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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in some parts of the world by libraries, schools, activists, and other organizations, they are widely thought to be an outdated service due to high costs, advanced technology, and impracticality.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)
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
An Opened Bookmobile, 1925
Sissy Hankshaw 7 years ago
jeeeze.. what a great way to spend your life... driving around with this exactly car, bringing books to the people.
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#2
The First Bookmobile Of The Public Library Of Cincinnati, 1927
#3
A Mobile Library In Kurdistan, Iran, 1970
#4
Inside A Bookmobile, 1960s
John Ashley 7 years ago
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.
#5
One Of The Library Bookmobiles, C. 1948.
#6
A Bookmobile In Indonesia, Early 20th Century.
#7
The Bookmobile In Columbia Park, C. 1940
#8
Bookmobile
#9
Book Caravan In Iowa, C.1927
Sonja Sundqvist 4 years ago
Why would a city like this seems to be, not have a tax-supported library?
#10
Multnomah County Library, 1926
#11
Greensboro, North Carolina, 1936
#12
An Impatient Queue For A Dutch Bookmobile
#13
The Library’s Bookmobile On Compton Road, C.1933
#14
Three Of The Bookmobile Staff, C.1930
#15
Craig Medvigny (left) And David Sutton Enjoying A Book; Eleanor Mann Substitute Traveling Branch Librarian, C. 1920s
#16
Mrs. Josie Sanders, Richard Sanders, Jerome Sanders And Two Younger Children. C1950s
#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
#18
A Bookmobile In Indonesia, Early 20th Century.
#19
A Mobile Library In Canterbury
#20
A Boston Public Library Bookmobile, 1963
#21
A Bus With A View, 1967
#22
Utah State Library Bookmobile On The Road Circa 1970
#24
Children Gathering At The Bookmobile, C. 1912
#25
Children Gathering At The Kern County Free Library Bookmobile At Aztec School, 1947
#26
A Very Fine Bookmobile Owned By The New Castle County Free Library
#27
Rockville Fair, Maryland, 1928
Mary Ellen Steele 4 years ago
I agree. The contemporary version could read, "County Library We Need to Keep Ours'.
#28
A Circulating Library In A Streetcar In Munich, Germany
Matt Leger 4 years ago
Wow! I've never seen a streetcar library before. Why couldn't New Orleans have done that?
#30
Sanpete County Bookmobile
Joni Wagner 4 years ago
Why aren't all bookshelves, even in-home ones slanted even slightly? It just makes such good sense!
#31
Summer Rural Service, 1936
#32
Bookmobile
#33
The Book Caravan, One Of The First Traveling Bookshops, 1920.
Brenda Blade 4 years ago
Love this. Not a lot of people read books anymore but I do. There is nothing that compares to it!
#34
Books Free For Everybody, Right At The Door – If You Vote "yes"
#35
Library Bookmobiles In Front Of Union Terminal
#36
The Library’s Bookmobile In Sharonville, Circa 1938
Marcie Reinertson 4 years ago
Love this one too! Look at all the women eager to read and learn!
#37
California State Library Bookmobile, C. 1950
Robin Jaske 4 years ago
This photo was taken at the Kern County Fairgrounds, possibly during the fair!
#38
Patrons Visiting The Bookmobile
#39
Bookmobile, Southgate District, C. 1920s
Kim Carnahan 7 years ago
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.
#40
Bookmobile In Madrid Spain
#41
The Library's First Bookmobile, C. 1927
#43
Onboard The Connecticut State Library’s Bookmobile With Margaret Sullivan And Marcella Finan, 1967
#44
Chris Junapa Standing In The Bookmobile, 1980
#45
Patrons Visiting The Bookmobile
#46
Patrons Visit The Bookmobile In 1962. Mrs James B. Wilson, Librarian, Performs Readers' Advisory Service At Far Right
#47
Carolyn Herntz Assists Patrons Visiting The Bookmobile, 1958
JessPotato84 4 years ago
Are those magnets announcing the next arrival? Glob, these are all so incredible! 😮😍
#48
Patrons Visiting The Bookmobile
#49
A Photo Of The Bookmobile From Washington County (md) Free Library
#50
Bookmobile At Headquarters, 1977
#51
Presentation Of The New Bookmobile At The Paris Colonial Exposition Held In Paris France, 1931
#52
Bookmobile, About 1925
#53
Bookmobile Interior, May 1927
Brent Sarazin 4 years ago
Wow. The leather straps. That must have smelt really nice when the Sun would shine on it.
#54
Bookmobile, 1930s
#55
Summer Book Wagon, 1928
#56
Bookmobile, 1924
#57
Kids At Bookmobile
#58
A Tram In Berlin With 2400 Books In Berlin, 1952
Michael Kenney 4 years ago
Can't help but recall that only a few years earlier some people were burning books in Germany. Wonderful how enlightenment always returns. But at great cost.
#59
Framingham Public Library, 1956
#62
Paul Buttars, Former Manager Of The Utah State Library Bookmobile Program, In One Of The “older” Bookmobiles. Taken In Chesterfield, Ut, C.1975
#64
Patrons Visiting The Bookmobile
#67
Patrons Visiting The Bookmobile In 1962, Assisted By Mrs. James B. Wilson And Mrs. William H. Gary
Kim Carnahan 7 years ago
Notice how the women were not identified by their own first names, but by their husbands'.
#68
Patrons Visit The Bookmobile
#69
Bookmobile, C. 1950
Michael Bratton 4 years ago
The Postman would put a notice in the mailbox when the bookmobile would be coming down our street. I had a bike just like that.
#72
Bookmobile
#75
Bookmobile
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What do you think ?
Barbara Delahunty 7 years ago
We still have mobile libraries in Ireland. Town libraries are accessible for most, but for people in rural areas, the book bus is invaluable
Louiiiise 7 years ago
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
Rokas L 7 years ago
As I've mentioned in the text, some do still exist. Other countries include Australia, Indonesia, and even camel-powered ones in Kenya:)
Load More Replies... Barbara Delahunty 7 years ago
We still have mobile libraries in Ireland. Town libraries are accessible for most, but for people in rural areas, the book bus is invaluable
Louiiiise 7 years ago
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
Rokas L 7 years ago
As I've mentioned in the text, some do still exist. Other countries include Australia, Indonesia, and even camel-powered ones in Kenya:)
Load More Replies...
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