This school year, librarians are on a roll — thanks to book carts on wheels. Instead of heading down to the library themselves, students now have the library come to them. Each student can check out a book from the cart and then participate in a library lesson and some independent reading time.

District librarians have used this new spin on library education as another way to get their students excited about reading. At Idle Hour Elementary School, if one hears a honking horn, they will know that library media specialist Julia DeMaio is making a stop with her “book bus.” Decorated to look like a yellow school bus and accompanied by recorded sound effects, the “book bus” is sure to spread cheer. At Helen B. Duffield Elementary School, DeMaio uses a traveling “book barn,” covered in faux barnwood and adorned with pictures of animals from various children’s books. At both schools, DeMaio plays the “Price Is Right” theme song during her visits, encouraging each student to do a little dance as they “come on up” to the cart to check out a book of their choice. According to DeMaio, the goal is “to make an unconventional year as normal and fun as possible while fostering a love for books and reading.”