Sawubona Mobile Library Hits the Road, Connecting Families to Books and Resources

The City of Chattanooga officially launched the Sawubona Mobile Library—a first-of-its-kind, triple-impact mobile hub designed to serve as a library, a safe space, and a family resource center.

The vision came from Jaleesa Brumfield, the city’s Director of Early Learning, who wanted to remove barriers and bring books, learning, and support directly to families.

“Today is the official ribbon cutting of the Sawubona book bus,” said Brumfield. “Several years in the making, it’s a mobile family resource center, a library, and a safe space. The idea came to me after the pandemic when everything had to be mobile—I applied for a grant, got it, and now here we are.”

From story time and games to health resources and parenting support, the bus is built to meet families where they are.

“We’re planning to partner with community parks and bring out local members for weekday programming,” said Brumfield. “But most importantly—it’s a mobile library, and books are a really, really big part of this bus.”

The Sawubona mobile hub will begin making stops at schools, parks, and neighborhoods later this summer.