Bookmobile makes it debut at Bluffton Library

Amanda Brewer, Bookmobile Librarian for the Beaufort County Library System, was busy folding cardboard banks that resembled the system’s new bookmobile as she readied to opens its doors to the public on Monday, parked outside the Bluffton Branch.

And while it does offer wi-fi, not everything has been installed.

Missing are its crown jewels, the iPad Pros.

When the bookmobile is completed, it will have four iPad Pros in custom-made, pull out shelves – the second bookmobile in the nation to have this feature.

What it is outfitted with are shelves of reading material - either in the traditional form or as audio books.

On one side of the bus is a side devoted to adults with eight shelves packed with best sellers, audio books, larger than normal text for easier reading and DVDs.

And if you turnaround, there are another eight shelves - but these are devoted to young readers, including a handful of books on the Junior Book Award nominees for required summertime reading.

Beaufort County Library System Director Ray McBride had presented a plan in May 2016 to county leaders to bring the bookmobile back to county residents.

County officials estimated the cost of the vehicle and its technology would cost about $180,000.

Operations to run the program were estimated to be around $73,000.

On June 5, the bookmobile is scheduled to start its 40 scheduled stops, four-days a week.

This story was originally published May 22, 2017 at 5:07 PM with the headline "Bookmobile makes it debut at Bluffton Library."