This image was taken for a story published in The Manawatū Evening Standard on 22nd November 1973.
"The city librarian, Mr I.W. Malcolm, and the deputy librarian, Miss N.M. Irvine, admire the new mobile library."
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.