Check Out These 15 Amazing Vintage Bookmobile Pics

Vintage | February 7, 2017

Nowadays, with the internet, ebooks and online hardcopy book vendors at our fingertips, it's easy to take for granted just how privileged our access to information is. We also, unfortunately, do not place nearly the same value on literacy as we once did. During the first half of the 20th Century, and even well past it, the "bookmobile" was employed as a means to bring books to areas where library access was limited. They functioned like small, mobile libraries, lending out and collecting books to grateful patrons.

The bookmobile was first wheeled out in Warrington, England sometime in the 1850's. It was not, in fact, a "mobile" at all. It was a horse-drawn cart that carried books. It's estimated that about 12,000 books were lent out of the cart during its first year of operation. With horses out of the picture, the books moved into cozier digs inside of large automobiles.

Many public libraries had their own bookmobile, or bookmobiles. They were designed so that people could either access the book shelves from outside the vehicle, or they were large enough to accommodate visitors inside. Modern iterations of the bookmobile follow the latter pattern. RV's and old school buses are sometimes repurposed to serve as bookmobiles. In the United States, they are mostly used to bring books to communities whose mobility prevents them from visiting libraries.

Bookmobiles are still being used, but their heyday is definitely in the past. With internet access becoming more and more widespread, the bookmobile has been rendered redundant. But during the height of their popularity, they were a pillar of life, both in America and abroad. These fifteen photos will give you a glimpse into their wonderful history.