The History of the BookMobile

Bookmobiles have a long history dating back to the 1850s, when a horse-drawn collection of books began making the rounds in England.

In the United States, the first bookmobile hit the streets in Maryland in 1905. The idea is largely attributed to librarian, Mary Lemist Titcomb who belived that a book wagon was a way for rural residents to have access to books, but also “do much more in cementing friendships.”

Her quote speaks to me and I feel aligns with my mission for Books and Cookies. Since it’s creation in 2011, I have focused on building community around literacy and though it is hard to let go of this physical location, which has been my home for many years, I do believe, as Mary Lemist Titcomb did, that by going mobile, we will be able to reach a wider range of communities, make more friends and continue to share our love of books and the beautiful early literacy work we do.

Bookmobiles have a proud legacy of service and I too hope to continue to be of service to tiny book lovers everywhere.

Some inspiring photos of bookmobiles thru the ages.