New Great Southern Bookmobile Unveiling Held at Parker Road Elementary

St. Louis County Library and Great Southern Bank will unveil a new bookmobile on Monday, February 10 at 10:00 a.m. at Parker Road Elementary in the   Ferguson-Florissant School District, located at 2800 Parker Rd, Florissant, MO 63033. To celebrate the new bookmobile, representatives from Great Southern and SLCL will hold an assembly at Parker Road Elementary, with an appearance by the children’s book character Curious George, followed by an opportunity for students to explore the new bookmobile. 

Kristen Sorth, St. Louis County Library Director & CEO said, “School bookmobile service is deeply and fondly engrained in the memories of so many in our community. For many students, the bookmobile may be the only contact they have with the St. Louis County Library. The new Great Southern bookmobile will help eliminate barriers to service and open up a world of discovery and enjoyment for students.”

 Great Southern Bank St. Louis Market President Brian Davies commented, “Great Southern Bank takes great pride in the active role we play in St. Louis, and we are particularly proud of the partnership we’ve had with the St. Louis County Library for many years. Education and Community Development are pillars of our giving philosophy, and we are thrilled to invest in the Library’s bookmobile service, which we believe will have a positive, lifelong impact on the young people it will serve.”    

The new Great Southern 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 wi-fi access in areas where the bookmobile will visit. 

Great Southern Bank donated $150,000 to sponsor the new bookmobile in support of the effort to replace the current St. Louis County Library bookmobile fleet. In addition to Great Southern Bank, the St. Louis Cardinals, Emerson, and the James S. McDonnell Family Foundation have all made donations to sponsor new bookmobiles, which will be unveiled in 2025. 

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. 

Media inquiries should be directed to Jennifer McBride, Assistant Director, Communications at 314-994-3300 ext 2250 or jmcbride@slcl.org.