The RHPL Book Bike

The Book Bike at Wet and Wild Wednesdays at the Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm

Here at RHPL, we offer outreach in many forms. One unique way is through the use of the Book Peddler. The tricycle-style bike was purchased and put into commission in 2017, with its inaugural outing taking place in April that year. The bike manufactured by Main-Street Pedicabs in Broomfield, Colorado, is equipped with battery assist, which comes in pretty handy when riders are traversing the many hills in our community, especially when we are carrying books and other supplies on board.  Additionally, it features a speedometer and numerous gears, and a 3 x 3-foot wooden and metal box that holds our supplies and lots and lots of great books! It’s quite fun to ride - almost like driving a miniature truck that requires maneuvering through narrow areas and making wide turns. Plus, it’s great exercise!

The Book Bike at Halloween Fest

In spring, summer, and fall, you may have seen us out and about in the community participating in various events, including: Downtown Sidewalk Sales, Halloween Fest, Festival of the Hills, Pedal the Past in partnership with the Van Hoosen Museum, Rochester Farmer’s Market, various local school activities, and Wet and Wild at the Van Hoosen Museum. This year, we are excited to be able to add Paint Creek Center for the Arts-Art and Apples Festival to the list!  Most of the events we attend with the Book Peddler are within a three-mile radius of the RHPL.

During some of the events we attend, visitors with a current RHPL library card in good standing are able to check out books when we are able to bring them along. For Rochester, Rochester Hills, and Oakland Township residents without a library card, we can register you on the spot with your current State of Michigan driver’s license or state identification using a laptop and hotspot that remotes into our library system. Other times, when we are unable to bring books along, we often hand out swag, which helps us spread library awareness and promote reading literacy. 

The selection available to check out at the Farmer's Market

For staff members, working with the Book Peddler provides a unique and exceptional way to bring books into the community, to interact with people who may not normally come into the library, and to help the library fulfill its mission to empower people to explore and create with resources that enlighten, educate, entertain, and inform. If you see us traveling through the community, give us a wave, a honk, or stop by and say hello. We’d love to chat with you about the Rochester Hills Library and all it has to offer!

Today's post was written by Connie Firestine, Librarian at Rochester Hills Public Library.