St. Mary's County library expects bookmobile delivery in December; staff hiring to begin in October

The St. Mary’s County Library expects delivery of a new mobile library, or bookmobile, in late December and plans to begin hiring staff in October, Library Director Michael Blackwell told the Board of Trustees at its September meeting.

Blackwell said the board has approved final plans and that final assembly will take place on the Eastern Shore; he offered to arrange library transportation for any trustees who want to observe the build. He said the library will hire staff in October; their first assignment will be assembling an opening-day collection and planning outreach stops, including day-care centers, senior facilities and schools.

The nut graf: Board members discussed operational details, funding and community outreach, and asked staff to clarify safety and licensing requirements for drivers.

Blackwell said the project will be financed in part by a Maryland capital grant of $50,000 the library is still awaiting, plus a rollover grant of about $9,000 from the prior year. He said assembly will occur on Kent Island, that the vehicle will be wheelchair-accessible and include two workstations and safety cameras. The plan is for the mobile library to start outreach at senior facilities, day cares and neighborhood stops and to participate in community events such as the county fair.

Members asked who would drive the vehicle and whether a commercial driver’s license would be needed. Blackwell said the vehicle’s size will worry some applicants but that a commercial license will not be required and the vehicle includes safety systems; he also said internal candidates have already expressed interest. Board members discussed the potential ripple effect of promoting internal staff into the mobile-library roles.

Trustees and staff discussed publicity and community engagement. Several members urged a visible campaign and a formal ribbon-cutting when the van is delivered. Laura, identified in the discussion as the staff member who currently coordinates outreach, will hand off responsibilities to the new mobile-library staff. Blackwell said he will follow up on the timing of the $50,000 capital grant because funds will be needed to complete equipment purchases for the van.

The meeting included a brief caution from a board member to check with the county attorney before trustees accept group visits to the build site, because a quorum of trustees could constitute an open-meetings issue.

Blackwell said he expects to hire staff in October and that the library will provide more details, including routes and a volunteer schedule, ahead of the first runs.

Less critical details: Blackwell suggested the mobile library might use laptops rather than fixed workstations and noted staff will create an opening-day collection; he also invited trustees to participate in planning and volunteer recruitment.