Now that's a bookmobile! Google’s drone delivery service Wing will now bring books to children in Virginia to make up for school library closures due to COVID-19

  • Christiansburg, Virginia students can now order library books for drone delivery
  • Google's Wing drone delivery service has partnered with the local school library
  • Students submit requests for the books they want through a Google Form
  • Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

Google's new drone delivery service Wing will help bring library books to school children in Christiansburg, Virginia to help make up for the city's library closures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new initiative is being overseen by Kelly Passek, a librarian for Montgomery County Public Schools, who first pitched the idea to Wing.

Students in Christiansburg can submit a request for books in the school district's library system and Passek will pull the book from the stacks and send it out in one of Wing's custom delivery containers.

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Google's Wing drone delivery service will now bring library books to school children in Christiansburg, Virginia

Google's Wing drone delivery service will now bring library books to school children in Christiansburg, Virginia

'I think kids are going to be just thrilled to learn that they are going to be the first in the world to receive a library book by drone,' Passek told The Washington Post.

Passek initially got the idea after wondering about how the 600-plus students in the school district were fairing after the county closed school campuses and libraries.

Passek was a Wing customer and periodically used the service, which operates with Walgreen's, and a number of other local businesses and restaurants to make home deliveries.

The idea appealed to Keith Heyde, who runs Wing's Virginia program, in large part because his mother had worked as a librarian when he was growing up.

Wing launched its drone delivery program in Christiansnburg in 2019, the first of its kind in the US, with approval to deliver pharmaceuticals, groceries, take out orders from restaurants, and other small household items.

Students can request a particular titie through a Google Form, and a librarian will pull the book from the stacks and load it into one of Wing's parcels for delivery

Students can request a particular titie through a Google Form, and a librarian will pull the book from the stacks and load it into one of Wing's parcels for delivery

Wing's Keith Heyde was enthusiastic about the program in part because his own mother had been a librarian

Wing's Keith Heyde was enthusiastic about the program in part because his own mother had been a librarian

Librarian Kelly Passek of Montgomery County Public Schools first pitched the idea to Wing after worrying the 600-plus students that once used her library might be falling behind without access to books

Librarian Kelly Passek of Montgomery County Public Schools first pitched the idea to Wing after worrying the 600-plus students that once used her library might be falling behind without access to books

The delivery service has become a staple for many town residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the company reporting an average of more than 1,000 deliveries every two weeks in the city.

Christiansburg's schools are scheduled to remain closed at least until the fall semester, and Passek hopes that even those students who aren't big readers could be inspired to check out a book just for the novelty of getting one by drone.

'I’m hoping that we get our students that are already readers and students who are thinking its going to be really excellent to get books delivered by drone,' Passek said.

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Google's drone delivery service Wing brings books to children in areas where libraries are closed
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