91´«Ã½

CHICAGO – On Wednesday, April 13, communities across America will celebrate the 2nd annual National Bookmobile Day @ your library, honoring the more than 930 bookmobiles and dedicated bookmobile staff that provide vital library services to their communities.

Celebrated in conjunction with National Library Week (April 10 – 16), National Bookmobile Day is an opportunity for bookmobile fans to make their support known — through thanking bookmobile staff, writing a letter or email to their libraries or voicing their support to community leaders.

In times of economic hardship, Americans turn to – and depend on – their libraries and librarians. Bookmobiles insure that during this critical need for library services and everyone has access, offering almost every service that patrons find in library branches, including readers advisory services, preschool story hours, computers, classes and programs.

“Bookmobiles go where library branches can’t,” said 91´«Ã½ President Roberta Stevens. “Today, libraries are being asked to do more with less, and mobile services are often among the first areas to be eliminated. Unfortunately, that translates into lost opportunities for people to connect with libraries. When you support bookmobiles, you open a world of learning, inspiration and entertainment.”

Bookmobiles are particularly important service for small communities that are geographically isolated. Patrons at many bookmobile stops include families, disabled adults, senior citizens, people with health issues and people who do not drive. In addition to neighborhood stops, bookmobiles also serve day care centers, elementary and high schools, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, hospitals and individual residences for home delivery.

Audrey Niffenegger, library supporter and acclaimed author of “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” “Her Fearful Symmetry” and the illustrated novel “The Night Bookmobile,” has lent her support to America’s bookmobiles as the 2011 Honorary Chair of National Bookmobile Day.

Held on the Wednesday of National Library Week since 2010, National Bookmobile Day recognizes and celebrates the role of bookmobiles and direct-delivery outreach services in fulfilling the mission of libraries. National Bookmobile Day is sponsored by the 91´«Ã½’s (91´«Ã½) Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS), the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services (ABOS), and the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL).

To learn more about National Bookmobile Day or find out about events at your local library, please visit . For more information contact Macey Morales or Jennifer Petersen at (312) 280-4393 / 5043, mmorales@ala.org / jpetersen@ala.org.