| Bookmobiles, from Anaheim to Africa |
[Apr. 16th, 2007|02:26 pm] |
Recently, and just for fun, I read Kerry Madden’s novel, Gentle’s Holler. I savored every page. The main character, Livy Two, made me laugh and cry and remember my own (very similar) childhood. One of my favorite parts of the story was Livy Two’s relationship with Miss Attickson, who runs the local bookmobile. Did any vehicle generate more excitement on my street – other than the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile or the ice cream truck? I think not.
Coinciding with National Library Week, American communities are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the bookmobile. This traveling library served Anaheim in 1958; it looks like the one that visited my neighborhood some years later.
 
Image credits: ark.cdlib.org
Did you know there's actually a camel-drawn bookmobile in Africa that provides books to communities along the border between Kenya and Somalia? One of Kerry's LJ entries introduced me to this project. According to their website, “Camels bring books to a semi-nomadic people who live with drought, famine and chronic poverty. The books are spread out on grass mats beneath an acacia tree, and the library patrons, often barefoot, sometimes joined by goats or donkeys, gather with great excitement to choose their books until the next visit.”
Wouldn't you love to deliver books to people who may never have seen a book before? Well, now you can!
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| Comments: |
Ah, I loved the library bookmobile!
>>Ah, I loved the library bookmobile!<<
Me, three! I remember the delicious coolness of the ac in the summer! Ours came to our mall parking lot.
A lovely, summery thought. :)
I loved the bookmobile too - and I saw Jack Gantos speak last year and he described his crush on the bookmobile librarian who was a driver and how she would arrive, take down her hair, shake it out and turn around from the driver's seat and be right behind the counter, so she would go immediately from driver to librarian...he was so funny as a boy loving this lady who brought books to kids.
Thanks for your sweet words on Gentle...I'm about to send off Jessie's Mountain in today or tomorrow.
Oh, I so think the Bookmobiles should still be in wide circulation. That would be awesome.
Wouldn't you love to deliver books to people who may never have seen a book before?
That would be great. And I'm sure there are plenty of people in my city that I can start with. ;-)
They still exist in lots of places (including Orange County), but there can never be enough, right?
:)
Really? Oh that's very cool. I didn't even know they were still around. And no, there can never be enough. :-)
What a great memory! thanks for that link! : )
There's no downside to a bookmobile, is there? It's a rolling gift of joy. :)
That is soooo cool.
Thanks for bringing a positive note into a grim day.
Yes, I thought that about that, too. I was going to wait, but I figured we could all use something positive to think about. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Liz.
I love that story about the camel!!!!!!!!!! :))
Oh, me too! I could almost imagine myself rolling up in the bookmobile, then sitting down with a little child and sharing a picture book. Maybe one called ROCKABYE HIPPO? How perfect would *that* be? | |
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