Rogersville, TN — Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) this week helped deliver a donation of children's books to Hawkins County Schools through the U.S. Library of Congress Surplus Books Program, timed to coincide with the return of the county's “Words on Wheels” bookmobile, which had been out of service for several months due to engine trouble.
“It is always a joy to help put more books in the hands of East Tennessee kids, and there's no better time than right as Words on Wheels gets back on the road,” said Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger. “I'm grateful to the Library of Congress and Joe Mahar for making these donations possible, and to Hawkins County's vehicle maintenance crew for their hard work getting this bookmobile running again. Programs like Words on Wheels keep kids reading all summer long, and I'm proud my office could play a small part in that.”
“Congresswoman Harshbarger has been very generous with her willingness to contribute books from the Library of Congress surplus Book Program,” said Erika Phillips, Hawkins County Schools Health Coordinator.
The Words on Wheels bookmobile—a retired school bus retrofitted in 2022 to serve as a mobile library—had been sidelined after its engine failed following hundreds of thousands of miles of use. Hawkins County Schools' maintenance staff sourced and installed a remanufactured engine using leftover funds from last year's operating budget, avoiding the need for a budget amendment, according to Director of Schools Matt Hixson.
The books were delivered to the school system on Wednesday, July 15, and loaded directly onto the bookmobile ahead of upcoming back-to-school events. While Congresswoman Harshbarger was in Washington, D.C. for votes and unable to attend the delivery in person, her son, state Sen. Bobby Harshbarger, stood in on her behalf. The Words on Wheels program will be back in service for back-to-school events beginning later this month.
ICYMI in The Rogersville Review: Words on Wheels is back, with a little help
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