About
Our mission
Bookmobile Babe makes literacy and art activities accessible to all learners across the metropolitan area of Portland, OR, focusing on underserved communities with limited access to resources like books and libraries, highlighting underrepresented and local authors, subjects and cultures.
Our vision
Fostering a sense of community throughout Portland by bringing diverse literature to all ages.
Our values
Diversity, inclusion, community, engagement, inspiration, fun for all ages, creativity, equity, equality, collaboration, self-expression, and safety.
Our people
There is no one Bookmobile Babe - there's a whole team behind the scenes of every Summer Reading Camp and Pop-Up event! However, none of us would be here if it weren't for the original Bookmobile Babe, Christie Quinn.
Christie Quinn
Executive Director
Hi! I’m Christie Quinn, the founder of The Bookmobile Babe. I’m a former high school English teacher and have always enjoyed sharing my love of reading with young people. I began volunteering with the Multnomah County Library system in 2015, and after realizing it did not have a bookmobile, I decided to start one. Despite having no van or car at the time, I was determined to make it work. Since 2018, The Bookmobile Babe has distributed over 5,000 books and is still going strong!
Email: christiequinn@gmail.com
Tiffany Pham
Lead Volunteer
Tiffany Pham (she/her) is a student at Portland State University, and she plans on graduating in the spring of 2023 with a Bachelor’s. Tiffany cares about serving her community and when she found out about Bookmobile Babe and its mission, she was absolutely hooked. She enjoys working with Bookmobile Babe to provide books to children and families in need, and she loves meeting new people along the way. Tiffany hopes to make a positive difference in her community my making people happy through finding joy in reading.
Shelly Lawrence
Lead Teacher
Storyteller and Puppeteer Shelly Lawrence of Tiny Tiny Tales has over 30 years of experience as a classroom, theatre and music teacher. She holds a Master’s Degree for Integrating the Arts into curriculum. Students of all ages benefit from her workshops in puppet pantomime, expression, lip sync, and character development. Audience participation is always part of the puppet experience that may include music, felt board stories, hand puppets, shadow puppets, and Kamishibai.
Shelly’s love of music has inspired her to lead vocal choirs, bucket drumming, hand bell groups, guitar classes, and ukulele clubs. Shelly performs on electric tenor ukulele with her husband in the Lawrence Jazz Duo at regional wineries, art galleries, and festivals.
Robin Waterman
Lead Cataloguer
Having been an avid reader my entire life, beginning as a little girl in Vermont and after retiring from a career in healthcare, I was looking for an opportunity to contribute to the community through my love of books. Working with the Bookmobile Babe has provided me with that opportunity! When I am not reading I enjoy traveling, playing with my grand children, and gardening.
Our board
Christie Quinn
President
Founder, Bookmobile Babe
Executive Director, Bookmobile Babe
Machine Learning Analyst, Outbound AI
Email: christiequinn@gmail.com
Lauren Scher
Vice President
Oregon and Washington Program Manager at PaintCare
Lauren is thrilled to be on the Board of Directors for the Bookmobile Babe. Lauren holds a BA from Stony Brook University, and an MPA from Baruch College. She resides in Portland with her partner Adam, two corgis, and one temperamental cat.
Kristin Bouwmeester
Secretary
Early Childhood Curriculum Creation & Montessori Educator
Kristin is a Montessori-trained early childhood professional and children’s yoga instructor. She is passionate about literacy and loves sharing beloved books with friends and students.
Abby Farber
Treasurer
Accounting Consultant
Kate Begonia
Member at Large
Co-Founder, Youth Charity League