The Windsor Public Library (WPL) has some new wheels.
On Thursday, the library unveiled its new bookmobile, named 'Fred 2.0' at Captain Wilson Park on Ducharme Street.
The $685,000 bookmobile replaces 'Fred', the original bookmobile.
Library CEO Jen Knights feels the new bookmobile is a great addition to the 10 branches at Windsor Public Library.
She says the new bookmobile has been in the works for a number of years.
"The former bookmobile went into retirement due to some mechanical issues back in 2020," she says. "So it's been a five year process for us to get the new bookmobile here and in place and obviously now ready to hit the road."
Knights says the bookmobile will provide books for people of all ages.
"It will be able to get out into the community, provide services to under served communities or areas in the city that might not have a library in close proximity as well as to aid people that might have mobility or accessibility issues such as folks in retirement homes or people in long term care," says Knights.
She says the bookmobile operates like a mobile library.
"People can come and get a library card here if they don't have one," she says. "They can checkout books. Books can be returned to any of our branches and then through our circulation system we get them back into the appropriate branch where their houses are."
The bookmobile has free Wi-Fi, tablets, public access computers and DVDs.
Fred 2.0 is fully accessible and includes a lift.
The schedule for the new bookmobile will be posted on the Windsor Public Library's website.