It’s no secret that Discover Books enjoys delivering books to those who need & want them. We also know that there are hundreds of ways to get books out into the world with a chance to tell a new story. But, one of the most fascinating ways, hands down, is the idea of the bookmobile! Think about it…what if you had access to a travelling library that would pull up to your home, open its doors and transport you into another world for a few moments? Would you take advantage of a resource like that? We thought so!
The bookmobile, believe it or not has been around since the mid-1800’s and has drastically changed the way that people enjoy reading. Smithsonian Magazine reports that the first bookmobile was cruising the streets of England back in 1859…ok…maybe not cruising per se, but it was a horse drawn carriage that delivered books to readers throughout the town.
Years later in the 1960s, bookmobiles were still revolutionizing the reading landscape throughout the U.S. as well. Acclaimed author, W. Ralph Eubanks, recalls his first experience with the local bookmobile in southern Mississippi:
“…the bookmobile stopped right on [my] street, a portal into the world of literature. In contrast to the summer heat in south Mississippi, the bookmobile was frigid inside. The librarians did not care that I was barefoot, and wearing a pair of raggedy shorts. All they cared about was that I wanted to read—and to help me find something I would enjoy reading.”
You can read even more about the history of the bookmobile at Smithsonianmag.com!
At Discover Books, we’re always looking for innovative ways to interact with our book loving family both near and far. In our Mid-Atlantic market, for example, we work with the Maryland Book Bank, donating over 20,000 books each year to help them provide local teachers with free books to stock their classroom shelves!
Andddd what is super exciting is that The Maryland Book Bank in partnership with the Baltimore Ravens, has a brand new bookmobile that is packed with close to 2,500 books! They travel around town and serve the children in the Baltimore area by providing them with books that they can keep to help build their own home libraries! How amazing!
We couldn’t be more excited to be working with the Maryland Book Bank to spread literacy and help the #storiesliveon!! Learn more and check out more pictures here!
If you know of any libraries, non-profits or other organizations that have a local bookmobile and you want to share pictures with us, we would love to see them! Post them on our Facebook Page or Tweet them @storiesliveon today! Who knows, maybe we can even help contribute some books to the bookmobile shelves!
