The Buena Vista Branch Library parking lot was filled with excitement on April 14th as the Burbank Public Library officially unveiled its fully equipped bookmobile designed to bring library services beyond traditional walls and directly into neighborhoods across the city.
City leaders, library staff, and community members gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the new mobile library, a project years in the making and made possible through the generosity of the Friends of the Burbank Public Library. Mayor Tamala Takahashi emphasized the deeper purpose behind the initiative, highlighting how the bookmobile expands the role of libraries as community anchors.
“Libraries are the places of learning and opportunity and also for connection and community, and today, we’re expanding that mission in a very special way by taking our static libraries and moving it into our neighborhoods,” said Takahashi. “The bookmobile is a mobile gateway to connection. It brings books, technology, library services, directly to our neighborhoods, our schools, our senior centers and community events. It’s also a place where people can come together, share stories and connect with one another.”
The new vehicle is more than just a library on wheels, it’s designed to serve as a welcoming space for literacy, imagination, and accessibility. Inside, visitors will find a curated collection of books for all ages, along with access to technology and helpful library services.
For Mayor Takahashi, the bookmobile also represents the creation of “third spaces,” places outside of home and work where people can gather, learn, and connect.
“Our bookmobile will deliver that same one-on-one support and connection we find in our actual buildings,” Takahashi added. “It will reach families, students, seniors, anyone who may not be able to visit in person. And this project strengthens our community, promotes literacy and reflects our city’s commitment to education, accessibility for all. And one of the big things for me too, is third spaces, and this library mobile, bookmobile, wherever it goes, it creates a third space. So today we’re cutting a ribbon. It represents opening our doors to learning, imagination and opportunity.”
Leading the ceremony was Burbank Library Services Director Eric Lashley, who shared how the new bookmobile will expand outreach efforts across the city. “Starting this May it will begin reaching families and residents who may not be able to visit the library in person,” said Lashley. “We can’t wait for everyone to explore it.”
Residents will be able to check out books directly from the bookmobile and return them either to any Burbank library location or to the bookmobile during a future visit, making access to reading materials more flexible and convenient than ever before.
The bookmobile was made possible by a $300,000 gift from the Friends of the Burbank Public Library, a volunteer-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the library’s programs and services. Since its founding in 1980, the group has raised more than $2.7 million through memberships, used book sales, donations, and community fundraising efforts.
The Friends organization plays an essential role in enhancing library services, providing funding for programs for all ages, expanding the eLibrary collection, supporting special projects, and helping make beloved initiatives like summer reading programs possible.
The community will get its first official look inside the new bookmobile during its debut appearance at Burbank’s second annual Earth Day Celebration, taking place Saturday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at McCambridge Park.
