Vacations or other summer activities might have been the cause of the low turnout for the county bookmobile Thursday when four of its five stops were observed by a Butler Eagle reporter.

However, residents in areas covered by the Butler County Federated Library System's mobile library must keep in mind that if they don't use the bookmobile in sufficient numbers, the same fate that it experienced in the spring could be repeated - and this time permanently.

It was at the end of March that the Federated Library System board decided to discontinue the service to save money. But less than a month later, the bookmobile was returned to the road in the wake of outcries by users and a strong objection voiced by county Commissioner Glenn Anderson.

Pulling the bookmobile off the road, even for such a short time, served a useful purpose service. It gauged public perception of the value of the service.

However, criticizing a decision and allocating time from one's schedule to use the services that the bookmobile provides are two different things, It is a waste of money to make the service available if the number of users doesn't justify the expense of keeping the service intact.

Library officials could be faulted for failing to halt the service amid protracted indifference by the public.

While a drop in use might be anticipated for the summer months, it still is troubling that such low numbers showed up on Thursday's route. Schools encourage their students to read over the summer months. Could that mean that many students are not heeding that advice to keep their readings skills sharp, or to improve their reading skills, in anticipation of the start of fall classes?

At the Mater Dolorosa Roman Catholic Church parking lot in Chicora and at the Bruin Volunteer Fire Department parking lot, 13 patrons showed up at each location. Five patrons visited during a stop at the Penreco parking lot in Karns City, and just four at the Petrolia post office.

Those small numbers don't justify the fuel and upkeep expenses for keeping the bookmobile on the road, nor do they jusify the staffing of the mobile library.

Thursday's response was troubling from the standpoint that the bookmobile has access to everything that the library system has available, including periodicals, audio tapes, compact discs, videos and the card catalog. If a patron can't find something, he or she needs only to ask one of the bookmobile staffers for help.

"If we don't have it, they can get it," said Kathy McElravy, a librarian assistant.

For some people, there is nothing more refreshing on a hot summer's day than to sit in the shade under a tree and enjoy a reading experience. Others enjoy the relaxation of reading a book while on a picnic or at the beach.

Northern Butler County communities without standing libraries of their own have been accorded a great reading opportunity via their bookmobile service. They must be careful not to squander that opportunity.

If another shutdown of service were to occur, no amount of public complaints or protests from elected leaders might be enough to reverse the action. The best advice at this juncture then is to not give Federated Library System leaders any reason for pondering such a drastic move. - J.R.K.