- November 9, 2024
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Lakewood Ranch has a new library as of January, but as a whole, Manatee County is short on library space.
“We are at about half the state recommendation and half of what is indicated in our Comprehensive Plan,” Library Services Manager Tammy Parrott said.
Considering the Lakewood Ranch Library cost $17.6 million and took years to come to fruition, library staff came up with a quicker and more affordable way to address the issue, albeit on a smaller scale.
The county purchased a bus-sized, custom coach bookmobile for $587,100. Commissioners approved the purchase at the March 21 land use meeting.
It will take Matthews Specialty Vehicles, a company based out of North Carolina, about two years to complete and deliver the vehicle.
The bookmobile will hold 2,500 books, but Parrot said the collection will be about three times that size to allow for different audiences.
“For example, we may load for youth, seniors, general use or Spanish language,” she said. “We also took into consideration how it might be able to help in disaster response. We added additional outlets for charging, work space and a place for a printer.”
The bookmobile will travel countywide, but it will most frequently be used in underserved areas. Only seven libraries serve the county’s population of over 400,000.
When finished, the county will have a mini-library on wheels with desks, cabinets, shelves, brochure racks, indoor and outdoor TVs, a PA system, refrigerator and microwave.
The bookmobile will have a wheelchair lift to be accessible to all residents and will come with programming like a brick and mortar library.
With a driver seat, passenger seat and work space for two, the coach will accommodate two staff members and be fully equipped with wifi and audio and visual equipment.
“We are still developing the additional programming,” Parrott said. “It may be more of what we already offer — story times, technology training — or we may find that there are other things the areas are interested in.”
