Tips and suggestions for our search

[Sueno LeBlond]

Greetings Outreach Folks,

My organization is looking for a new bookmobile to replace our 1999 Chevy step van which is quickly becoming a mechanical sinkhole. We have a few questions to pose to the group to help us in our search.

First, some important details about our program:

• We are a small nonprofit in an area pretty strapped for cash. The bookmobile program (my salary, gas, new books, etc.) is entirely funded by grants, donations, and local business sponsorships.
  We serve primarily early childcare programs in our Vermont county. Our bookmobile needs to be able to accommodate 10 toddlers or 16 preschoolers and their teachers for story time.
• We inherited our current bookmobile in 2012 from another nonprofit that was folding so none of us have any experience purchasing these things! 

Our questions are (please feel free to answer one or two, or all of them!):

• Are there online sites we should know about that sell these vehicles (step van or similar size) used? Where are these things marketed?
• What is your experience buying or selling a used bookmobile, if you have one?
• Is anyone in New England parting with their dearly beloved bookmobile of similar size this year? 🙂
• What funding sources can you recommend to us for the purchase of a new vehicle? We have exhausted most of our local foundations for routine maintenance and operations.
• What do you see as the pros and cons of carpet -vs- other, especially in regards to doing story times with toddlers and preschoolers. (Ours is currently carpeted, which isn't terrible, but I thought I'd ask.)
• What should we expect to spend at a minimum for a used vehicle? New vehicle?
• Are there other questions we should be asking or magical solutions you can recommend?

Thanks for all of your collective wisdom and commitment to providing books and services to all!

Respectfully,

Sueño LeBlond, MEd

Early Education Outreach Specialist

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