Dane County Executive Parisi Cuts Ribbon for New “Dode” Bookmobile
April 06, 2017
Josh Wescott 608-266-4114
Today Dane County Executive Joe Parisi, the Dane County Library Service and the Library Commission cut the ribbon for the new Bookmobile which honors the memory of Darold “Dode” Lowe, long time County Board Supervisor and Library Board Trustee. The new Dode bookmobile will begin its route by April 24.
“Dode was an unwavering public servant, an inspirational leader and a friend,” said Dane County Executive Joe Parisi. “This bookmobile will remind our community for years to come of Dode’s commitment to all who call our community home.”
“In Dode’s spirit, this new vehicle offers improved service to Dane County patrons who do not have libraries in their communities,” Parisi said. Designed with these patrons in mind, the new bus offers improved stability, upgraded stair access, enhanced seating, more shelving, and modernized lighting.
The Bookmobile serves as a casual meet-and-greet space in many communities and this new vehicle offers much more space for patrons to do so. The layout of the interior offers better flow for patrons entering and exiting the vehicle, making book return and check out a more pleasurable experience. The exterior artwork, created by Angela Richardson, was the result of staff workshops and Bookmobile stop visits. Through the “map” of Dane County, punctuated by library “stops,” the Capitol, and four mini-Bookmobiles on the “road,” residents will discover that this is a Bookmobile for everyone, to be explored inside and out.
The Dane County Library circulated 60,000 items to patrons in 2016. The Bookmobile serves the following communities: Shorewood Hills, Dane, Paoli, Mount Vernon, Blue Mounds, Cottage Grove, Owl Creek, Waubesa Heights, Brooklyn, Bristol, Morrisonville, Windsor, Westport, Roxbury, Martinsville, and Springfield.
Dode was a member of the Dane County Board from 1994 to 2004 representing the old District 3 on the East Side of the City of Madison, which Dode often referred to as “the East Side, the only side, the best side.” Dode was an active member of the Library Board for over twelve years, six as a supervisor and six as a citizen member. Dode’s service on both the County Board and Library Board were just a few of the many ways Dode made our community a better place and improved the lives of families throughout Dane County. Dode’s service on the Library Board was particularly important to him. He strongly believed in the importance of reading books both for education and the places they can take us, enjoyed walking to the library both for the journey and the destination, and believed libraries, both stationary and portable, are an important part of our community.
Dode felt the bookmobile was of vital importance for its role in bringing books to outlying communities where books may not be as accessible as they were to Dode and his family on Madison’s East Side. Accessibility to the resources provided by the bookmobile was just one of Dode’s approaches to working for social justice and equity.