Luis Gomez Najera, 6, dashed into the bookmobile in Wheeling on Tuesday, searching for tales about Power Rangers, pirates and, for reasons he couldn’t quite explain, cows.
“Whenever he sees the [bookmobile] he always wants to go,” said his mother, Silvia Najera. “Too many kids don’t go to the library. They see the bookmobile and it’s easier.”
Launched in 2004 by the Indian Trails Public Library District, the bookmobile serves seniors and an increasingly diverse immigrant population as it makes more than 40 stops in Prospect Heights, Buffalo Grove and Wheeling, officials said.
On Tuesday, it made a special stop at the Carniceria Jimenez in Wheeling to honor the Jimenez family, who recently donated $500 toward the bookmobile.
“It’s a way of betterment toward the community,” said Mirabel Jimenez, whose parents started the seven-store grocery chain on Chicago’s South Side. “My father loves to read. If he had the opportunity, he would go out and encourage kids to start reading at a young age because it’s so important for their future.”
Attracting new users is definitely a goal of the bookmobile, which serves immigrants who might be nervous about visiting a library, said Michael Berger, president of the library district’s foundation.
The bookmobile’s 4,000 books, CDs and other items include materials in English, Spanish, Polish, Russian and Korean. Nearly 50,000 bookmobile items were checked out in 2005, up from 29,000 the year before, officials said.
“It has allowed the library to provide services and access to the library for people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to get there,” Berger said.
Library cardholders have access to the library’s entire catalog and can place orders for books, which are delivered during the bookmobile’s next visit, he said.
“We hope it’ll enhance the degree to which people read,” Berger said. “That’s … part of the reading process we hope they never lose, whether they’re in school or not.”
Marlon Gonzalez, who drives the bookmobile part time, said it’s a big attraction, especially in Hispanic neighborhoods.
“They love it,” Gonzalez said. “We’re happy they can take advantage of it. The people we serve don’t drive. They have small kids. Basically anybody can get in here.”
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jfrancisco@tribune.com
