Children protest against mobile library closure | Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries

The library that the children are supporting is a generic mobile library, not a specialised Children's mobile library. The three letters that they have written, however, show the depth of feeling that the children have for their regular visits to the mobile library. They say that they enjoy choosing the books themselves, and that act is very important in the child's social and psychological development. In a world that is so controlled for children, they have to wear school uniform, they can't go and play out side in the street, they can't go anywhere without an accompanying adult, children have to learn somewhere that they are allowed to make decisions, and the decisions can be right. That is what happens when they choose a library book.

Of course, you could say that these three children may have been put up to writing the letters by a parent, they may all be from the same family. They may have been bribed by promises of chocolate or more time on the Wii. Anyone who knows anything about children (especially precocious brats (I know, I had at least one) knows that co-orced children would not have phrased the letters in such a personal and interesting way. Precocious brats badger their parents to send the letters, or would send a letter anyway, then tell the parent about it. One of mine sent letters to the local paper, and had them published.

Children protest against mobile library closure | Friends of Gloucestershire Libraries

a bookmobile in Cuba

This bookmobile was donated to a cuban library by Americans, who also raised a campaign to donate all the books. Literacy is highly regarded by the Cuban regime, it is a way to empower the common person.

This bookmobile appears to be sucessfully capturing the interest of cuban children. Perhaps we could run a campaign in America to keep British library open and start up more Children's Mobile Libraries!




Impact of the Bookmobile Project on Library Outreach Services in Granma Province « Bookmobile to Cuba, from Gentry to Granma

A success story

It is good to know that even in these stringent times, somebody listens to the common man, sometimes. In Hampshire, a children's mobile library has been in service for nearly 28 years, known as "Maisy Mouse", but officially called the Family Library Link. I should have found about this vehicle years ago, and I heard vague mentions of the "One in Hampshire", but all I could find as I searched the Hampshire website was the School Library Service mobile, and that was not what I was after. I presume that I did not find it because I did not think of searching for the term "Family Library Link". I had not previously come across that phrase to describe a Children's Mobile Library.

Well, I found out about it in difficult circumstances, it came onto my feed reader from a newspaper link, protesting about its closure

Campaign to save 'Maisy Mouse' mobile library - East Hampshire - The News

Being rather full of myself I emailed the service, for two reasons, firstly to gather more information about the CML and secondly to offer my services to the library to talk to the council about how amazingly brilliant CMLs are at advancing literacy. I have the proof now! Anyway, I had an informative reply, and a gentle let down. As it turned out, my help wan not needed at all, due to a hefty public campaign and a school boy, it appears that the service has been saved.


Schoolboy Bobby rescues library from budget cuts - Politics - The News

Here is a section of the reply I had from Eileen Leigh, I felt it had to said in her own words.

Family Library Link is a special service for the Under 5’s and their parents/carers . There are 2 members of staff one full time and one part-time, working 25 hours a week term-time only. We make over 40 visits a month to pre-schools, nurseries , parent & toddler groups ,special needs groups and reception classes . The area we go to has expanded over the years to meet growing demands , as well as Leigh Park we travel to Wecock Farm (an overspill from Leigh Park) and Portchester . During visits the children and carers access the especially designed Library bus (Maisy)to choose books and share stories . The van is bright, colourful and well loved !Pre-schools have a large collection to support the home loans scheme in which we have encouraged them to participate .

Books play a major role in all areas of child development and Family Library Link’s aims are to promote the enjoyment of the best picture books through loans and storytelling . The van carries around 1,200 books with plenty of back up stock in the office. We maintain a high standard regarding the condition of the stock as there is a high turnover we are able to keep standards up with an annual budget for stock revision and new titles .There are board books for the babies and more complicated stories for the older children. We hold rhyme times at the parent and toddler group and read stories at most of the groups we visit.

Over the years we have held Book Fairs , Fun Days and had Fun months - promoting the library in a fun way. We have also been involved with Reading is Fundamental ( part of the National Literacy Trust) a fabulous project that provided free books each term to every child attending the Leigh Park groups. The project ran for 5 years and the books were presented at a different event each term . we were heavily involved in the selection of the books and the presentations many of which were held in Leigh Park Library . Parents and carers attended these really happy events. All were encouraged to join the branch library .

We are also involved with Book Start distributing packs and have co-ordinated a few very successful Book Crawls in Leigh Park and Portchester with presentations of certificates in the libraries with parents and children enjoying the fun events.

During the summer holidays term-time groups are closed or quieter.

The van is transformed into Book Bus . We have visited play schemes and country parks promoting the library through browsing and storytelling. Last Summer we were involved in the National Summer Reading Challenge.

I

Save our Libraries Day.

I have done my little bit for Save our Libraries day. I chose to do my own little library crawl to my nearest Libraries. I couldn't do all the ones that are closest to me, Melbourne library, which is part time and situated in a community centre, is closed on a Saturday. It is small and welcoming, however, with a good selection of local (very local) history books and very accommodating when the other half and I were searching for information to save out local village pub. (got the info, didn't manage to save the pub, now a pile of rubble). Borrowash library closes at 1pm on a Saturday, and as I didn't start the pub crawl until then, I missed that one.

So, 1pm I started out from Weston on Trent. 1.19 pm I was sitting behind a computer looking up stuff on Ancestry about one of my Ancestors, a George King, Head gamekeeper, who was shot by poachers, but I could write a whole book about him. One day I will. Not sure if I found out anything new because it took me little while to get to him, got a bit diverted by his son and family. the library was calm an quiet, I expected it to be busier on a Saturday, a few people on computers and the odd person browsing the shelves, a mum and child booking something out a t the desk. Still, mental note, they have a huge selection of local maps and copies of the town newspaper that goes back centuries and it is a good place to go to do more extensive ancestor searching.

2pm saw me at Alvaston Library where I rummaged through the DVD selection to borrow "Scott Pilgrim", a film that my son advised me to watch, but somehow missed it at the cinema (Cost £2, student rate). Had a chat with the library assistant, I know her because I previously worked as a relief assistant at the library, and did some other stuff there with mums and babies. She is also a relief assistant now, but her main job is a school librarian, and as I have done that as well, we talked about what a nice job it is, being your own boss and in total control of a library. I explained what I was doing today, and she said "Isn't it typical, library day, and our system is down", as she wrote my details down by hand, "that's why it is quiet here, we were really busy earlier". The computers are heavily used in Alvaston.

Next it was Allenton library, at around 2.30. Another little library in a converted primary school, the other half is a community centre. This was busy, a policeman sat in a corner looking wistful. I am not sure why, it could have been that three older children were sitting with a young woman doing craft activities. there was a lot of glue and glitter about. Two out three more young people were in the teenage section, generally chatting and browsing, while a group of little old ladies were gossiping in format of the "Romance" section "I said.... and he did... and she said...." that sort of stuff. There I borrowed a book on organic allotmenting and how to be a good grandparent. I recognised the library assistant there too, but she didn't recognise me. She is a relief assistant too.

On to Chellaston Library, in effect the closest. This library has only been open since last March, not quite a year. It was really bus there two, a lot of people browsing, and children in the children's section. I selected two local history books there that I though him indoors would like, and a bundle of leaflets about local history talks. I belong to a reading group at that library, (meeting on Monday) so I also collected the next book. The woman in the queue ahead of me said to the library assistant "I expected there to be people out side with petitions". "Ah, library day, we are not closing any libraries" said the assistant, "But hours are being cut, except for this library, we are getting more hours." "Good" said the customer "I have waited 25 years for this library, we love this library".

Then it was 3pm and on to Sinfin. I have also worked there in the past. It was not so busy there, no kids, but adults browsing and a man reading a newspaper. I borrowed a CD of Japanese music (50p) a book about edible wild plants and a Chinese cookbook from the children's section. I didn't think much of the cookery books in the adult section. Had another conversation with a library assistant that I knew (she belonged to that library), this time about whether or not the next Hooked on Reading conference will take place this year, and how my studies are progressing.

I am now going to cook a recipe that my daughter has chosen from the cookbook, and probably play the music in the background. The DVD will be watched some time over the weekend, if not this evening. the books will be rummaged through, and I will be posting tweets about today, trying to demonstrate the value of libraries and what they can offer.

Family Library Link

Well, isn't it surprising that after over two years of intensive searching for children's mobile libraries I now find yet another one, and all because I found link to library closures! I am constantly frustrated by the fact that local authority web sites do not have clear links to such valuable services as children's mobile libraries. This Family Library Link CML in Portsmouth appears to offer the same sort of service as the Stockport StoryBus, and I am a little sad that I have discovered it at so late a stage in my research. It will go on the list, however, and I will not stop searching until every authority is checked!

Video: Mobile Libraries of the World · Global Voices

Video: Mobile Libraries of the World · Global Voices

This is an interesting blog page by a lady who has collected videos of the more unusual forms of transport used as mobile libraries around the world. What do you think we should use in Britain when it snows? Bring back the shire horse? or should we get some reindeer, I believe there are some in Scotland. then the arrival of a mobile library really would be like Christmas coming all year round!!

I have acutally made some conclusions from the research, but at the moment I am not blogging them, just in case I may end up plagiarlising myself, however, I can say that I think that the excitment of a mobile library arriving at a venue, then leaving again make them as attractive to customers as travelling shows. They are like Christmas arriving, and this helps the learning process . But, mor of that when I have written up the thesis.

Happy Christmas everyone!

the Mobile Library « The Saadhu Blog

the Mobile Library « The Saadhu Blog

Bye-bye to illiteracy as communities in rural Ingome get mobile libraries - Sowetan LIVE

Bye-bye to illiteracy as communities in rural Ingome get mobile libraries - Sowetan LIVE

List of things to do

I operate by coping with life through a series of lists. I suppose that is why I took to librarianism like a duck to water. I have never reached the heady heights of having a lists of lists, that would be too much like cataloguing. I did decide to "go out" with the person I am now married to by doing lists of advantages and disadvantages, however, so the list idea is well ingrained in me. So, why the latest list? and what is all this waffle about? Two days ago I had the terrifying experience of defending my research for my second year viva, in order to pass to the third year and complete the PhD. This past year has been focused on collecting and analysing the data. Now I have to make sense of it all. The second year viva concentrated on the ways I collected and analysed the data and what I named the methodology.

Now I have to work out my arguments for calling the methodology "Grounded theory ethnography" in a much better way, more supported and succinctly, and I have to work out how to present my thesis in a non formal way, but with the literature search being obvious. This is what I have decided to do;

• email some people who are writing grounded theory theses to see how they lay it out
  
• look at theses in the library that use grounded theory
• find recommendations for grounded theory thesis layout in books about grounded theory
• decide on a generic form of headings and where to put what information
  
• take the layouts and show them to my supervisors

There, list done.

And I must remember to say in my final viva that I collected and analysed data all in one go.

So busy writing too busy to write

At the end of each year of PhD study a report has to be submitted to check that you are really doing some work. "Report" is somewhat of a misnomer, because it takes about six months to write and is mainly made up of stuff you will have in your final thesis, something I found out after the disater of my first year report. Well, I think I have cracked it with the second year report, I have written the methodology, it took me ages to work out what I was doing, I knew what the actions and consequences were, but I had to sort it all into a set system and justify the chioce of the actions, with philosphical reasoning. It is hard.

So, this morning I have just practised the presentation for the second year viva with my supervisiors and it went well, just a few tweaks and a bit more practise to get it slick. I may post it on here one day, but I think I should let the examiner see it for the first time at the presentation. I am also writing the literature review, and all of you who's vehicle I have visited will get a mention somewhere. I can only write about the ones where there is some published material, or the people who have given me written reports, so if you are a Children's Mobile Library service, and you have nothing posted on a website, get you IT crowd at it and put one out there for me! All in all, I have spent so much time writing up what I have done and seen that I have not had enough time to do Proper work, but hey, that's life and business isn't it!

Leeds new look mobile library on streets - Yorkshire Evening Post

Typical, isn't it, as soon as I take a month's leave something happens and a new children's mobile springs up. If only I had warning, I could have gone to see it. Still, apart from asking Leeds libraries what their aims are and why they have chosen to start a new service in this stringent times I don't think that this new library will add any more data to my thesis. So, I am pleased that CML's are still being launched and hope that Leeds will not be the last one for a while.

Leeds new look mobile library on streets - Yorkshire Evening Post

Library Services for Young People · Children’s Mobile Library for Leeds, UK

Latest News: New mobile library prepares to hit the road

Latest and maybe last bit of fieldwork, Manchester and Stockport

So, it has been just over a year since I started going out on vehicles and although I am doing qualitative research (stuff that cannot be counted or measured), here are some figures. I have observed over 700 children, I have talked to at least 29 staff and 40 parents and carers. I have undertaken observations in 13 vehicles over 9 library authorities and informally spoken to the staff of two more. If I have missed you out, I apologise. I still hope to contact everyone by the end of the PhD, so if you are part of a Children's Mobile Library service and have any burning issues to tell me, please be in touch. I have made friends all over the country and I hope that mobile libraries and library services can exist for the next year so that I can report back!

So, the last two bits of fieldwork were a Saturday morning with the Reading Voyager in Manchester, gosh, the traffic was hectic, and a Thursday afternoon with the Stockport Storybus.The Reading Voyager visits 10 mainstream schools and 5 special schools regularly on a three week rota. This is to fit in with the main library service borrowing period for books. They also visit children’s homes, a travellers site, a fairground site and street stops after school. They mainly issues books and don’t generally tell stories apart from during special events. They have collaborated with Manchester museum to produce a board game about books which is still played in the schools they visit.

The vehicle is currently run by Diane and Lynne. They always work with a driver who could be one of a pool of seven,the drivers circulate like Lincoln. The driver of the day during my visit was Karen. She has worked in Libraries for the past 30 years and has driven a mobile library for the past 15. Both of the staff I saw today love their jobs and are dedicated to the service.The aim of the service as far as Diane is concerned, is to break down barriers. She feels there is more to their service that just giving out books, part of it is being a role model and another caring adult in the children’s lives. She has taken over the post from the woman who set the service up. The vehicle is a “Leicester coach builders” vehicle. The inside is pleasant enough, the shelves are pinky purple and the carpet blue. There are two padded seats at the back and lots of shelves that go up to head height only. The shelves are all face on, and there are a number of spinners. It has a public laptop, the only other one that I have seen since my days in the Reading Rocket, The outside is cream with illustrations by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell.

The Stockport Storybus is quite different. It's target audience is children under the age of five. It operates with a team of three people, Christopher, Carol and Alison and it is managed by Sarah.

This service was started in 2001 as part of the sure start service. It still has a sure start logo on its livery. It specialises in under fives and visits under fives groups, schools and nurseries, children’s centres and has community stops, Alison and Christopher also deliver Bookstart books, tell stories in clinics and work with parents and children. Much of their work involves modelling storytelling for parents, so that they can do it with their children at home. The team also train Sure start staff who have little confidence in storytelling.Today was the last day of term and I had the privilege to meet the whole team.
The vehicle is on the road three days a week, and has eight stops a day. The community stops are usually very busy with parents and grandparents bringing their children and grandchildren on board. The interior is colourful, decorated with nursery style scenes, only a few book shelves and a number of kinderboxes on the floor. It is a large space, dedicated to storytelling activities. It was a lovely end to some very fruitful fieldwork.

New children's library bus hits the road - Oxford Journal

New children's library bus hits the road - Oxford Journal

Oxfordshire have three mobile libraries that cater for children. The latest one is a mobile children's centre, but I may have mentioned that after seeing it at the Mobile meet. It was shortly after then that I managed to observe it in action, during the first time that it had been out in a holiday period. It is beautifully appointed, with a plasma screen to show presentations and video's to parents and lots of toys for babies and toddlers. The two ladies who run the vehicle are both very experienced child care experts and newly experience library assistants. they have picked up the skills really quickly.

Parents were greeted with the offer of a hot drink, and children were read to and borrowed lots of books. Everyone seemed very impressed with the bright and relaxed atmosphere and we all got treated to some nursery rhymes spontaneously sang to us by one of the three year olds.

Book illustrations adorn new Norfolk mobile library - Norfolk News - EDP24

This is not what I would term A Children's Mobile Library, it is one run by the School Library service, but I thought I would add it anyway. It is good to find a mention of a new vehicle in a newspaper.

Book illustrations adorn new Norfolk mobile library - Norfolk News - EDP24

Barnstaple People | Devon County Council to Improve Mobile Library Service

Barnstaple People | Devon County Council to Improve Mobile Library Service

Grant keeps New Haven's Readmobile rolling (video)- The New Haven Register - Serving New Haven, Connecticut

Grant keeps New Haven's Readmobile rolling <span style="color: #ff0000">(video)</span>- The New Haven Register - Serving New Haven, Connecticut

Bookmobile fund-raiser set

Bookmobile fund-raiser set

The Weston Mercury - Mobile library service set for changes

The Weston Mercury - Mobile library service set for changes

Budget cuts force library to re-evaluate mobile services

Budget cuts force library to re-evaluate mobile services

Getting Started: A Children’s Traveling Library and the Love of Books « Preschool Literacy « Videos « Literacy News

Getting Started: A Children’s Traveling Library and the Love of Books « Preschool Literacy « Videos « Literacy News