Max Griffin has been driving the Bookmobile for the Southwest Georgia Regional Library System for 13 years, but has never seen a more joyous response to his arrival than he did this week, when he went to Gibbs Bainbridge Village for the very first time.

His visit was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday. Arriving a bit early, he found two of the residents in wheelchairs already waiting for him.

“They were so excited to see me and each one checked out four books,” Griffin said.

One of his very first customers was Diane Pevney, who has been a resident at Gibbs for 10 years.

“I never thought to ask why the Bookmobile didn’t come here,” Pevney said.

She explained that many of the residents there do not drive and have no way to get to the library without someone driving them. She mentioned her concerns to the resident manager, Angel Noble, who contacted the library and that was all it took. Now, the Bookmobile will come to Gibbs on the third Tuesday of the month, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

Griffin said he really enjoys driving the Bookmobile, covering not just Decatur, but also Miller and Seminole counties on Mondays through Wednesdays. He also goes to all the elementary schools once a month.

He meets many new people in his work and has a good number of regular patrons.

“You’d be surprised how many of them will bring me food — anything from cookies and desserts to an occasional full meal,” he said.

The traveling library is well stocked with the latest hard-copy books, CDs and even large print books.

Griffin said most of the men like to read mysteries and Westerns, while the women patrons enjoy the mysteries and romance novels. There is also a good selection of non-fiction material.

Sharon Snead and Diane Pevney indicated their reading preferences, with Snead liking anything to do with astronomy, space and meteorology. Tuesday, she chose a book about fly fishing.

Pevney expressed a preference for romances, mysteries and “anything about dogs.”