The new Birmingham Public Library Bookmobile is almost ready for the public
After more than a year of planning, the Birmingham Public Library is ready to reveal its new bookmobile—a vehicle designed to offer traveling library services across the city of Birmingham.
In 2021, the BJCTA, in collaboration with local developer Ed Ticheli, donated a paratransit bus to the BPL Board of Trustees to provide mobile library services to the 99 neighborhoods of the City of Birmingham.
According to a press release from Birmingham Public Library, the vehicle—called BPL Mobile— will offer a variety of library services. Patrons using BPL Mobile will have access to computers and free Wi-Fi, as well as citizen services such as notarizing, fax and printing. BPL Mobile will also take a number of programs on the road such as library story times and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) workshops.
The Birmingham Public Library executive team and the Birmingham Public Library Board of Trustees will host a reveal ceremony for BPL Mobile on Tuesday, January 10 at 3:30 p.m. at the Central Library (2100 Park Place, Birmingham, AL 35203). Members of the public are invited to attend.
“We are excited to share BPL Mobile with everyone. This library on wheels will allow the Birmingham Public Library to continue putting people first by expanding our high-quality services and programs outside our physical walls to neighborhoods across Birmingham.” said Janine Langston, the Executive Director of the Birmingham Public Library, in the same press release. “We appreciate the Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority for donating the decommissioned para-transit bus and Mr. Ed Ticheli for partnering with BPL to make this project possible.”