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Readers see loss of bookmobile as blow to quality of life
Wednesday, October 31, 2001 By Jill Cueni-Cohen
In the northern reaches of Allegheny County, where libraries are few and far between, a number of residents have come to depend on weekly bookmobile visits.
They would not be happy if those visits ended.
"I'd be devastated," said Gloria Szoss of West Deer. "If I said that the bookmobile means everything to me, I don't think I'd be saying too much. I read every single day."
The threat is real, though -- in August, the bookmobile fleet was put on the endangered list when Allegheny County threatened to eliminate $825,000 to operate it from the budget.
The county has contended that the cost should be absorbed by the Regional Asset District board, which funds Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and the Allegheny County Library Association. The library association distributes funds to community libraries throughout the county.
Carnegie Library administers the five-vehicle bookmobile fleet -- one of them is out of service due to a fire -- and the association has been an advocate for the program. But bookmobile funding has traditionally come directly from the county.
The RAD board, financially strapped itself, balked at the idea of taking on the bookmobiles, and right now no one is willing to fund them.
Joyce Wilk of Indiana Township doesn't like the idea of the bookmobile disappearing.
"I don't want to see them change anything. In fact, I'd like to see them go back to the way they used to be," she said, noting the bookmobile used to have more frequent stops and longer stays.
"I think it's probably one of the nicest services we have in the county," she said.
Wilk, a 46-year-old mother of three, said she's relied on the bookmobile coming to Dorseyville every week to enhance her children's educations.
"We can call them, and anything we want is within our fingertips in a couple of days," she said. "Our entire family has used it."
As have others, for generations. The bookmobile has been carrying the resources of the Carnegie Library into distant areas since 1957.
The libraries on wheels park outside of Ben Avon municipal building from 5:45 to 8:15 p.m. Thursdays; Dorseyville Fire Hall, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Mondays; Holy Spirit Church in Millvale, 12:45 to 2 p.m. Fridays; West Deer Shop 'n Save, 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. Mondays; and West View Park Plaza, 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. Mondays.
"I've used the bookmobile for 30 years, and some of my family members [have used it] even longer than that," said Albert Baxter, 73, of Cheswick.
Baxter values the bookmobile because Cheswick does not have a library. "There is a small one in the next town, but they don't have the variety that the Carnegie system can provide," he said. "When you order books, they always come through eventually, and it's a great service."
Johanna Celo of Indiana Township looks forward to picking up her books in West Deer every week. "It's convenient for me," she said. "If the bookmobile didn't come, I would have difficulty finding books and videos that I want to see."
Echoing the sentiments of her neighbors, Kathryn Makuta, public relations director for West Deer School District, said the bookmobile would be sorely missed.
"We've always had to drive to get places, and this would be one more thing we'd have to drive for," she said.
Dorothea Goedel, 66, also of West Deer, was so disturbed by the news that she began a letter-writing campaign and went to last Tuesday's RAD board meeting to add her support for the program.
"We love our bookmobile," she said. "It serves everyone around here, and we don't want it discontinued. I hope they don't take it away from us because there are people who really wouldn't get any books if it weren't for the bookmobile."
The bookmobile's defenders have been heard -- the library association's Executive Director Marilyn Jenkins met with county officials on Friday to discuss a new recommendation from County Controller Dan Onorato, who is now supporting bookmobile funding.
"That's a positive development, and we're certainly supportive of his recommendation," Jenkins said.
Gladys Maharam, deputy director of Carnegie Library, said she believes there will be a reconfiguration of bookmobile services in the coming year.
"Personally, I see a way out, but what it will be, I'm not sure," she said. "We're all working together: The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is working with the Allegheny County Library Association, RAD and county officials to resolve this. I don't think one group can do it on it's own. ...
"I think taking it away without notice to the community would really be a disservice to library users throughout the county."
Jill Cueni-Cohen is a free-lance writer.
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