The new Wood County District Public Library Bookmobile should be ready to hit the road by early 2010.
A group of library trustees and officials recently spent a day viewing the unit at the Indiana plant
where it is being constructed.
"It’s really coming along. It looks like a bookmobile," Trustee Scott McEwen reported at
Wednesday morning’s board meeting.
Since their visit, the unit has been sent to another facility where it is being outfitted with equipment
to allow the engine to operate on compressed natural gas. When that work is complete it will be sent
back to the main factory for its completion.
Wednesday morning Steve McEwen and Tony Palumbo, who have been working with the library board on the
compressed natural gas part of the project went to Dayton to look at a CNG refueling unit needed at the
library. Scott McEwen said the unit has been rebuilt and would come with a two-year warranty. He said
the group has recently learned of a source of parts for the unit, which are scarce because of high
demand.
Trustee Chet Marcin said there has also been contact with county, city and Bowling Green State University
officials about fleets of vehicles that would use CNG. "With that kind of usage it is hoped that
someone would install a public commercial (CNG) station that would offer refueling in a matter of
minutes," he said.
The bookmobile will replace a unit that is more than 25 years old. Much of the funding comes from a state
library grant that can only be used for a bookmobile. The remainder of the cost is being paid for with a
grant from the Wood County District Public Library Foundation.
The board also:
¥ Agreed to close Dec. 24-27 and Jan. 1-3. Library Director Elaine Paulette said the library would have
been closed Dec. 24, 25, 27 and Jan. 1 and it did not make sense to open the two Saturdays, Dec. 26 and
Jan. 2. "It is typically a very slow time and it will allow us to save heating and personnel
costs," she said.
¥ Learned the November state support check was 22 percent less than November 2008. State support for 11
months of 2009 is 18 percent below the first 11 months of 2008.
¥ Heard that more than 500 people attended the Snow Ball at the library. Many attendees used the event to
purchase books for the Chilrdren’s Place. Additional books remain on display for "purchase."

¥ Learned several items have "disappeared" from the Local History section of the library.
Director of Adult Services Michael Penrod said one of the volumes is a Roster of Ohio Soldiers in the
War of 1812. Also missing are three and 12-volume sets. The items do not circulate outside of the
library.