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Article: Donated books, 'Gertie' stranded
- Article from:
- Gurnee Review (IL)
- Article date:
- February 9, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2006, Gurnee Review, Pioneer Press. All rights reserved. REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED. (Hide copyright information)
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She is 31 feet long, and weighs 17,000 pounds empty.
She is affectionately known as "Gertie," the Waukegan Public Library's 1962 Gerstenslanger bookmobile.
The Waukegan Library wants to donate Gertie along with 300 boxes of books collected by area libraries to the hurricane-damaged library system of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana. The problem is Gertie is stranded in Waukegan.
"Stranded is a good word for it," said Director Richard Lee.
The size and weight of the bookmobile, plus the 1,000 pounds of donated books, makes it difficult to transport it across the country.
"We can't drive it down there," said Lee. "I don't know that she would make it. It wouldn't be safe."
She is the oldest ...