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Long before Amazon, Audible, and other digital book distributors, bookmobiles were bringing literature to peoples' doorsteps. Their mission was to provide remote villages and city suburbs that had no libraries with books to read. We invite you to remember these almost forgotten four-wheelers of the past.

The first mobile library 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, such mobile public 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 and were loved by every bookworm.

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in some parts of the world by libraries, schools, activists, and other organizations, they are widely thought to be an outdated service due to high costs, advanced technology, and impracticality.

Now scroll down below and check the vintage photos showcasing a piece from our past!

(h/t: vintageeveryday, messynessychic)

#1

An Opened Bookmobile, 1925

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Sissy Hankshaw
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

jeeeze.. what a great way to spend your life... driving around with this exactly car, bringing books to the people.

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#4

Inside A Bookmobile, 1960s

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John Ashley
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

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.

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#6

A Bookmobile In Indonesia, Early 20th Century.

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#7

The Bookmobile In Columbia Park, C. 1940

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Fire Bird
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That book that little girl is carrying, Nicodemus and his little sister by Inez Hogan, that book is worth a pretty penny today. I just saw one for sale for $225.00 on Alibris.com. There were a few Nicodemus books out there by the author.

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#9

Book Caravan In Iowa, C.1927

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#10

Multnomah County Library, 1926

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Fire Bird
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Notice the wheelchair that man is in. Today's chairs have reversed the wheels. At least that wheelchair you can recline in.

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#12

An Impatient Queue For A Dutch Bookmobile

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#15

Craig Medvigny (left) And David Sutton Enjoying A Book; Eleanor Mann Substitute Traveling Branch Librarian, C. 1920s

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#16

Mrs. Josie Sanders, Richard Sanders, Jerome Sanders And Two Younger Children. C1950s

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#17

A Horse-drawn Cart In Washington In The 1900s. It Was One Of The First American Bookmobiles, Built In 1905, But Was Hit And Destroyed By A Train In 1910

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#19

A Mobile Library In Canterbury

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Pi...
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6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And now, we step into the more modern book mobiles of the lot.

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#22

Utah State Library Bookmobile On The Road Circa 1970

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#24

Children Gathering At The Bookmobile, C. 1912

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Fire Bird
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nice. See the tail light? Just one as they were in the day but that one, I believe, was actually a lamp. Light it and drive at night.

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#25

Children Gathering At The Kern County Free Library Bookmobile At Aztec School, 1947

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Fire Bird
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

that girl's expression on the far left of the picture. Either she is having trouble reading or lunch isnt sitting to well with her.

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#26

A Very Fine Bookmobile Owned By The New Castle County Free Library

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#27

Rockville Fair, Maryland, 1928

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Mary Ellen Steele
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I agree. The contemporary version could read, "County Library We Need to Keep Ours'.

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#28

A Circulating Library In A Streetcar In Munich, Germany

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Matt Leger
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow! I've never seen a streetcar library before. Why couldn't New Orleans have done that?

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#29

Bookmobile At Anne Arundel County Fair, 1973

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#30

Sanpete County Bookmobile

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Joni Wagner
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why aren't all bookshelves, even in-home ones slanted even slightly? It just makes such good sense!

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#33

The Book Caravan, One Of The First Traveling Bookshops, 1920.

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Brenda Blade
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Love this. Not a lot of people read books anymore but I do. There is nothing that compares to it!

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#36

The Library’s Bookmobile In Sharonville, Circa 1938

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Marcie Reinertson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Love this one too! Look at all the women eager to read and learn!

#37

California State Library Bookmobile, C. 1950

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Robin Jaske
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This photo was taken at the Kern County Fairgrounds, possibly during the fair!

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#39

Bookmobile, Southgate District, C. 1920s

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Kim Carnahan
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is definitely not in the 1920s. The girl on the steps is wearing a 1940s style head wrap and cut off denim shorts, which would NEVER have been worn in the 20s, nor did little boys go shirtless or wear jeans. The styles indicate the 1940s.

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#42

A Czech Book Truck

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#43

Onboard The Connecticut State Library’s Bookmobile With Margaret Sullivan And Marcella Finan, 1967

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#46

Patrons Visit The Bookmobile In 1962. Mrs James B. Wilson, Librarian, Performs Readers' Advisory Service At Far Right

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#47

Carolyn Herntz Assists Patrons Visiting The Bookmobile, 1958

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JessPotato84
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Are those magnets announcing the next arrival? Glob, these are all so incredible! 😮😍

#49

A Photo Of The Bookmobile From Washington County (md) Free Library

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#51

Presentation Of The New Bookmobile At The Paris Colonial Exposition Held In Paris France, 1931

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#53

Bookmobile Interior, May 1927

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Brent Sarazin
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow. The leather straps. That must have smelt really nice when the Sun would shine on it.

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