Random Updates and Reminiscences

One of the small irritating problems that we encountered on the Reading Rocket (a children's mobile library) was accessing Derby City Libraries' library management system live from our lap-top. Mobile technology was still developing at the time, and although some authorities were using satellites dishes on top of their mobile libraries, our technicians considered that the expense of satellite dishes, their deployment time and reliability was not as effective as using an internet dongle. This meant that we could access the Derby City Libraries system and the internet over a mobile phone signal. This was great, most of the time, but there places in Derby that received poor signals and on occasions the driver of the Reading Rocket would have to move the vehicle a few feet up or down a street before we got good reception. It seemed particularly bad in places where we were near mobile masts, like if we we just too close.

It is quite remarkable, then to read this story of a mobile library in 1980s Colorado which not only could be the very first mobile library with an on-line computer, but perhaps also a very early example of WiFi. The signals between the Mobile Library modem and the library mainframe computer were by radio, meaning that library had to have its own frequency. More of the story can be found at:
 
https://bookmobiles.wordpress.com/2013/11/03/the-first-online-bookmobile/

It is really quite common for children's mobile libraries to be illustrated with pictures from well known book authors. The Reading Rocket was covered with illustrations from Nick Sharrat's book Rocket Countdown (Walker Books) http://www.amazon.co.uk/Rocket-Countdown-Nick-Sharratt/dp/1406322245. This was all perfectly legal, we got help and permission from Walkers Books and Nick Sharrat himself came to officially launch the "Rocket" and I still have my signed copy of Rocket Countdown which Nick said he signed with Jacqueline Wilson's pen. During my field work I found examples of work by:


Chris Riddel (Manchester's Reading Voyager)

  Mick Inkpen's Kipper from West Sussex

and Little Rabbit Foo Foo by Arthur Robins in Stockport.

The attractiveness of a familiar picture or artistic style appears to draw attention to the vehicles, and perhaps gives some sort of clue as to the content, not ice creams or hot dogs! I have found this other example of the tradition going on in the Caribbean island of St Martin where a local author has allowed her character "Lizzie the Lizard"to be put on a mobile library that visits schools on the island. 

http://www.smn-news.com/st-maarten-st-martin-news/13916-lizzy-lizard-is-a-star-on-the-jubilee-library-book-mobile.html/

And here are some pictures of the Reading Rocket:

Latest information

Things are going well on the field work front, I have dates for visiting West Sussex (both vehicles) and the Edinburgh bookbus and I have a meeting with Leicester City libraries ( they also have two vehicles). I have also been checking the original list, and seem to have lost Bexley (where are you Bexley?) and Backburn. However, I have just discovered Medway, which is silly really, because I have know about it since the Mobile meet, I took a photo of it but somehow didn't manage to find out if it was a public library children's mobile or a school's service vehicle. I decided that with five authorities actually signed up for observation, I should make the effort to see every vehicle once, even if it is for a short time or to interview the mobile vehicle staff. I may find more. Too many would make it harder to see everyone, but it would be good news for the research.

The comments I have already had from managers of the services confirm that the study is needed. they want to know what people think about their services as well. Different authorities tend to use the service for different sets of excluded groups. Manchester for instance visits traveller sites while Edinburgh encompasses special schools and secure units. This is interesting because it demonstrates the value of using vehicles to get to people. The argument could be, however, that deposit collections could be put into these places and rotated. That would still require a delivery van, and surely it is more that books that mobile libraries deliver, it is a library service.

I have just been writing up the definition (they have forced me to do a Literature Review) of a mobile library, and I know, I have just split an infinitive. Sujin Butdisuwan of a University in Thailand defined a mobile library as:

All travelling or movable library activities in any formats such as large enclosed trucks or vans or large motor vehicles equipped with shelves and a staff enclosure to visit rural districts or remote areas where there is no other library service at specific times on a certain day or days of the week.

Shelves are mentioned, but not books!! just a mental slip there, I am sure, but the interesting thing is that it is the library service part that is accentuated.

Is ten a good enough number?

Well, after going through all the local authority websites listed on Direct.Gov I found 10 proper specialised Children's mobile libraries (Actually, I think that it is 11 because Leicester has two vehicles), 13 School library service vehicles, and a handful of other shared/dual purpose vehicles. There are some that have come and gone, some that were only meant to be for a short season, just summer holiday storytelling. I had a brief conversation with a school librarian last week, who informed me that when she worked at Staveley in Derbyshire, she has spent some time during the summer holidays on the mobile library. This is something I must follow up. She only did it a few times because she said she suffered from travel sickness and felt very queasy travelling around in the van.

So, the question is, is ten enough or is it just the right number to do a really good investigation? Of course, there may be others that I have not yet unearthed and I will carry on my mission of seeking out children's mobile libraries not only in Britain, but across the universe. The ones that I have found are in Bexley, Birmingham and Blackburn, Edinburgh, Leicester (x2) and Manchester, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Southampton, Stockport and Swansea. There are more School library service mobiles, but I am not sure have relevant they are, or what effect they have on children because they only visit schools, and then at most termly, or merely twice a year. The number of books they allow the classes to borrow varies from just one or two per child, to lots (well, that is not a very specific sum I know, I have the figure 500 in my head, not per child, of course, but per school, or per class, and I can't quite remember what the exact allocation is). They certainly operate to a different model, but that could be something to compare, if 10 is not enough.