Have you ever had a meme on social media turn you into a keyboard warrior? Every few weeks I encounter some faded, black-and-white photo of an early form of bookmobile with captions like, “Remember when books came on buses?” or “Before Amazon, we had bookmobiles.” I instinctively lock my caps and I educate them:
“WE ARE STILL HERE!”
Of course, nobody listens and I just encounter another similar meme again a few days later. I suppose I should just relax and relish in the fact that the imagery of ancient bookmobiles and smiling children with their hands full of books fills so many of us with nostalgia and happy memories. But as a current bookmobile driver for the Daniel Boone Regional Library, I want it to be known that bookmobiles are not just part of our storied past. Bookmobiles continue to brighten our days and propel us into the future.
DBRL has been utilizing bookmobiles since 1959. The one I drive is known as the Big Bookmobile, or, as we affectionately call it in the Outreach Department, Senior. We also have Bookmobile Jr., Rover and the Book Bike performing assorted duties. But Senior, a 33-foot-long Bluebird bus, fills the traditional role of visiting outlying areas to serve library patrons of all ages distant from any brick-and-mortar library facilities as it has for more than two decades. Current Big Bookmobile stops include Sturgeon, Hallsville, Auxvasse, Harrisburg, Rocheport, North County and North Rangeline. Complete schedules can be found on the DBRL website here.
Senior carries on board more than 3000 items and offers a full array of library materials and services for all ages. You can also pick up items you’ve put on hold. Need a new library card? We can do it on Senior. Need Summer Reading materials? We have you covered.
According to the American Library Association, the first bookmobile was a horse-drawn buggy at the Hagerstown (Md.) Public Library, now part of the Washington County Free Library, in 1905. By 1950 there were more than 600 bookmobiles nationwide. The number peaked at over 2000 during the 1970s. Today, about six percent of public libraries have one or more bookmobile outlets totaling 671 bookmobiles, as of 2019. Yes, we are still here and we still make a big impact. Don’t believe the memes.
