Mobile Libraries: Classic Or Dud

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Tuesdays were great when I was a kid, because I would get out of school, meet my mum and we would go to the mobile library on the way home from school. It was only on a Tuesday and had a ridiculously small selection of books in retrospect but to me it was book heaven. We had to get books for the whole fambly, always double chuffed for my Dad if a new Le Carre was out - but selecting books for Dad would be easy
a) Had to be written by a bloke
b) Shiny political symbols on the front were good. War or esp spying double good.
c) NOT JEFFERY ARCHER.

We didn't go to the big library (only about a mile away) until I was about twelve when I had pretty much read everything in the mobile (kids section in particular got exhausted). This smaller nd rather random selection of books I think encouraged my desire to read more widely, running out of kids books probably accelerated my reading age. And I loved the automatic double doors and the way it was just like a horse box.

Yes?

― Pete (Pete), Friday, 12 September 2003 13:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Your dad's reading habits almost perfectly mirror my dad's. Except he likes Archer (or at least has read Archer).

Never seen a mobile library although my local proper library was in portakabins for a few months while it was rebuilt.

― robster (robster), Friday, 12 September 2003 13:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Bloke gets run over by a mobile library. He's in the road screaming in agony, when the driver gets out and says 'shuusshh'.

― Peter Kay (daveb), Friday, 12 September 2003 13:47 (twenty-two years ago)

I remember there was a mobile library which would visit my primary school every so often, and about three or four kids would be chosen to pick books out of it for the school to keep (I think that was the deal, anyway - time has rendered my already bad memory very vague). I always wished I would be one of the children picked, and eventually one day I was! It was excellent and indeed, it was just like a horsebox. I seem to remember one of the books I got was a Dr Seuss book.

― Chriddof (Chriddof), Friday, 12 September 2003 14:38 (twenty-two years ago)

MObile libraries roxor. Got me into John Wyndham when I was 10.

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Saturday, 13 September 2003 13:30 (twenty-two years ago)

One visited my summer day camp in the park every week when I was little and it was quite exciting.

― Maria (Maria), Saturday, 13 September 2003 13:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I have never seen a real one, just ones in movies or television shows.

― Nicolars (Nicole), Saturday, 13 September 2003 14:54 (twenty-two years ago)

I have only seen pictures of them in mobile library adverts in my mother's CILIP journal (used to be the Library Association).

I cannot think of a single TV show or movie where a mobile library has featured prominently.

― MarkH (MarkH), Saturday, 13 September 2003 21:40 (twenty-two years ago)

postman pat

― Ed (dali), Sunday, 14 September 2003 06:51 (twenty-two years ago)

We have a mobile library come to our village once a week, but I've never been on board because I'm usually still out at work when it comes. It's very popular though. If there's a particular book you want to read (or DVD/video you want to watch etc) you can order it and they'll bring it the following week for you, which is nice.

― C J (C J), Sunday, 14 September 2003 06:59 (twenty-two years ago)

this was the library where i always got out I WANT TO BE AN AIRLINE HOSTESS when i was 4 or 5

― mark s (mark s), Sunday, 14 September 2003 08:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I remember seeing a mobile library in a coastal down when I was about 12, and being completely shocked. Like, "A Library in a bus? That's just bullshit." And it was. They had piss-all.

But I guess they're Classic for communities without Libraries, which, I guess, is the point.

― Andrew (enneff), Sunday, 14 September 2003 09:01 (twenty-two years ago)

In America we call them bookmobiles!

― teeny (teeny), Sunday, 14 September 2003 13:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I cannot think of a single TV show or movie where a mobile library has featured prominently.

The "Chickenlover" episode of South Park?

― j.lu (j.lu), Sunday, 14 September 2003 14:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Aren't bookmobiles stores, though, rather than libraries?

― Chris P (Chris P), Sunday, 14 September 2003 15:23 (twenty-two years ago)

not in my experience (arizona where I grew up, and the midwest where I live now).

― teeny (teeny), Sunday, 14 September 2003 18:16 (twenty-two years ago)

i knew someone who's job was working in the west cork mobile library, i can't imagine a more scenic or peaceful job.

― angela (angela), Monday, 15 September 2003 07:17 (twenty-two years ago)

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