More Info →Library on the Move

Description

The first image in this pair was taken for a story published in The Manawatū Evening Standard on 4th December 1973.

"Palmerston North's new mobile library "hit the road" yesterday. Driver and librarian Mr K. J. Harrington checks books before going to the first stop at Highbury. The new mobile is the largest of its type in New Zealand, holding 1200 more books than the next largest."

The new mobile library replaced the caravan library that had been in use since 1969. 30ft long, 8ft wide, 11ft tall, and weighing 5 tons 16cwt, the vehicle was painted in two shades of blue and bore a library adaption of the Palmerston North coat of arms.

Equipped with a cross-section of books from central library stock, the mobile library was able to cover the city in more depth than the previous caravan. Special attention was given to new housing areas and those with young children and the elderly. Lending materials included also art prints, magazines and records.

$12,000 of the $17,000 required had been saved over 4 years of library operations. At the time the annual turnover of mobile library books was 100,000. That was expected to double within two years, with the new mobile library serving the community for twenty.

Identification

Object type

Image

Archive

Manawatū Evening Standard Negative Collection

Relation

2017-20

Date

December 4, 1973

Digitisation id

2023N_2017-20_AO307_001

Format

B&W negative

Held In

"Other"