“The wheels on the Imagination Station go round and round…”
A new mobile library experience made its debut during Tulsa City-County Library’s 2014 children’s summer reading program. The “Imagination Station,” funded by the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation, is a 25-foot-long vehicle with the latest in digital book technology. Patterned after the successful Penguin Book Truck, the mobile collection features approximately 1,000 items for all ages. Library cardholders can access and download digital content from the library’s collection in an area set up with Café tables, chairs and iPads. The collection will rotate to complement specific events and festivals.
Since it hit the road, Tulsa City-County Library’s Outreach Services Department has taken the vehicle to local music festivals, community events and Farmer’s Markets.
“People have been surprised to see the library in places they’re not used to seeing us,” said Tracy Warren, Outreach Services manager. “Unlike the Bookmobile and Reading Roadshow, which require people to actually enter, the Imagination Station provides immediate browsing and access to books and electronic devices. The whole vehicle is a display.”
The name “Imagination Station” was selected through a public naming contest. Library customers voted on their favorite name that reflects the culture and spirit of Tulsa. The name also supports Tulsa City-County Library’s mission: “Libraries Change Lives.”
“From the Imagination Station to the Bookmobile to the delivery of materials to homebound customers, Outreach Services brings the library to the people,” said Warren. “Attending community outreach events provides an opportunity to promote the love of reading as well as share all Tulsa City-County Library has to offer.”
To schedule the Imagination Station for a visit to your next public event, call the Outreach Services Department, 918-549-7480 or email os@tulsalibrary.org.
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