MURRAY L. BOB: 1930 - 2003
Murray L. Bob, Director of the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library system from 1963 to April 2003, introduced bookmobile service to this area in 1965 and supported it fervently for 38 years.  With his enthusiasm for high public library standards and substantiating facts and figures, Mr. Bob successfully inspired funding for continuous service - and four bookmobiles.  Under his supervision and guidance, more than 3,000,000 items have circulated to library users who would otherwise not have had convenient access to public library service. 

THE FUNDING:
Bookmobile operation costs are supported by federal, state and two county funds.  This "Bobmobile" and its automated circulation system were paid for by generous grants from: 

• Ralph G. Sheldon Foundation,Inc.
• Hultquist Foundation
• Gebbie Foundation
• Jessie Smith Darrah Fund

THE SERVICE:
An outreach program of the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System, the Bookmobile provides public library materials and services to area residents who would otherwise have limited access to these valuable community resources.  Designed to meet the needs of all age groups and interests, this "traveling library" carries a wide variety of popular fiction and nonfiction books in hardcover, paperback and large print formats, videos, DVDS, CDS, audio-cassettes and magazines. Bookmobile staff provides reference services, reserves titles and facilitates interlibrary loan requests. On our current year-round, biweekly schedule, we travel approximately 18,000 miles per year to visit 36 locations, including: rural communities without libraries, schools with limited libraries and/or limited access to public libraries, inner-city neighborhoods, housing complexes for the elderly, residential centers for youth, a daycare center and 6 resource center sites. Our more than 5,300 registered borrowers circulated over 57,300 items in 2005.

ONLINE CIRCULATION:
Using Gateway laptop computers, Sirsi software and mobil phone card connections, this bookmobile is equipped for "live" interaction with James Prendergast Library's Sirsi circulation system. While the hilly terrain of our two-county service area currently prevents us from making successful connections at all our stops, we are able to track daily transactions with Sirsi's Standalone option.  

BORROWING PROCEDURES:

• Register for your Bookmobile card on the Bookmobile and bring this card when borrowing.
  
• Let us know if you lose your card. A $.50 fee is charged for a replacement.
  
• Materials are checked out for a two week period. Card and due date slips should be kept in the book pocket.
  
• Over due notices are sent for late material. Let us know immediately if there is a problem.
  
• No fines are charged.
  
• Materials may be returned to any library in the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System.
  
• Books not returned after an overdue notice is sent will be billed to you and your bookmobile privileges will be blocked until your record is cleared, either by returning the books or paying for them. If a book that has been paid for is returned in good condition within six months of the date of payment, a refund will be made.
  
• If you don't see a title you want, ask the librarian at the Checkdout Desk. We will try to get it for you through Interlibrary Loan. There is a $1.00 charge for materials received outside our library system.