ANSONIA – City officials said now might not be the right time to fund an innovative “bookmobile” for Ansonia Library.
Last year Griffin Hospital donated a Winnebago RV to the library. The vehicle had been used previously as the hospital’s “Mobile Resource Center” and would travel to places like senior centers for blood-pressure screenings and the like.
The staff at Ansonia Library have been planning to refurbish the Winnebago into a bookmobile – a traveling library that would expand outreach into Ansonia’s neighborhoods.
The stumbling block – getting the money needed to convert the vehicle.
At a budget meeting March 24, Ansonia Library Director Jennifer Lester explained her department’s request to the Board of Apportionment and Taxation (tax board) and to members of the Board of Aldermen’s finance subcommittee.
Lester said the bookmobile would be used to increase the library’s presence at city events such as the annual harvest festival, and for programs throughout the city.
The budget request was broken down into five parts, totaling $95,708. Those parts were:
$10,000 for operational costs (fuel, maintenance, repairs, insurance, parking fees)
$40,000 for customization (interior shelving and design, ADA accessibility features, branding and signage)
$27,208 for staffing (salaries and training costs for two part-time drivers)
$15,000 for new books, electronics, and PA system, and
$3,500 for programming costs (event/activity supplies, guest speakers/performers, marketing and promotion)
Lester said the costs were difficult to estimate, because there aren’t many existing projects to compare it to. Children’s Librarian Jennifer Shuart said there are currently only five other libraries in the state with bookmobiles.
However, tax board chairman Gary Cassetti said the uncertain numbers in the request made it difficult for him to support. He said the request also comes in at the wrong time.
“I know you tried to put this together, but this is just, timing-wise, not something that goes over too well with the uncertainty,” Cassetti said. “I think it’s a good concept. I’m not knocking the idea, but that’s my concern with it. Adding another $96,000 to the budget is not something that we’d look to do.”
Lester said the vehicle is currently set up for medical use. She said there isn’t much the library can do with it in its current state.
“It’s not really set up for what we would need it for. It was set up originally for Griffin Hospital, and they would check blood pressures or give out vaccines, or things of that nature. So it’s not really set up for library usage,” Lester said.
Budget director Kurt Miller suggested the city could look for grants for the one-time expenses in the request, instead of funding it outright.
No action was taken on the request during the meeting. It could come up again in upcoming budget meetings on March 31 or April 7.
Mayor David Cassetti, in his initial proposed budget, declined to fund the library’s request for the bookmobile. However, he asked the tax board to talk with the library directly and see if something could be worked out, according to comments made during the meeting.
The City of West Haven has a bookmobile, according to this report published on the Connecticut State Library’s website. The report noted the vehicle was used to bring library services to homebound residents.
“The bookmobile van is stocked with books, a mobile hotspot, promotional materials, and other library supplies. This provides an opportunity to bring library offerings – including book checkout, library card sign-ups, and mobile programming – directly to schools and other community organizations,” the report states.
The next Ansonia budget meeting scheduled for March 31 will likely focus on the school board’s budget request, which carries a 5.3 percent spending increase. You can access that meeting by going to the city website, clicking the “Meetings” tab, and clicking the Zoom link for the appropriate meeting.