How a Bookmobile Delivers More Than Mere Media

In the past 6 months since I started working in the library outreach department, I had built a rapport with one of the clients at one of my monthly stops through her interest in history. "Colleen" has difficulty speaking. She has a soft voice to begin with, she mumbles as though she has difficulty forming words, and she has a hard time remembering which words she needs to use to complete her sentences sometimes. She may be beginning to exhibit some form of dementia or Alzheimer's, but she still retains a curious mind.

She has moved from one facility to another, this new location covering a range of clients from largely independent to severely disabled. Since I visit both the previous and current facilities, I was able to maintain our routine consisting of bringing a stack of books on ancient Greece, Egypt, and the Middle East so she can choose the books that interest her. I also try to bring a couple books on archaeology in general or other ancient cultures, and while this is hit-and-miss, she clearly enjoys the effort I put into bringing her a special selection to look through.

Today, she opened up a bit more when I asked what she wanted next, and flipped open a book she had borrowed last month to point to a section on the subject she wanted me to bring for her next time. She has seemed to get a bit more relaxed as she has gotten to know me, and she brightened up considerably when I was able to confirm I had interpreted her request correctly. Her communication difficulty is no doubt frustrating, so she was incredibly pleased to have made this breakthrough.

However, that was just the beginning.

The facility activity director, "Barbara," was looking through the CD collection I had brought. I had tried to choose a variety of music from the 40s through the 60s, including country, swing, rock and roll, classic pop (e.g. Sinatra) and classical music. As she was flipping through the selection, she began commenting on the artists, and asked Colleen whether she remembered any of these bands. Colleen nodded an affirmative, and Barbara began singing the opening lines of some of the songs on some of the albums. Colleen brightened up even more upon hearing familiar sounds, and she transformed visibly as fond memories were triggered through the music. This was Barbara's main cue that the CD in question belonged in the checkout stack.

These little things— someone bringing books that pique her interest, and hearing some familiar songs—were all it took to brighten her afternoon. It's little moments like this that make library work rewarding. It's just as much fun as helping a grade-schooler discover the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, or the Chronicles of Narnia for the first time.

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