Before Amazon, We Had Bookmobiles: 15+ Rare Photos Of Libraries-On-Wheels
Long before Amazon, Audible, and other digital book distributors, bookmobiles were bringing literature to peoples' doorsteps. Their mission was to provide the written word to remote villages and city suburbs that had no libraries. We invite you to remember these almost forgotten four-wheelers of the past.
The first bookmobile is believed to have appeared in Warrington, England in the late 1850s. It was a horse-drawn cart, and lent about 12,000 books during its first year of service. Later, mobile libraries were installed inside vehicles and reached the height of their popularity in the mid-20th century when they had become a part of Americal life.
Although bookmobiles are still operated in some parts of the world by libraries, schools, activists, and other organizations, they are widely thought to be an outdated service due to high costs, advanced technology and impracticality.
(h/t: vintageeveryday, messynessychic)
#1 An Opened Bookmobile, 1925
jeeeze.. what a great way to spend your life... driving around with this exactly car, bringing books to the people.
#2 The First Bookmobile Of The Public Library Of Cincinnati, 1927
#4 Inside A Bookmobile, 1960s
Although my grade school had plenty of books (that you could borrow) in every classroom, our grade school didn't have its own library, so a county library bookmobile came by. Looked a lot like this one. Got exposed to Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke, Heinlein, and many other SF authors whose books they carried. Probably the only thing about school I looked forward to. Sincere thanks and cheers for the people of the Ohio Lucas County Library and their bookmobiles.
#6 A Bookmobile In Indonesia, Early 20th Century.
#10 Multnomah County Library, 1926
#12 An Impatient Queue For A Dutch Bookmobile
#15 Craig Medvigny (left) And David Sutton Enjoying A Book; Eleanor Mann Substitute Traveling Branch Librarian, C. 1920s
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What do you think ?
We still have mobile libraries in Ireland. Town libraries are accessible for most, but for people in rural areas, the book bus is invaluable
Many places in the U.S. still have book mobiles, too.
We still have one where I live (Switzerland), it's called the bibliobus and a lot of people frequent it (including me). If you want to see what a modern mobile library looks like: www.bibliobus.ch
As I've mentioned in the text, some do still exist. Other countries include Australia, Indonesia, and even camel-powered ones in Kenya:)
We still have mobile libraries in Ireland. Town libraries are accessible for most, but for people in rural areas, the book bus is invaluable
Many places in the U.S. still have book mobiles, too.
We still have one where I live (Switzerland), it's called the bibliobus and a lot of people frequent it (including me). If you want to see what a modern mobile library looks like: www.bibliobus.ch
As I've mentioned in the text, some do still exist. Other countries include Australia, Indonesia, and even camel-powered ones in Kenya:)