Arlington Heights Memorial Library debuts newest bookmobile

The Arlington Heights Memorial Library is celebrating 100 years this year, but it has one more thing to celebrate.

The library has debuted its newest bookmobile that's ready to roll out, filled with books that are ready to be read.

For 53 years, the Arlington Heights Memorial Library has been mobile. The program goes back to 1973.

"We travel north and south all through Arlington Heights," said executive director Mike Driskell.

He says the bookmobile is popular wherever it goes.

"It's kind of like the ice cream truck, but maybe not," he said jokingly.

But after 17 years, the library is getting some brand-new wheels.

April Junius is one of the first to see it and its freshly stocked shelves.

"This one cost just over $600,000. A $100,000 of which the library paid for and the rest came through donations," Driskell said.

Half a million dollars was raised in about a year for the 33-foot Winnebago, custom-built with adjustable shelving, a retractable awning and an outdoor screen.

"It is basically a mobile library. It has all kinds of items on there. We have books. We have music, DVDs, Blu-rays, games, puzzles – just about everything you could get in the main library," Driskell said.

The last bookmobile served more than 400,000 people who checked out more than a million items. That bookmobile, Driskell said,  started to have some reliability issues and started to rust.

"It's been a popular service since day one and we want to keep it going," he said.

The newly debuted bookmobile is the seventh one for the library. Their first bookmobile was a small van that made 11 stops in the community during the summer.

The new bookmobile will make 27 stops around town year-round.