“I thought you’d enjoy this visual I helped create about some funky bookmobiles from around the world.” ~Makenzie
Today, searching for a good book is easy to do since the internet is everywhere. Before we had the internet, however, people had to look for other options to be able to access books and read. Bookstores and libraries were great places to go for those who lived in town, but people who did not live in an urban center were out of luck.
That’s where bookmobiles come into the picture. They have been around for many years and have a rich tradition of sharing books among communities everywhere. Bookmobiles are modes of transportation that help spread literature to places where libraries are not readily available. They bring books to those who do not have access to them, like people who live in rural areas.
Since the mid-1800s, bookmobiles have been making library books and services available to underserved communities all over the world. The first library on wheels was a horse-drawn carriage in Great Britain. Even in the modern internet age, mobile libraries are still around – and they are more creative than ever before!
The infographic below includes interesting and fun facts about ten of the most creative contemporary bookmobiles in the world today – from a repurposed war tank in Argentina called “Weapon of Mass Instruction” to the tram library operating in Prague, to the “Biblioburro” donkey-drawn trolley bringing books to children in Colombia.
Whether it is a trip by bike, bus or burro, these mobile libraries have a common goal of spreading the love of reading and learning to kids and adults who don’t have access to libraries or bookstores. They also bring the community together through the joy and entertainment of books.
Here is the infographic:
