Meet Blanca Guzman, Outreach Specialist at the wheel of the Readmobile

Meet Blanca Guzman, Learning and Outreach Specialist with the Scott County Library (SCL).  Blanca has worked for SCL for five years.  She focuses on early literacy program development for the seven Scott County Library branches for about half of her time, and the other half she spends with the Readmobile (the “eighth branch” of SCL).   The Readmobile is particularly busy during the summer months.

Blanca drives the Readmobile around the county to public parks, schools, mobile home parks, townhomes, farmer’s markets and other locations where kids and families can pick up information on library services and check out books – everything from picture books to early readers, graphic novels, and books for teens.    The Readmobile is geared toward preschool and elementary school-age kids, but there are materials to check out from birth to 18 years old. During Fall, Winter and Spring the Readmobile serves low-resource kids being dropped off after school, providing books/reading materials and a healthy snack (provided by Matter).

Blanca and a co-worker select the Readmobile’s collection, including the World Language Collection (focused on Spanish, Somali, and Russian languages, plus smaller Hmong and Native American collections).  All materials checked out from the Readmobile have clear and colorful Readmobile labels, so visitors will know which materials they checked out from the Readmobile.

People don’t need a library card to use the Readmobile, but the Readmobile does carry library cards (and has free Wi-Fi).  Blanca and her colleagues use a laptop to get people signed up for library cards on the spot.

Blanca grew up in Shakopee, and many families already know her and feel comfortable with her.  She was a preschool teacher for MiCasa, so she brings six years of experience working with small children in the Latino community.  Blanca also has a double major in Psychology and Sociology, and she recently completed her Master’s Degree in Human Services with a concentration in Child Development.

Blanca’s favorite thing about her job is being out and about spreading the word about all that the library provides.  “It’s so rewarding to reach so many families!”  She loves seeing how happy people are when they learn about the wide variety of services beyond books, like activity packets to take home and computer access in the library branches.  She also enjoys partnering with community organizations such as the Three Rivers Park District.

The Readmobile is a 32-foot vehicle, so she doesn’t need a special license, and she’s figured out the wide turn radius and parking tricks!  People in the community wave and beep at the Readmobile as Blanca drives it around Scott County.

Blanca’s book recommendation:  She a big Magic Treehouse fan, so often recommends that series because she loved it so much.   The libraries and the Readmobile carry the series and English and in Spanish.

For more information about the Scott County Library, visit https://www.scottlib.org

For more information about the more than 100 public libraries in the seven-county Twin Cities metro, visit https://www.melsa.org/member-libraries/

Can’t get to a library branch and aren’t on the Readmobileroute?  Visit your library’s website to find out how to get a library card, then check out ebooks, eAudio, and emagazines from the MELSA Twin Cities eLibrary, available through the Libby app.

And if you see the Readmobile driving around your neighborhood, give Blanca and her Readmobile co-workers a wave!

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