Literacy services in your neighbourhood

Did you know that the Lethbridge Public Library has three branches? The Main Branch, in our city’s downtown core; the Crossings Branch, on our city’s West Side; and the Bookmobile, which comes directly to Lethbridge neighbourhoods.

The Bookmobile program launched in 1985 and provided library services to Lethbridge’s new and growing communities that were furthest from the Main Branch, and it didn’t take long for it to become a staple community service.

Today, you can find the Bookmobile on the road Monday to Thursday, and Saturday, serving communities throughout Lethbridge. On alternate Fridays, it visits Coalhurst.

This mobile Library branch offers communities library services that are comparable to those you would receive at the Main and the Crossings Branches. There are adult, teen, and children’s books on the shelves, as well as a great selection of magazines, DVDs, video games, and even sports equipment in its physical literacy collection. It also has a Top Reads collection that includes the latest and greatest new books. You may find copies of new Top Reads and Blockbuster movies are more easily accessible on the Bookmobile than they are at the Library’s other two branches.

Its general collection houses items that are no more than two years old, which means it has the newest and freshest collection of materials out of all Library branches. In recognizing the growing diversity of our city it also carries French, Spanish, Korean, and Arabic materials.

Along with browsing the Bookmobile’s collections, you can also get a library card, renew your card, return your books, pick up your holds...almost everything you do at the other two branches of the Library you can do on the Bookmobile, and right in your own neighbourhood!

One of the most common comments we receive about this branch is the appreciation that customers have for being able to choose materials for the entire family in one easy location. There is also an appreciation for having library and literacy services brought into a community where some members have a harder time getting out to visit the Main and the Crossings branches.

Ready to jump on board? You really need to check it out for yourself! To find the Bookmobile in a neighbourhood near you visit our website lethlib.ca, follow us on Twitter @LPLBookmobile, or visit our Facebook page: business. facebook.com/LPLBookmobile. Look for us this summer as we will be expanding our services to outdoor programming in neighbourhood parks.

Patrick McCullagh is Bookmobile Coordinator at the Lethbridge Public Library