Beloved 'Brushmobile' Leaving Berkeley Public Library

Berkeley Public Library staff is inviting the public to say goodbye to the library’s well-loved model Brushmobile, which is set to roar off on another adventure next week.

The model vehicle is leaving the library on Jan. 19. John Latronica built the paint-powered Brushmobile and its paint pump of wood, fiberglass and paint in 1999. The idea for the model came from a vehicle by the same name in Thacher Hurd’s classic picture book titled “Art Dog.”

Library staff has decided to remove the vehicle from the Children’s Room at the Central Library for safety reasons. Library officials originally planned to keep the model at the library for only a year between 2002 and 2003, but patrons took to the vehicle. A generation of Berkeley children loved the model, causing significant wear and tear, library officials said.

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“We are concerned about children’s safety,” said the library’s neighborhood and children’s services manager Sarah Dentan. The model vehicle was originally on display at the Discovery Center of the Southern Tier in Binghamton, New York to honor Hurd.

In New York City, it was the centerpiece of a tribute to the author by Harper Collins. Library staff is looking for a group that can repurpose the Brushmobile. A new wooden activity center for the children’s area is scheduled to arrive at the library this winter.

By Bay City News

Photo via Shutterstock