Library to keep its bookmobiles on the road

■ г Library to keep its bookmobiles on flie road By JOE STINEBAKER Houston Chronicle Harris County library officials, under pressure from residents and elected offi¬ cials alike, have decided to keep the coun¬ ty’s two aging bookmobiles. Library Director Catherine S. Ensign said enthusiastic public support and en¬ couragement from members of Harris County Commissioners Court led to the decision to retain the bookmobiles and, perhaps, to try to get new ones. A $50,000 “strategic plan” for the library system designed by Providence Associates of Denton originally suggested abandoning the two bookmobiles in favor of a “Books By Mail” system. But county residents turned out in force to protest the change, Ensign said. As a"^ result, members of Commissioners Court1-' J made it clear they did not think much of the suggestion, and the proposal was dropped from the this week. “We hail's- the focus.;, gri about the ' we ..will ы#.*- Я presented to the county people come to each of •Xwho) were very vocal biles,” Ensign said. “So ;$o operate the bookmo- nty officials were hoping local radio station to orga- jd-raiser this summer that would replace the bookmobiles. Ensign esti- See LIBRARY on Page 33A. Library Continued from Page 25A. mated the cost of replacing the trucks at about $300,000. Earlier requests to Commissioners Court have not yielded the required mon¬ ey. The library system has two book¬ mobiles, an 18-wheel tractor-trailer and a smaller truck the size of a large recreational vehicle. One is nearly 22 years old, Ensign said, and the other is about 17 years old. The trucks travel to shopping cen¬ ters and government facilities around the county, making as many as 25,000 volumes available to resi¬ dents who live relatively far from available library branches. The Books By Mail program, which had been considered as a substitute for the bookmobiles, is a system in which library patrons could call the library and place an order for reading material. The ma¬ terial would be sent to the patrons’ homes through the U.S. Postal Ser¬ vice and could be returned either by mail or in person. Other recommendations being' presented as part of the library’s strategic plan are an increase in fines and fees at the libraries to help pay for a salary increase, a market¬ ing employee and a training em¬ ployee. HotMon CKfoniC \e.,