Every year library outreach is celebrated on the Wednesday of National Library Week. National Library Outreach Day, previously known as National Bookmobile Day, is April 10. This day is an opportunity for library patrons and advocates to highlight and thank libraries, library staff, communities, and community leaders who offer and support bookmobile services (Ahayes, 2024).
National Today defines bookmobiles as “…mobile libraries that help transport books from one local community to another.” These traveling libraries promote reading by providing individuals who can’t visit larger libraries or who live in underserved areas access to literacy materials. In the early 20th century Maryland librarian Mary Titcomb, became the first librarian to meet literacy needs of individuals living in rural communities by coming up with a means to transport books to them. Mary’s idea to use a horse-drawn wooden carrier filled with boxes of books is said to be the first bookmobile in the United States. In 1912, the horse-drawn mobile library was replaced with motorized bookmobiles that reached rural and urban schools, senior communities, and remote mountainous areas (Ahayes, 2024).
Throughout the years, bookmobile services have experienced the effects of economic hardships and political influence. While the financial instability of the Great Depression and World Wars caused bookmobile services to decline, the service resurged when the Library Services Act of 1956 expanded library services to small rural communities. Over the last several years, some community’s bookmobile services have been negatively impacted due to the high cost of fuel and digital platforms (Ahayes, 2024).
According to the 2024 United States Bookmobile Map, eleven bookmobiles serve communities across North Dakota. Bookmobile locations span from west to east with the Page Coach Bookmobile in Dickinson, to Fargo’s Little Red Reading Bus, and north to south from the Bottineau County Public Library Bookmobile to Edgley’s South Central Area Library Bookmobile (Association, n.d.). It’s wonderful North Dakota has eleven bookmobiles, but when looking at the United States bookmobile and North Dakota Public Libraries maps, there are still areas where North Dakota citizens may find it difficult to get to a physical library and do not have mobile library services in their area. Reading is the foundation to all learning. Reading drives education, education drives employment, employment drives economic stability, economic stability drives spending, spending drives community and the state’s economy, making North Dakota a better place to live. With reading’s many benefits, now is a good time to think of ways to promote and provide access to literacy materials for all North Dakota citizens.
If you are interested in beginning bookmobile services in your area, visit:
- North Dakota State Library’s Community Outreach LibGuide
- American Library Association’s Mobile Services Handbook~~not updated but has examples of forms, programs, policies and procedures, marketing, and much more information that can be tailored to fit mobile services
- Association of Bookmobile & Outreach Services ~~several resources that may provide further guidance on bookmobile services
Further Reading
The Moby Bookmobile on the Wind River Reservation in WY
HYPERLINK “https://research.ebsco.com/c/vizt75/search/details/p5qzylzlir?limiters=FT%3AY%2CRV%3AY%2CDT1%3A2019-02-01%2F2024-02-01&q=bookmobile+service&db=aph%2Cbuh%2Ckeh%2C8gh%2Clxh%2Cbwh%2Ctrh%2Cawh%2Chxh%2Chch%2Cfunk%2Cmih%2Cprh%2Ctfh%2Csch%2Ceric%2Cnlebk%2Cc9h%2Ce866sww%2Ce867sww%2Ce869sww%2Ce865sww%2Ce864sww%2Ce872sww%2Cpwh%2Cmat%2Cf6h%2Caci%2Chev%2Cnfh%2Cddu%2Cwpr%2Ca9h%2Cpsr”https://research.ebsco.com/c/vizt75/search/details/f7wgxyu2oz?limiters=FT:Y,RV:Y,DT1:2019-02-01/2024-02-01&q=bookmobile+service&db=aph,buh,keh,8gh,lxh,bwh,trh,awh,hxh,hch,funk,mih,prh,tfh,sch,eric,nlebk,c9h,e866sww,e867sww,e869sww,e865sww,e864sww,e872sww,pwh,mat,f6h,aci,hev,nfh,ddu,wpr,a9h,psr
Sources
Ahayes. (2024, March 28). National Library Outreach Day. Conferences & Events. https://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek/national-library-outreach-day
Association of Bookmobile & Outreach Services. (n.d.). https://abos-outreach.com/
North Dakota Public Libraries. North Dakota State Library. (n.d.). https://www.library.nd.gov/ndpubliclibraries
Sidra.ghazali@topagency.com. (2023, September 4). National Bookmobile Day. National Today. https://nationaltoday.com/national-bookmobile-day/
U.S. Census Bureau quickfacts: North Dakota. US Census Bureau. (n.d.). https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/ND/PST045223
ND State Library Blog 