National Bookmobile Day 2016

Today is National Bookmobile Day, which celebrates the role of bookmobiles and outreach services in fulfilling the mission of libraries and the dedicated library professionals who provide this valuable and essential service to their communities every day.
While East Central Regional Library retired its last bookmobile in May 2009, ECRL continues to provide outreach services to 8 sites by van. Our outreach communities are: Braham, Onamia, Isanti, Giese, Duquette, Jacobson, Hill City, and McGrath. ECRL Outreach Services provides individuals who are unable to get to one of our branches many of the same library services!
Here’s celebrating the role bookmobile service has played in ECRL history with a look back at some of our old bookmobiles.

Line_outside_of_bookmobile_visiting_Stanchfield_East_Central_Regional_Library_System_Stanchfield_Minnesota
Stanchfield School students in 1960 eagerly wait to board the East Central Regional Library Bookmobile.*

Bookmobile_East_Central_Regional_Library_Cambridge_Minnesota (1)
In 1986, the box from a previous East Central Regional Library bookmobile was mounted on a new truck frame. Because the lights and heat ran off the alternator, it did not run during the coldest months. Nevertheless, this bookmobile logged 298,000 miles during its service.*

East_Central_Regional_Library_bookmobile_visiting_Cloverton_Minnesota
East Central Regional Library bookmobile visiting Cloverton, in Pine County.*

Bookmobile_East_Central_Regional_Library_Cambridge_Minnesota
East Central Regional Library’s last bookmobile. Purchased in 1996 for $103,000, it was the first new bookmobile in 20 years. It was built on a Bluebird bus chassis, held 3,500 items, had an onboard generator and a lift for accessibility, and it featured an “air ride.” *

Outreach Van
The current outreach van that delivers library materials to community centers, city and town halls, a depot, church, and pavilion in 8 ECRL communities.

ECRL recognizes the service of its many bookmobile librarians, drivers, and outreach librarians since 1959!


*These items were digitized by the Minnesota Digital Library as part of the Public Library Partnership Project with the Digital Public Library of America.  View these and other historical ECRL images in Minnesota Reflections or DPLA.
 
 

Share this post:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn