Bookmobile Hits the Road!

The new bookmobile is on the road! Due to the generosity of our community and continued fundraising efforts over the past three years, Marshall Public Library’s bookmobile is officially launching on Tuesday, October 11, at 6 p.m.

In the midst of celebrating 100 years of public library service in Pocatello in 2007, a survey was mailed out to community members asking them what service they would like to see at the library to kick off the next 100 years. An astounding 82% of those surveyed chose a bookmobile. Although the staff and community were excited about having a bookmobile, the Library didn’t have enough money in the budget to fund the $150,000 project. In stepped community leaders like Vicky Mainzer, Jim Fullerton, and the Friends of the Library. And Nickelmania was born.

Nickelmania was based on the idea that contributors would donate a nickel for every birthday they’d celebrated. This allowed everyone to to contribute during an economically difficult time without feeling a financial pinch.


From the donation and installation of the shelves by Dorsey Hill and H. Everett Curzon and the collection jars donated by Heinz Co to the hundreds of schoolchildren who dug deep into their pockets, making the bookmobile a reality has truly been a community effort. Local talent also supported the cause through donation of their work as shown by Steve Eaton and Mike Sanders’ composition of the fundraiser’s theme song and local artist Ryan Roghaar’s creation of the Nickelmania graphic. And of course the entire project would not have been possible without the supreme generosity shown by Success By Six in helping us to secure a bus so our bookmobile would actually be mobile!

And now, after three long years of effort, the bookmobile is ready to take to the streets. Come celebrate our success at the official launch and open house!