You might spot it rounding a mountain curve or parked alongside a ranch road: a bright, welcoming vehicle that turns out to be your library. Since March 2025, the Eagle Valley Library District (EVLD) Bookmobile has been making its way through Eagle County. It has a mission to provide a variety of library services to remote residents who lack convenient access to Avon, Eagle or Gypsum branches, or to anyone interested. The Bookmobile offers a regular visitation schedule, gradually expanding services to Dotsero, Burns, McCoy, Roundup River Ranch/Sweetwater, Minturn, Maloit Park, Red Cliff and beyond. (Note: Vail and Basalt maintain independent library systems within Eagle County and are not part of EVLD’s Bookmobile program.)
A longtime EVLD vision, the Bookmobile is a community treasure benefitting all ages. It launched after COVID-19 due to equipment delays. Beginning summer/fall 2026, four-day-a-week service takes effect, adding the Gypsum Community Market and Avon Freedom Park (Tuesdays) to the route. The remaining days are reserved for restocking, weeding the collection, building displays and cleaning and servicing the vehicle.
Photo courtesy of EVLD
A Rolling Library Powered by People
Several dedicated library staff members keep the wheels turning — refreshing the shelves with new arrivals, processing holds and interlibrary loan requests, learning individual patrons’ interests and spreading goodwill along the way.
Monique Rodriguez, public relations and outreach director, holds a Master of Library and Information Science degree and brings experience from her previous work in Pitkin County — all in service of EVLD’s goal to meet the diverse needs of the entire district.
“Each community along the I-70 corridor is unique, so we rotate a different collection on different days,” Rodriguez explains. “We carry mostly new releases. For popular series, we often stock the first two titles with the most recent, then order in others. We obtain available book requests from outside libraries (even nationally) in about a week. We’re also a mobile public space for hanging out, especially in warmer months, with outdoor awning and furniture. We invite and cultivate readers. Our ultimate success depends on it.”
Monique’s new go-to read? Manga graphic novels!
Patty Valladarez recently joined the team full-time, bringing fluency in both Spanish and English. A former preschool teacher with 17 years in the classroom, she loves children’s books and is promoting bilingual and Spanish books and early readers, while also guiding adults. Her favorite picks? The Very Hungry Caterpillar and One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Amber Mulson-Barrett grew up in the Valley, working a variety of local jobs. Now she is the primary Bookmobile driver. Her passion for nonfiction, especially nature, outdoor, adventure, travel and biographical themes, boosts her valued recommendations to locals. A job perk is to explore different genres and to gain professional expertise, teaming with Valladarez. Her latest discovery? Fahrenheit 451.
Monique, Amber, Patty
More Than Books on Board
Rocio Garcia-Roa, Spanish outreach coordinator, has been with EVLD for 20 years and is one of two Bookmobile drivers. As their Spanish-speaking clientele grows (currently about 45%), providing appropriate materials is a special focus of district services.
“It’s not just about patrons enjoying books, but also learning to research our databases for Spanish-language information, from changing a flat tire to acquiring U.S. citizenship,” Garcia-Roa explains.
Embracing innovation is part of what builds Bookmobile traffic. The collection features the latest product technology — like Playaway devices, Wonderbooks and the 70-language Mango app. Pairing books with audio supports bilingual and reluctant readers. Other offerings include puzzle swaps for seniors, Take-and-Make crafts for youngsters, free donated books, a “library of things” for borrowing useful everyday items and some materials (like magazines) available without a library card.
Books travel well. So does curiosity. Find your nearest stop and come see what rolls in next.
