Libraries are a lifeline for many people. They provide much needed escapism, access to knowledge and skills, all for free. But for those who live too remotely, who can’t physically access libraries, all hope is not lost (funding cuts aside - I’ll come to that). We have mobile libraries!
This week I’ve been reading about the Biblioburro. It’s a scheme in Colombia that delivers books on the backs of two donkeys - Alfa and Beto - to communities that wouldn’t otherwise be able to access libraries. The scheme was so popular that funding was also raised for a physical library, much to the delight of everyone.
Mobile libraries are nothing new. The earliest* I could find a record of, back in 1858, was the Warrington Perambulating Library in England. It quadrupled the number of books loaned by the library by sending a one-horse open sleigh van filled with books around Warrington and the surrounding areas. Nor are librarians discouraged by - well, just about anything actually, they’re pretty determined folk. So across the ocean, another project was established, this time in the Appalachians: despite the Great Depression, low literacy rates, isolated communities, and daunting routes. The Pack Horse Library Project was an enormous success, employing around 200 people and reaching 100,000 patrons. Unlike the previously established schemes, these ignored the lack of roads and population centres, and instead paid ‘book women’ to ride or walk with about 100 books to the most remote locations. The scheme ran from 1935 to 1943. Librarians, they’re awesome.
It’s not just on the backs of donkeys though, my extensive** research found mention of boats, rickshaws, vans, trains - even elephants. None of these, sadly, are immune from budget cuts and Thailand withdrew funding for its Books-by-Elephant funding some time ago. Closer to home for me, mobile libraries have been hit hard by the powers-that-be neglecting any and all services that don’t directly impact their own needs. So rather than Devon, England - a rural county - having a £200k mobile library service, they instead will benefit from a whopping £25k to ‘help vulnerable people who use the service’. If I rolled my eyes any harder they’d fall out of my head.
As writers, this has broader implications. We write, most of us, because we want people to read our work. We want to bring something to their lives - whether that’s a few hours escaping into a different world, or introducing folk to a new world-view, or giving access to a set of new skills and knowledge. Not only are we beset with hysterical book-banning*** calls, usually driven by a small handful of vocal and dangerous fools, but for many having access to any books is becoming increasingly out of reach. Which makes it all the more likely that the ignorant voices multiply.
Support your local library, folks. They need as much love as they can get.
*This was the earliest I could find in my comprehensive thirty-minute google session, please do tell me if there’s earlier mobile libraries that I’ve missed.
**Aforementioned thirty-minute google session
*** Including notably - dictionaries?!