A second book van has joined the Santa Barbara Public Library’s catalog.

The new Library on the Go 2.0 van was introduced to the community on Wednesday at the Central Library, 40 E. Anapamu St. Community members toured the newest addition to the library before local leaders and library staff cut a ribbon marking its launch.

The more than $300,000 Mercedes-Benz sprinter van is an upgrade from the first van. The second van has eight carts full of books and more staff seating inside, according to Lisa Gonzales, supervising librarian for outreach. 

It also has a load lift at the back of the van to bring the heavy book racks onto the van. 

“We are thrilled after two years of planning, Library on the Go 2.0 is here and ready to bring services into more neighborhoods and communities,” library director Brandon Beaudette said.

The new mobile book van was funded by a California State Library grant and a $250,000 donation from the James M. Cox Foundation.

“It’s a game-changer for our community, enabling the library to do even more to close the gap in access to educational resources and services for our entire community,” said Kirsten McLaughlin, market vice president for Cox Communications.

Library on the Go 2.0’s services will be introduced in phases as the library hires staff and refines routes.

The second van is an addition to the first mobile book van, Library on the Go, which was launched in 2021 as a way to connect the community to the library services during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gonzales said.

The van provided more than 700 hours of public service at nearly 400 stops in 2025, according to Beaudette.

“This new vehicle is just what we needed to continue connecting with our community,” Gonzalez said. “We have been dreaming of this increased access to libraries and books for years now.”