The Tri-county Bookmobile is on the move, in more ways than one. And the move isn't just in the same city or even the same county.
The new headquarters are in Bicknell at the Wayne County School District office, 79 N. 100 West. The program serves Wayne, Juab and Sevier counties, and the communities will not be adversely affected by the move.The bookmobile service has been headquartered in the basement of the Richfield City Library, but a need for library and bookmobile expansion forced the move, according to Howard Petersen, bookmobile librarian.
He said the bookmobile needed to become established as a fixed-site library in addition to normal bookmobile services. Otherwise, federal grants cannot be obtained.
"We are already seeing the fruits of our labors, as we have just received a federal grant for $22,000 and a Rural Community Assistance Grant from the U.S. Forest Service in the amount of $10,000," Peterson said.
He added that the grant money will increase the quality and quantity of services.
The federal grant is earmarked for technological development so the bookmobile's services can keep with with technological advances and continue to provide the best service to the residents of the three counties.
"It has been a huge task to move a headquarters and a 21,000 book collection but we have had tremendous help from people in both Sevier and Wayne counties," the librarian said. "We are looking forward to an open house some time near the end of June."
The bookmobile unit will remain in Sevier County since three-fourths of the scheduled stops are in Juab and Sevier counties.