The Moultrie library has operated a bookmobile since 1942. The current model was built in 1990 and has served in Moultrie since 1992. Due to its age and mileage, it's been in the repair shop since mid-January, awaiting parts. The library board is considering whether to buy a new one, library Director Kevin Ellis said.

MOULTRIE, Ga. — The Moultrie-Colquitt County Library’s bookmobile has been in the repair shop since mid January of this year. Before 2019, it was one of ten bookmobiles operating in the state of Georgia. 

Summer is approaching, and the bookmobile will experience its yearly summer route expansion. However, with its many visits to the repair shop, the bookmobile is not prepared for the long roads ahead. Kevin Ellis, director of the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library System, spoke on the bookmobile’s importance and how the library plans to continue its services. 

“The big thing about the bookmobile is it’s our main form of outreach. It’s the way for us to get outside the library walls and bring services to the more rural parts of the county…It’s our lifeline to the parts that usually can’t get to the library or are outside of an easy driving range,” Ellis said.

The MCCLS has been providing bookmobile services since 1942. The current bookmobile, a 1990 Blue Bird bus, has been in service for the library since 1992. It’s been operated by its two, full-time bookmobile staff, Adam Shorter and Kimberly Millan. The bookmobile has been traveling to schools, daycares, individual’s homes, and adult day facilities. 

While the bookmobile operates year-round, the summer routes are busier. This is because more teachers and students are available during the summer break. While school is in session, most students and teachers are in classes until 3 p.m.

This year, the bookmobile’s breakdowns jeopardize all its services.

“Within the last five to ten years, it’s become more and more issue prone,” Ellis said. “It has been in the shop since mid January. One of the main things that causes problems is the generator. We’re still waiting for parts to come in…they don’t really have a good estimate…so there’s no telling how long it’s gonna be in the shop this time.”

Without bookmobile services, many patrons have to make arrangements to be brought to the library by others, such as family members. 

Library staff retrieved the bookmobile from the repair shop in early January, Ellis said, but it started sputtering and presenting issues within the first few miles of driving. So, they immediately turned around and took it back to the repair shop. 

Because the bookmobile makes up 21.4 percent of its total circulations, the MCCLS is looking into whether to repair the old bookmobile or purchase a new one. 

A new, basic bookmobile built of the same size would cost $200,000 to $250,000. The MCCLS has applied for several grants but Ellis said funding it out-of-pocket appears most likely. The library has a fund balance that could cover all of the cost, but he said that would deplete much of the library’s reserves.

“It’s a lot of money, but it’s not a lot when you’re talking about the sheer value of it for our community alone…We’ve been serving the community using the bookmobile since 1942…We’re really trying to find solutions now before it gets too late,” Ellis said. 

Donations of any sort are welcome to the Moultrie-Colquitt County Library System.