Library History - Mobile Library
When the Hamilton Public Libraries changed from subscription to free membership in the 1960s library usage skyrocketed. There were only two library sites, Frankton, and the city centre. This became a problem for ever-growing library users as public transport was poor and parking in the CBD difficult.
To help those living in the outer suburbs a mobile library was introduced on the 10th of March 1975. It was a Bedford SB3 Chassis which had the ability to carry 3000 books. The service was overwhelmingly successful and was soon running every weekday and a half day on Saturday. The mobile library was like any other library, except it was on wheels. You could return your books, extend your loans, sign up as a new member and even request a book. Inside the bus was a computer which was battery charged, a microfiche catalogue and shelves which were angled so the books didn’t fall off.
During its first year of operation there was a total of 84,986 issues on board the bus. The service highlighted which areas were in urgent need of a permanent library, with Hillcrest and Chartwell being at the top of the list. Due to there being a high need for more library sites, staff felt stretched and couldn’t spend long enough at each stop to fully satisfy their customers. They were also working in a very cramped environment because of the popularity of the service.
By the mid 90’s there were six libraries throughout the city which saw a dramatic decrease in the number of people using the mobile library. It was then phased out because of both the decline and because the bus needed to be replaced. The bus was then sold off and turned into a campervan by the new owners.
