New bookmobile coming to Rio Rancho communities this Saturday

RIO RANCHO, N.M. – Whether you’re playing at a local park or spending time at one of the community centers in Rio Rancho, it won’t be long before you see the bookmobile van pull up to the parking lot.

“It is kinda like the size of a small RV. It is a library on wheels, it will drive all over town. It parks, you get on board, there’s shelves with books and movies and video games and stuff to check out,” said Jason Shoup, City of Rio Rancho’s Library and Information Services director.  

Shoup had his eyes on something like this for the past few years. 

“There are a lot of parts in Rio Rancho that don’t have a physical library close at hand, and they probably won’t for a little while. The idea of having a library on wheels that we can bring to them and bring all over the city, we will get resources in people’s hands and get access to them,” said Shoup. 

The community will be able to enjoy the bookmobile for the first time Saturday at Loma Colorado Library starting at 1 p.m.

While it will be making stops at senior centers, programs like these make a difference for children. According to the New Mexico Public Education Department, only 39% of students K-8th grade and 11th graders are reading at a proficient level.

Shoup says the more books in the hands of children, the better reading scores become. 

“Libraries are a fantastic resource, they bolster our community’s literacy and education, whether it’s for information needs or entertainment or to help kids study for school. The resources we have are so very important,” said Shoup.  

There is a schedule of the bookmobile’s stops on the City of Rio Rancho’s website.