Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library is celebrating Healthy Aging month in style. Studies show that reading is good for cognitive function in senior citizens. And the Words on Wheels Program (WOW) helps aging communities do just that, writes M. English for The Mercury.  

The bookmobile service started around 1979 to provide seniors of Montgomery County access to reading material.

The vehicle itself has humble beginnings. Starting out as an old bread truck, the mobile library has gone through quite the transformation over the years.  

The rolling reading repository is now on its third custom-built version and delivers to 44 different facilities. Visits are usually twice a month, but because of staff shortages, the library has had to cut back.  

“The people in the places we go to are all very appreciative. With COVID, the library was shut down for three months,” said Sue Horning Bookmobile and Outreach Head. “But people kept calling, wanting to know when we were coming back, and by the spring of 2021 — with all the safety precautions in place — we were pretty much back in business.”  

What are the most popular genres?

“Percentage-wise, probably 60–40 mystery to romance,” said Horning.

Several of the communities served by Words on Wheels already have onsite book clubs. The library makes sure to have enough copies of each book for the meetings. Rydal Park in Jenkintown so far has the largest book club.  

In addition to Words on Wheels, the library also heads Books by Mail, which delivers library materials to home-bound patients of all ages.  

Learn more about how Worlds on Wheels serves its community on The Mercury.