Bookmobile Department History

BOOKMOBILE DEPARTMENT HISTORY The Harris County Library System started in 1921. Sixteen years later in 1937 on August 10th the first bookmobile arrived and started community service to all of Harris County. Mrs. Elnora Edgar Buckanan, County Librarian at that time helped to obtain the first Harris County Bookmobile. At that time the County Library had 40,000 volumes in all. The first time the bookmobile actually went out on the road for community service was August 10, 1937. The first trip was made along the Bay shore. Bookmobile service was given through eight routes with a total of 35 stops, including 16 rural schools which were all served by classrooms. The maximum number of stops on any one route was eight and they varied in time from 30 minutes to two hours and fifteen minutes. Two library assistants and a chauffeur went on the bookmobile on all trips. The assistants aided in the selection of books and attended to the charging while the chauffeur who was a student at the University of Houston did the discharging of books and registering of new borrowers. The first Library-on-wheels was a blue ton and a half which had the capacity of Л.800 books, 700 of which were carried on the outside shelves of the truck. The total cost including all equipment was $1,429.03. In 1946 the bookmobile service consisted of 39 stops on eight trips, at three week intervals. $2,675.34 had been asked for a new bookmobile to be built but it was later decided that the amount would not be enough and so the request for the new bookmobile was dropped until the next years budget. In 1948, $7,218.00 was requested in the budget for a new bookmobile, and it was granted by CommiaLoners ' Court. Ace Distributing Company received the