Hoping to reach more people, but with a limited budget, the Carnegie-Stout Public Library in Dubuque has started using a bicycle library. Five days a week, a member of the staff pedals the mobile library to different locations in the city, so people can check out books and dvds.
Adult Services Manager, Bill Carroll, says their goal is to bring the library to where people are.
"The bike can hold up to approximately 100 pounds of materials. So depending on the materials we fill the bike with that day, that can be anywhere from 50 to 100 books, if it's children's books."
The bike library began traveling around Dubuque last month, but advertising for the new service didn't begin until July lst.
"In less than one week, we've had over 200 items checked our from the bike library. We've had numerous interactions with members of the community who are very supportive and glad to see the library out and about doing very innovative things."
Carroll says an avid bike rider from the library staff is in charge of the bike library, but it has a small motor to help get up the steep hills in Dubuque.
The mobile library will probably operate through October, then resume touring the city's neighborhoods in the spring.
