But she negotiates the 26-foot hulk on the rural highways of North Dakota expertly, nine days a month. She and assistant Vicki Schmidt drive the Bookmobile to rural schools, housing developments and senior citizen centers throughout Burleigh County. Except for the reference-type materials, the Bookmobile offers the same services as the library. There's space in the new Bookmobile for 2,000 to 3,000 books, depending on how they're arranged. Maston visits each stop in the county once a month.
Patrons can check out or return books, tapes and videos at that time.
Maston or Schmidt send the checkout information to the library via computer and modem. The new bus has a data port for the modem, a microwave and a heater for the Cummins diesel engine. A company in Ohio custom-made the Bookmobile for the library. The check was picked up by the county, through tax dollars and grants. A lift for mobility-impaired bookworms was paid for by the Capital Electric Charitable Trust.