Extension Services

Muncie Grows

A New Department Forms

Adding A Bookmobile

A Partnership

The Bookmobile's Many Faces

Garfield, An Ambassador for Literacy

A New Purpose

Memories of the Bookmobile

Sources

A group of people with Garfield the cat surrounds the front of the bookmobile. The top front of the bookmobile says, "Take me to your reader."

Jim Davis stands in the doorway of the Garfield bookmobile. Garfield is painted on the side of it reading a book.

Muncie Grows

Brightly-colored postcard of the YMCA building shows a four and a half story brick structure with windows all around. A door is on both sides of the building shown with a small balcony above the door and columns on the sides.

After the new public library building had been dedicated in 1904, the community continued to expand, and the library recognized the need to keep pace with the growth of Muncie as a city and serve constituents who lived too far away from the Main Library. Therefore, early in 1906, MPL established deposit stations in Avondale, Congerville, and Whitely. Within the first year, 4,809 books were circulated from these collections. The service grew over the years and expanded to Longfellow School in Whitely and the Y.M.C.A in 1915 and 1916 respectively.

The Y.M.C.A. as it appeared when Muncie Public Library established a book deposit station in this location in 1916 (Postcard collection, Carnegie Library).

A New Department Forms

By 1921, a separate department called Extension Services was organized under a trained librarian to manage the collections outside of the library. When this happened, new books were purchased and book collections were placed in the city school libraries, 8 township schools, and in the Children’s Home. Also, the library placed a collection in a grocery at Andersonville for the adults of that community.

Muncie Public Library’s Extension Services visits Emerson School circa 1951. Derexa Ammon, who was employed by MPL from 1950-1951 is at the top of the steps. (MPL Archives)

Two women holding books exit the door of Emerson school while another woman holds the door for them. Children are at the bottom of the stairs on either side leaning against or sitting on the railing.

Adding A Bookmobile

The 1920s era car used as MPL's book wagon is filled with books and sits in a park. A group of school-aged children pose in front of the book wagon. One child holds a certificate. Another child in the background is turned towards the books while an adult is at the back of the car.

MPL’s very first book wagon made trips during the summer to the city parks where many of the neighborhood children played (MPL Archives, ca. 1920s).

A group of children wait their turns to view the stereoscope collection. Two children at the front are looking through the stereoscopes while while others hold cards. The open bookwagon is in the background.

The stereoscopes seen in this photograph by W.A. Swift are still in the collection at Carnegie Library (MPL Archives, ca. 1920s).

In 1923, Muncie Public Library purchased a Dodge truck for $1,185 to serve as the library’s first book wagon, aka bookmobile, in order to bring books to more people within Center Township. The truck made weekly trips to the residents of Center Township, and during the summer months, the “Traveling Library” made trips to city parks around Muncie. This book truck ran for 13 years until it was updated in 1937 with a Dodge truck purchased for $817.20. It had a book capacity of 800 volumes.

The 1930s Muncie Public Library book truck sits in the park filled with books. Children are looking through the books with the help of a librarian. On the left, another group stands around a seated librarian.

A group of children from Roosevelt School sit in front of the book truck either looking at the library or reading their books. Three librarians stand next to the book truck on the left.

Like its predecessor, the updated 1937 bookmobile visited city parks (left) as well as schools such as Roosevelt School (right) (MPL Archives, 1937).

A Partnership

On June 1, 1946, Muncie Public Library Extension Services in cooperation with the Ball Memorial Hospital Auxiliary began serving patients of all ages at the hospital with books and periodicals. The Auxiliary furnished the magazine subscriptions while the Hospital helped secure the return of books and magazines when the patient was discharged. Library personnel in this department would visit patients twice a week, offering reading materials to the patients. They would also take requests for books from the patients.

Two women carrying books and magazines deliver materials to bedridden patients. One of the women is handing a book to the patient in the bed.

A bedridden patient selects a book from a librarian holding a couple of options. Another librarian stands behind a book cart filled with books showing options to another standing patient at the hospital.

Extension Service passes out materials to patients convalescing at the hospital. Vera Boyer (center), head of Extension Services from 1947-1960, can be seen in both images. (MPL Archives)

The Bookmobile's Many Faces

A composite of two pictures; the top photo is the back of the open Extension Services van with Director Leon Jones standing by it. Another man is talking to a child on the other side. A group of women and children wait to get books from the bookmobile. The bottom picture is of two women looking for books in the bookmobile.

Many women and children enjoyed visiting the bookmobile as it made its rounds throughout the community in the 1950s (MPL Archives).

A man unloads the back of the MPL Extension Services van while a woman stands in the van with books in her hand. Another woman stands at the other side of the man holding books. A third woman extends the driver's door carrying books. The van is in front of the brick of the Webb Hunt Library.

MPL staff load up the bookmobile at the new Webb Hunt Branch Library, which opened in 1960 (MPL Archives, photograph by Ruth Chin).

In 1952, the bookmobile was again updated with a pale yellow truck that resembled a laundry wagon and could hold 1,000 books. It ran until 1961, and it, in turn, was replaced with a new gold, white, and brown vehicle that ran until 1972. Along with a new bookmobile, Extension Services saw other changes in the 1960s. A new branch library was in the works on the northside of Muncie to be named Kennedy Library Branch after the assassination of President Kennedy in November 1963. Due to space needs, the library board and then Director Leon Jones decided to house Extension Services and the bookmobile at the new location, which opened in November 1964. Also, in 1966, Extension Services began to phase out service to schools with the hope that schools would develop more classroom collections or have a school library on site specifically for the children’s reading needs and educational purposes. The library instead wanted to focus on developing its branch system and bookmobile service.

Three women holding books stand in a line by the bookmobile door.

Martha McKinley (right), head of the Extension department, with the help of Pat (Kelsey) Brooks and Janet (Kimbrough) Strach load the brand new bookmobile with books in 1961. (MPL Archives)

A man kneels down looking at a service map for the bookmobile. Two women hold the map. The library bookmobile is in the background.

Joanne Burney (center) shows Stanley Schull and Carol Rutledge a chart of bookmobile stops in 1970. During the past year, the bookmobile had circulated around 60,000 books to library patrons. (MPL Archives)

The bookmobile of the 70s was very patriotic with its red, white, and blue motif, and this is probably the vehicle that many remember from their childhoods although over the years it as well as its predecessor ended up being painted every color of the rainbow throughout the years! The year 1979 also saw the addition of a new service in this department in cooperation with the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, delivery to shut-ins within the township. A talking book service for those with physical disabilities was added soon after.

A bookmobile is parked outside of the open garage at Kennedy Library on the back east side of the building. The side of the bookmobile reads, "Books, Muncie Public Library." A smaller, color photo of this bookmobile is inset within this picture. The bookmobile is orange with yellow and white lettering. Director Arthur Meyers stands by the driver's side.

The bookmobile of the 1980s, housed at Kennedy Library, was a bright orange color and very visible on the streets (MPL Archives).

A customer looks through and selects books from the bookmobile. The drivers are seated in the background.

A patron peruses the selection in the bookmobile. Stanley Schull, aka the Bookmobile Man, and Joanne Burney can be seen in the background. (MPL Archives, n.d.)

Garfield, An Ambassador for Literacy

Illustration of a covered bookmobile with Garfield and books on the side zooming down the street; printed words are "Libraries -- A Moving Experience." Printed on yellow paper.

Program for the Garfield bookmobile unveiling (MPL Archives, 04-23-1994)

Inside of program has list of scheduled and ongoing activities for the unveiling of the Garfield bookmobile. Illustration of Garfield and book on the invitation, printed on yellow paper.

Program for the Garfield bookmobile unveiling on April 23, 1994; it states that this one was “the world’s only Garfield Bookmobile.” It may have been the first, but more quickly followed in states such as Florida, Kentucky, and Maryland. (MPL Archives)

Community members took a look around the new bookmobile both inside and out at the Muncie Mall (MPL Archives, 04-23-1994).

The 1980s saw the rise of a local celebrity, Garfield the cat! Created by Jim Davis, the lazy, lasagna-loving feline made his debut on January 24, 1978 and quickly won the hearts of many. As a result, libraries utilized Garfield as an ambassador for literacy, and his image began to grace the sides of bookmobiles starting in 1994, including Muncie Public Library’s! This was MPL’s very last bookmobile, and it was unveiled on April 23, 1994 at the Muncie Mall. It served the Muncie community as a bookmobile until 1997.

The Garfield bookmobile sits in a parking lot waiting for people to enter it. The front of the bookmobile says, "Take Me To Your Reader."

An elderly woman in a wheelchair is using the elevator to get out of the bookmobile. Lynne King stands to the woman's left while Garfield stands to the woman's right.

One of the highlights of the new bookmobile was the fact that it had an elevator so that those in wheelchairs could access the vehicle. Here, Lynne King demonstrated how to use it at the unveiling with Garfield in the background. (MPL Archives, 04-23-1994)

Children look through the new Garfield bookmobile.

The interior of the Garfield bookmobile (MPL Archives, n.d.)

A New Purpose

During the 1990s, digital technology within libraries was really starting to gain ground, and MPL wanted to be sure to stay ahead with new developments in this year. Then Assistant Director John Drumm had a very novel idea to bring technology beyond the library out into the community through the use of a Cybermobile! Embracing this concept, MPL redesigned the bookmobile in 1998 into a mobile computer lab with six stations that traveled around Muncie offering computer and Internet classes to interested groups. The concept was so innovative that the Cybermobile attended the ALA conference in Washington D.C. that year in July before it was unveiled to the Muncie community on October 10, 1998. The Cybermobile ran for the next 4-5 years, retiring in 2002-2003 due to dwindling usage. When Hurricane Katrina hit the southern coast of the United States, a number of libraries were completely destroyed. MPL, wanting to help, loaded the Cybermobile up with books and school supplies donated from various organizations and sent it to Grand Isle, Louisiana, where presumably it still resides today.

To learn more about the Cybermobile, click on this link.

Memories of the Bookmobile

Many people in Muncie remember the bookmobiles and the excitement of seeing it parked ready to greet the neighborhood! Dixie Van Camp, one of our former employees here at the library, recently shared some fond memories she had of the bookmobile service and what it meant to her family. Do you have any favorite memories of the bookmobile? Tell us what it meant to you by using the form linked here.

Dixie Van Camp, former Muncie Public Library employee, talks about her cherished memories of the library's bookmobile (MPL Archives, 07-10-2023).

Sources

Boyd, Oseye T. (11-25-2005). “Help for Hurricane Victims on Way Via Bookmobile.” Star Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

Davis, Jim. Garfield at 25: In Dog Years I’d Be Dead. New York: Ballantine Publishing Group, 2002.

Bouton, Barbara. (03-23-1980). “Muncie Public Library Undergoing Transition.” Muncie Star. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

"Five Resign at Library." (09-12-1951). Muncie Evening Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

Frederick, Kathryn. (10-22-1985). “Volunteers Help Library Reach Out.” Muncie Star. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

Gibson, Robin. (01-08-1998). “Bookin’ In for a Cyber Overhaul.” Star Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

Gibson, Robin. (09-10-1997). “Bookmobile to be ‘Cybermobile’.” Star Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

Gibson, Robin. (10-06-1998). “On the Road Again: Former Bookmobile Now a Cybermobile.” Star Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

Jones, Leon. Muncie Public LIbrary: 1955-1980. Muncie: Leon Jones, n.d.

Kinsey, Michelle. (04-17-1994). “What a Concept: New Bookmobile to be Unveiled.” Muncie Star. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

"Library Service." (06-16-1983). Muncie Evening Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

MPL Archives. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

“Muncie Cybermobile Goes to Washington.” (07-10-1998). Star Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

Naylor, Lewis C. A History of the Muncie Public Library Muncie, Indiana: Compiled originally from various existing sources by Mrs. Elizabeth Middleton. Muncie: Muncie Public Library, 1955.

"New Bookmobile." (03-25-1952). Muncie Evening Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

"New Library on Wheels Begins Rounds in City." (03-24-1952). Muncie Evening Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

Nilles, Virginia. "From the Director." (Oct. 1997). LibWire, vol. XXVIII, no. 10. MPL Archives. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

Oder, Norman. "How'd You Come Out?" Library Journal (Jun. 1, 2006): 38-42.

"Patriotic Van." (07-10-1972). Muncie Star. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

Sipe, Feryl. Middletown’s Library. Muncie: Muncie Public Library, 1936.

Wilcox, Sue Ellen. (03-27-1979). “New Service Brings Library to Shut-ins.” Muncie Evening Press. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

Winters, Rita. "ALS Victim's Days Again Filled with Words, Music." (12-06-1981). Muncie Star. Carnegie Library. Muncie Public Library.

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