Bounding up two steps, Jimena Zavala leaps aboard the Woodland Library Bookmobile.

“I’m here again!” the dark-haired 9-year-old exclaims in breathless excitement.

Zavala is followed by her father, who carries two big plastic bags of books. While his daughter starts pulling titles from the mystery section, he’s depositing about 20 books into a return slot.

Zavala is one of around 280 students across the city who have visited the Bookmobile as it travels to schools and parks.

The $650,000 customized mobile library was unveiled in late January at the Woodland Public Library. Funding came not just from the city but California State Library, and the Priscilla H. Gordon Trust and represents about three years of work at providing books, audio tapes, CDs and other media directly to the public.

In addition to reading and audio material, the Bookmobile features a large outside video screen for movies and gaming. It also has free Wi-Fi. The inside is designed to be “fun” and features multi-colored lights running across the ceiling.

On this day, the Bookmobile is at City Park, where librarian Casey Wilson and circulation supervisor Sylvia Moreno have opened the doors to around 3,000 offerings for children and adults.

Usually, it stops at two parks on the first, second, and third Wednesdays of each month. It also makes stops at Autumn Run Apartments, Woodland Community & Senior Center, Cache Creek Lodges, Woodland Gardens Senior Living Center, the Californian and Grocery Outlet.

Although it was unveiled in January, the Bookmobile didn’t hit the road until early March, held up by winter weather. Thus far, according to Wilson, it seems to be very popular.

Wilson said the Bookmobile has seen good turnout at schools but hasn’t caught on as well at parks, primarily due to publicity issues. The scheduling is now advertised more prominently on the Library’s website, and it’s hoped turnout will improve as locations become better known and weather improves.

“One benefit of going to a school,” Wilson said, “is that the library has funding. Schools and the school district have a good budget but they have to divvy out what they have to different departments, programs and teachers. The school library may not get very much money, if any, and it may not go for books.”

The other advantage, she said, is that nearly every book in the Bookmobile is “brand new, and we probably have what students want to read. In effect, we’re bringing a library to students, and we can also advertise programs — such as tutoring — directly.”

What are students reading?

“Graphic novels,” both Wilson and Moreno say simultaneously.

“The graphic novels shelf has been cleaned out at every single school visit,” Wilson continues. “Any reading is good reading and in going to schools, we can show that just because you’re reading a book with pictures it doesn’t make it any less valuable. Anything you’re reading is better than anything you’re watching.”

And while students turn out at schools, adults seem to like the parks, Wilson noted. “Parks are more popular with adults and dogs. It’s a really nice feeling seeing adults come out. It’s really nice too when parents will come on board with their kids. They’ll gravitate to the kids’ books and when they turn around there are adult books. So, we can kinda reach everybody.”

The Bookmobile may seem like a natural selling point for the Library overall, but there are no real plans to bring it to special citywide events. That’s not really the mission, Wilson said. The Bookmobile is designed for community outreach; bringing literature to the public where they live.

When the Bookmobile was first unveiled, a staff report found that the current library is no longer centrally located in the city’s 15.4 square miles.

“The library seeks to provide library services to the community with a special emphasis on low-income and Latino residents of Woodland,” the report emphasized. “A mobile library to visit residents that are not currently using the library to bring library services to the community on a regular and consistent basis.”

The report added that there is a need for a mobile library because more than 40% of households in Woodland have zero or one vehicle at home used for transportation to and from work, leaving the rest of the household without personal transportation.

“In addition, three-quarters of 4th-grade students reading below grade level are economically disadvantaged and over 20% of Woodland adults do not have a high school (or equivalent) education,” the report stressed. “There is a large need for families to receive information, literacy services and job readiness training to improve their lives and those of their families.”

Additionally, the report noted that the English-speaking population in Woodland is 1.5 times the size of the Spanish-speaking population, yet the English story times at the library have nearly 10 times as many participants as the Spanish.

“There is a large segment of our population that do not go into the library to participate in early literacy activities,” the report argued. “A mobile library will promote reading and literacy by bridging the gap between existing library users and those who do not currently visit the library. It will create new venues for access to library and registrations, story times, circulating collections and other library services to parks, apartment buildings, neighborhoods and events to expand the impact of our libraries on the community.”

All of that information didn’t matter to Jimena, who by now has snagged 13 books she wants to read, and put them on a check-out table.

Unfortunately, there’s a 10-book limit.

“Aw, gee,” she says, before going back and reviewing her selections. Ultimately, she settles on her top 10, putting three back on a shelf.

It doesn’t matter, Wilson indicates. Jimena will be back.