New Emerson Bookmobile Unveiling Held at Buder Elementary
St. Louis County Library and Emerson will unveil a new bookmobile on Wednesday, January 29 at 10:00 a.m. at Buder Elementary in the Ritenour School District, located at 10350 Baltimore Ave., St. Ann, MO 63074. To celebrate the new bookmobile, representatives from Emerson and SLCL will participate in a school assembly at Buder Elementary, with an appearance by the children’s book character Splat the Cat, followed by an opportunity for students to explore the new bookmobile.
“Emerson has been a longtime supporter of the Library,” said Kristen Sorth, St. Louis County Library Director & CEO. “Their investment in literacy through physical spaces, such as the Emerson Teen Space at Natural Bridge and the Emerson Discovery Zone at Florissant Valley along with programmatic support, such as the Storytelling Festival, has made a real impact on our community. Sponsoring a new bookmobile will continue that legacy, and will help open up a world of discovery and enjoyment for students for years to come.”
“Emerson has a longstanding commitment to promoting education in the St. Louis region, and we recognize the importance of fostering literacy throughout our community,” said Akberet Boykin Farr, vice president of human resources at Emerson. “By supporting the new bookmobile, we aim to enhance access to resources and opportunities for young learners so that knowledge and inspiration are within reach for every student served by the St. Louis County Library.”
The new Emerson bookmobile holds a collection of approximately 5,000 items featuring a diverse range of authors, genres and age levels. The vehicle includes an accessible lift for ADA access, ensuring all patrons can access the bookmobile safely. The interior has removable seating for visitors, two staff stations where kids can check out books or ask questions, and multiple skylights to provide abundant natural light. Also included is a 21-foot awning to provide shade and shelter for outdoor access and activities as well as a cradlepoint router to provide extended WiFi access in areas where the bookmobile will visit.
Emerson donated $200,000 to sponsor the new bookmobile in support of the effort to replace the current St. Louis County Library bookmobile fleet. In addition to Emerson, Cardinals Care, Great Southern Bank and the James S. McDonnell Family Foundation have all made donations to sponsor new bookmobiles.
SLCL’s Bookmobile & Mobile Services operates four school bookmobiles that visit more than 50 public and private schools throughout 11 school districts in St. Louis County. In 2024 school bookmobiles checked out 300,914 items to students and issued over 8,200 new library cards. Bookmobiles made 573 visits to schools and provided service to 212,598 children. Each year there is an increase in the number of school districts and sites requesting bookmobile service, as it is a reliable and engaging way to enhance literacy initiatives.
SLCL has been using bookmobiles since 1947. These mobile libraries eliminate many barriers to service and open up a world of discovery and enjoyment for area students. For many young people in St. Louis County, the bookmobile is the only contact they have with the Library. SLCL’s current bookmobile fleet is aging and in need of replacement and for this reason, SLCL has made school bookmobile replacement a major priority to ensure the Library District can continue providing equitable services to students in St. Louis County.
To learn more about mobile services at St. Louis County Library, please visit https://www.slcl.org/content/bookmobile-mobile-services.
Media inquiries should be directed to Jennifer McBride, Assistant Director, Communications at 314-994-3300 ext 2250 or jmcbride@slcl.org.