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Tuesday, November 26, 2002

By Johnna A. Pro, Post-Gazette Staff Writer

Several Allegheny County communities will lose their bookmobile service as of Jan. 1, but at least eight others will still have weekly visits from the mobile library.

"We actually have a number of communities that signed on," said Marilyn Jenkins, executive director of the Allegheny County Library Association, which has fought to save the bookmobiles for the last two years.

In August, Jenkins sent letters to officials in communities throughout Allegheny County, telling them they would have to start paying for bookmobile visits or lose the service.

The letters were not unexpected because Allegheny County officials and members of the Regional Asset District board had been at odds over who should fund the program.

RAD and the county ultimately decided to share the cost this year, along with Citizens Bank, but the library association was urged to find a new way to pay for the municipal stops.

With that in mind, the association developed a plan to charge municipalities $8,000 annually for a one-hour per week visit with additional time available in 15 minute increments for $1,000.

Jenkins said Ben Avon and the Avonworth School District have joined forces to pay for a stop in the community. Kennedy and Stowe will fund a popular stop in Kennedy. Robinson and West View plan to continue their stops, while the Northland Public Library and Northern Tier Regional Library will pay for stops in Marshall, Pine and Ross.

The association is still in negotiations with West Mifflin to keep two stops there, and the communities of Glassport, Liberty and Port Vue are hoping to work out an agreement.

Communities which will lose their stops are East McKeesport, Indiana, Millvale, West Deer, and Wilmerding.

Duquesne and Elizabeth residents also will lose the service but can go to a branch of the McKeesport Library.

Forest Hills and Wilkins residents are also losing their stops but can go to the C.C. Mellor Library in Edgewood. And in Moon, the bookmobile stop is being eliminated because a Knowledge Connection center is opening there.

The bookmobile has been in operation in Allegheny County since 1956.

The budget for 2003 will be under $500,000, with $250,000 coming from RAD, $100,000 from Citizens Bank and $60,000 from communities that pay for municipal stops.