Instinct Furniture Instinct Furniture Designing for Libraries and Education
✕
  • Home
  • Products
    • All Products
    • Pods, Desks, Counters
      • By type
        • Ingenious Help Pods
        • Dynamic Service Desks
        • Intelligent Counters
        • Storage Support Modules
        • Cash / Eftpos Modules
        • Returns Processing / Book Returns
      • By name
        • YAKETY YAK
        • MAXX
        • GLO
        • STEALTH
        • BEAN
        • BOOKFLO
        • SOCRATES
    • Seating
    • Tables
    • Study Stations
    • Laptop Tables
    • Computer Workstations
    • Display
    • Screens
    • Accessories
  • Explore
    • Our furniture in action
    • Why height adjustable?
    • Ergonomics
    • Future proofing libraries
    • Colours and finishes
    • Active Learning Environments
    • Resources
  • Projects
  • Blog
  • About
    • Why Instinct?
    • What our clients say
    • Working with us
    • What is a Quote Cart?
    • Sustainability
    • ISO Certifications
  • Community
    • Sponsorship
  • Contact

To the Bookmobile! The library on wheels of yesteryear…

November 29, 2016Blog

Long before Amazon was bringing books to your doorstep, there was the Bookmobile!
A travelling library often used to provide books to villages and city suburbs that had no library buildings, the bookmobile went from a simple horse-drawn cart in the 19th century to large customised vehicles that became part of American culture and reached their height of popularity in the mid-twentieth century.

So what happened to the Bookmobiles? While there are still a few libraries around that have managed to find a budget for a modern-day bookmobile, sadly, most of the oldies have ended up rotting away in a junkyards or eventually disappeared altogether.

Let’s hope there is room in this world for a comeback of the beloved bookmobile.

Instinct Furniture BLOG, mostly about cool libraries, furniture and design – keeping you abreast of our world. (Source: Messy Nessy).

An early bookmobile horse and cart in Washington D.C / via Crossett Library.The Library’s bookmobile on Compton Road, circa 1933 / via the Public library of Cincinnati.“Books free for everybody if you vote “yes” / via the ‘librariana’ collection, Hans Krol.The Public library of Cincinnati’s first bookmobile, circa 1927 / via the Public library of Cincinnati.The Library’s bookmobile on Compton Road, circa 1933 / via the Public library of Cincinnati.A rather elegant Book Caravan in Iowa, USA circa 1927 / via the ‘librariana’ collection of Hans Krol.The Library’s bookmobile in Sharonville, circa 1938/ via Public Library of Cincinnati.Bookmobile in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA. 170.770 volumes were circulated in 1936 / via the Crossett Library.Bookmobile staff / via the Public library of Cincinnati.Inside a bookmobile, date unknown / via Bibliobussen.Kern County Library Bookmobile at the school / via Kern Country Library.Via Nurismatic Bibliomania and Messy Nessy Chic.via the Anne Arundel Country Public Library.via the Anne Arundel Country Public Library.Via the Anne Arundel Country Public Library.An impatient queue for a Dutch bookmobile / via BiblioBussen.Onboard the Connecticut State Library’s Bookmobile with Margaret Sullivan and Marcella Finan, 1967/ via Bristol Public Library.A bus with a view, 1967 / via Bibliobussen.Inside a bookmobile, date unknown / via Bibliobussen.There was one sighting however, of an old bookmobile at the 2007 Burning Man Festival… via Espresso Buzz and Caryn Solly.One of the Utah State Library's bookmobiles out on a snowy day.Travelling bookmobile from the Utah State Library Bookmobiles Program.Paul Buttars, former manager of the Utah State Library Bookmobile Program, in one of the “older” bookmobiles. Taken in Chesterfield, UT circa 1975 / via USL.The Henderson County Bookmobile bides it’s time before making its last trip to the bone yard. Rest in Peace, or pieces? / via Davis Bell.A bookmobile that has been sitting in the same spot for at least 15 years at 25 West Tamar Road, Trevallyn, Tasmania via May Clarkson.No longer in service, this old TRL bookmobile residing on private property just south of Amanda Park, Washington. Photo taken 19 Dec 2011. (Library Service to this area of rural Washington is now provided by the Amanda Park branch of Timberland Regional Library)/ via Washington State library.

Recent Posts

  • Designing for the Future — The Post-Pandemic Library
  • Springdale library in Ontario
  • Giant painted bookcase
  • Wormhole Library overlooking the South China Sea
  • New Ibsen library, Norway
SEE ALL
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Disclaimer
Facebook Vimeo
© 2015 All rights reserved. Instinct Furniture
Instinct Furniture products and trademarks are protected under Australian and New Zealand intellectual property laws.