All aboard! Digital Bookmobile rolls into Valley libraries

PHOENIX — The nationally traveling Digital Bookmobile is rolling into the Valley this week.

The bus is stopping by several public libraries in the Phoenix area. Onboard are several interactive workstations to teach public library patrons how to access e-books and audiobooks for free.

“We’ll help patrons set up the Libby app,” said Marissa Gillett, who’s traveling with the Digital Bookmobile. “It’s a free app that you can put on your phone or tablet, or you can use it through the computer. That is how you borrow digital books through the library.”

The Digital Bookmobile was at South Mountain Community Library on Monday and will be at the Phoenix Public Library’s Yucca branch on Tuesday.

It’s also stopping by libraries at several high schools, including Sunnyslope High School on Wednesday, and at several libraries in Peoria and Tucson the following week. A full schedule can be found online.

Geraldine Hills, community relations with Phoenix Public Library, said having the Digital Bookmobile stop by their two libraries helps showcase the digital books they have available at their 17 library branches.

She said residents can get a digital library card online to download books and audiobooks for free.

“It’s definitely a growing part of or collection,” Hills said about digital books. “That doesn’t mean paper books are going away any time soon. But it really is about making sure we have as many available platforms and types of resources for our customers – and this is an extremely popular one.”

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