Booth Library has started to go on the move this semester in an effort to bring more knowledge and awareness of some of the resources the library has to offer students.

The new mobile library will be available once a week from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. outside of the food court in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

This location was chosen because it is an area frequented by students throughout the day.

To make sure to mobile library is helping students equally, it will be open on alternating days Monday through Thursday.

Bradley Tolppanen, the head of circulation services at Booth Library, said the mobile library was added to help students, faculty and staff who do not have time to visit the library.

“We heard about the mobile library from other librarians who were doing it at their libraries and were having success with it,” Tolppanen said. “We thought it was something that might appeal to our students.”

The mobile library is set up with a selection of books, magazines and DVDs for students and faculty to browse and checkout.

“We try to have a mix of academic and recreational materials, as well as materials recently added to the library collection,” Tolppanen said. “Many students are surprised by the variety of materials in the library, such as graphic novels or recreational reading.”

Janice Derr, a business librarian at Booth library, said students and faculty can not only browse through the selection of books, but they can also receive information about different library sources.

“It’s been a successful outreach tool, providing information to students about the library and making them aware of the wide range of information resources we have in the library collection,” Derr said. “We also thought the students and other patrons might enjoy having something to read while they were eating lunch in the food court or relaxing in the Union.”

Tolppanen said some people on campus may not be fully aware of all the information the library has to offer and the mobile library will help offer information and convenience to both Eastern students and faculty.

The mobile library will also take place on Nov. 3rd, Nov. 11, Nov. 17, Nov. 30, Dec. 9 and Dec. 15.

Luis Martinez can be reached at 581-2812 or lpmartinez@eiu.edu