to visit one.
Templeton, for example, has an independent community library but no county-operated branch, even though about 1,600 residents hold county library cards. DeVaul Park, meanwhile, sits in a residential neighborhood farther from the county library’s downtown San Luis Obispo location.
“We knew that there were lots of families there on Saturday mornings, and we felt like it would be a good place to meet people where they are,” Thatcher said of Templeton Park.
The vans stop at Templeton Park, 550 Crocker St., every Saturday during the farmers market from 9:30 a.m. to noon. At DeVaul Park, 1651 Spooner Drive, the library sets up on the second and third Saturdays of each month from 3 to 4 p.m.
Visitors can browse the books on display or arrange to pick up specific books and DVDs by placing a request through the county library’s online catalog or contacting a branch.
“You can take a look through the items on the carts while the staff make or renew your library card,” Library Outreach Coordinator Jackie Kinsey said in a statement.
The park visits are part of a larger effort to make the county’s library system more accessible, particularly for residents balancing work, childcare, and other responsibilities.
In a library survey of more than 600 residents, roughly 40 percent said that being too busy was one of their biggest day-to-day challenges. Others reported caregiving responsibilities that made finding time for a library visit difficult.
“Meeting people where they are is really important,” Thatcher said.
The county purchased its three outreach vans in 2022 with funding from a California State Library grant. At first, the vans primarily delivered books to senior living facilities, but their routes have grown to serve other populations.
Today, library staff also deliver books to the SLO County Jail’s on-site library and visit Juvenile Hall, where they lead activities and book discussions.
“We just figured we should be maximizing the usage of these vans, and so we’ve been looking for other opportunities to deliver books,” Thatcher said.
The county hopes to continue expanding the program, with South County potentially next on the list.
Although the vans already visit senior living facilities in the area, Thatcher said the county is looking for a public location where residents could regularly browse and borrow books.
“We would like to have a regular park stop or a regular stop where we know people are and make it easier for South County residents to use the library,” she said.
For more information about the Branch Out program or to request books for pickup, visit the San Luis Obispo County Public Libraries’ website.
Fast facts
• Downtown Atascadero is getting a spooky makeover this Halloween as more than 50 local businesses team up for the A-Town Halloween Block Party on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 4 to 7 p.m. Costumed creatures of all ages can haunt the downtown streets in search of candy, with trick-or-treating along El Camino Real, Entrada Avenue, Traffic Way, and Palma Avenue. Free festivities will also feature costume contests, a hay bale maze, and after-dark activities at select locations. Learn more at visitatascadero.com.
• Camp Ocean Pines is celebrating its 80th birthday with a free community festival on Saturday, Nov. 7, from noon to 5 p.m. at 1473 Randall Drive in Cambria. The festivities include archery, axe throwing, fall crafts, animal encounters, and a magic show by Zoltar of Hollywood’s Magic Castle.
Reach Staff Writer Chloë Hodge at chodge@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Oct 29 – Nov 5, 2026.
