New bookmobile rolls into Bethlehem

For more than a decade, Mike Henninger has been the face of the Bethlehem Area Public Library’s bookmobile, delivering stories and materials all across the Bethlehem area. After being on hiatus for a year, Henninger is back to doing what he loves most, delivering books and smiles around the community. 

Along with permanent locations on the North Side and South Side, the Bethlehem Area Public Library has offered a mobile book distribution service for borrowers since 1972. 

When the old vehicle broke down in April 2024 after more than 20 years of use, the service was halted. It needed costly repairs, so the library fundraised to purchase and outfit a new one.

After temporarily suspending the service, the bookmobile resumed its route on April 1 with a new vehicle. The bookmobile is now back on track, operating as an additional library branch, allowing community members to browse hundreds of books and other materials at locations convenient to them. 

Josh Berk, the library’s executive director, said the library fundraised more than $165,000 for the new bookmobile throughout a six-month period, with donations coming from nearly 200 individuals and companies including Wind Creek Bethlehem and QNB Bank. 

He said once the funds were raised, the bookmobile was purchased from Used Mobile Clinics, a mobile clinic and bookmobile distributor in Colorado. While the new vehicle arrived in December 2024, it still needed finishing touches before it could begin service. 

These changes included adding bookmobile branding on the exterior, selecting the books and DVDs to store inside, and setting up the technology used to check out and return books on board. 

Henninger said the bookmobile stops in high-traffic areas where residents are less likely to visit the main library branch on the North Side of Bethlehem.

Henninger runs the day-to-day operations of the bookmobile, including selecting the books to carry. He said he loves seeing his regulars stop by the bookmobile and prefers working on the road rather than behind a desk. 

Berk said Henninger knows and cares about the community members who visit the bookmobile. 

“He’s a really good writer and really good communicator with his regulars, and they really appreciate his presence and his knowledge,” Berk said. 

The new bookmobile contains hundreds of books, and Henninger said he selects them based on his patrons’ interests. He said he aims to have the next title in a series, the next recommendation or other books by the same author available when he knows who will be stopping by. 

He said this tailored selection also includes carrying themed cookbooks around the holidays, DVDs that are popular upon release, and a constant supply of literary classics and children’s books. 

“I try to offer a decent mix of genre fiction, mystery, romance, thrillers, and even historical and western fiction have done well at times,” Henninger said. “Then you have those few authors, like David Baldacci, James Patterson and Jodi Picoult, who never seem to wane in popularity.”

He said he also helps determine the bookmobile’s schedule and drives it to each location. 

According to the bookmobile schedule, there are stops in Bethlehem and Hanover Townships and Fountain Hill, which are all areas served by the Bethlehem Area Public Library. Most stops are about a 15-minute drive from the branch. 

Henninger said he chose each location based on its proximity to patrons, and once certain stops gain popularity, they tend to remain on the schedule for years. 

Since the bookmobile operates as an additional library branch, he said items checked out from it can be returned to either the bookmobile or a branch of the Bethlehem Area Public Library. 

He said about half his visitors come to browse what’s on board, while the other half reserves items for pickup. On busy days, there can be around 15 reserve requests from individuals. But patrons can make multiple requests, which he said sometimes totals up to 50 items. 

Henninger said patrons can call or email any branch to request items for bookmobile pickup and retrieve their materials at any stop scheduled for the day. The bookmobile can also be chosen as a pick-up location through the library’s website. 

Bethlehem resident Susan Sefcik said the bookmobile saves time and eliminates the inconvenience of limited downtown parking surrounding the library’s main branch. 

“I usually come (to the bookmobile) once a week,” Sefcik said. “I have three stops that I go to, and they’re all in my neighborhood.” 

She said she has been visiting the bookmobile for 10 years and likes the convenience of picking up books on the go at locations that work best for her.  

Henninger said the efficiency, personalization and hours of the bookmobile have all contributed to its lasting success. 

On Mondays, Tuesdays and some Wednesdays, he keeps the bookmobile out until 7:15 p.m., to allow people more time to pick up their materials after work since the South Side branch often closes at 6 p.m.

He said the locations he stops at have also contributed to the bookmobile’s popularity, with his two busiest stops located at Westgate Mall and the Hanover Township Community Center, next to a supermarket. He said these stops have the highest demand because they’re convenient, allowing people to shop and pick up books in the same place. 

Henninger also said he adds stops at different parts of the year. For example, he added one last summer at Memorial Pool, a public pool in Bethlehem. He said he expects it to see more visitors as summer begins. 

He said air conditioning and an exterior wrap will soon be added, making it more noticeable when parked in busy areas. 

The Bethlehem Area Public Library will be displaying the new bookmobile at its open house on May 10. Those interested can find the bookmobile parked on Church Street outside the main branch during the event, which Berk said will also feature a children’s concert. 

“It’s kind of cool just to help the community in such a direct way,” Henninger said. “It kind of doesn’t get more direct than just bringing the stuff almost to their doorstep in a lot of cases.”