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Dallas Public Library hopes 'bookbike' is just the first of fleet to soft-pedal literacy

A librarian at the downtown branch and an avid cyclist, initially proposed the idea of creating a bookbike for Dallas after reading about their success in cities like Boston, Los Angeles and Boulder, Colorado.

The Dallas Public Library is teaming up with a Deep Ellum bike shop to improve literacy in the city and serve residents who may not otherwise have access to library services.

The goal of the project is to produce Dallas' first "bookbike," a customizable library in the form of a small trailer that can be attached to any bicycle.

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Librarians can tailor the bookbike's offerings to the audience they're going to visit — children's books for elementary schools, large-print books for senior centers — and check out books wherever they set up.

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The bookbike will also be equipped with a Wi-Fi hotspot, which will enable librarians to sign up residents for library cards.

Mark Draz, a librarian at the downtown branch and an avid cyclist, initially proposed the idea of creating a bookbike for Dallas after reading about successes in Boston, Los Angeles and Boulder, Colo.

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Mark Draz, a city librarian and avid cyclist, first proposed bringing the bookbike service...
Mark Draz, a city librarian and avid cyclist, first proposed bringing the bookbike service to Dallas.((Ben Torres / Special Contributor))

"It's basically the two things in life that I'm most passionate about," Draz said. "It was kind of a no-brainer. They're the perfect fit of what I'm passionate about and the direction the library is going: trying to get outside of the library and build new relationships with people."

Draz said he got in touch with Kristie Holt, co-owner of Local Hub Bicycle Co., whom he met through the Texas Bike Coalition, to bring a bookbike to Dallas.

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"Growing up, bikes and libraries played a big role in my childhood," Holt said. "I had easy access to a local library, and it was a good way to get outside of my world and explore. There aren't a lot of kids that are exposed to that today. So, this is a great opportunity to intersect my passions and work with the community."

Because Local Hub has an in-house mechanic, Draz and Holt decided to save money by ordering only the blueprints for the bookbike from Street Smart, a Boston-based bike trailer company, and building it themselves.

They started an Indiegogo campaign in early October to raise the $2,500 needed to cover the plans, parts and labor needed to make the trailer, built by Local Hub service manager John Kendall.

They raised about $1,500, enough to buy the plans and get started on the chassis and hitch for the trailer.

The Dallas Public Library and Local Hub are still seeking donations to reach their goal, but Draz said Bike Friendly Oak Cliff, a nonprofit bike advocacy group, has joined in on the project and promised to help make the bookbike a reality.

Jo Giudice, the director of the Dallas Public Library, said she envisions the bookbike project as a literacy and outreach opportunity for the library and hopes to spread the word about some of the other resources the library offers, like free Lynda online training courses and GED and English as a second language classes.

"I'm really excited about it. I think it's brilliant and will get us closer to people," Giudice said. "There's a lot of good stuff going on at the library, and people don't know about it. That's what I hope the bookbike will help us with."

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Draz and Holt said the first bookbike should be ready to roll by spring. They hope they have the opportunity to continuously add to Dallas' bookbike fleet.

"If there's a common theme between books and bikes, it's that they're all about self-reliance and personal freedom," Draz said. "On a bike, you're the engine moving yourself forward. It's similar with libraries providing knowledge to empower oneself."
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/2017/01/07/dallas-public-library-hopes-bookbike-is-just-the-first-of-fleet-to-soft-pedal-literacy/
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