In socioeconomically disadvantaged areas, many children and adults might not be able to visit the library due to factors such as being overworked, not having a car, not having a library in the area, or not being able to check out books from a school library. For people living under those circumstances, bookmobiles have the potential to provide an opportunity for access to literature and educational resources for disadvantaged and marginalized people.
Bookmobiles promote literacy within marginalized communities by bringing books to neighborhoods that do not have easy access to libraries. According to the article "Beebe Badger Bookmobile … Blazing a Reading Trail," a Branch Manager of a library noted that "'not all children are able to make a physical trip to [the] library." For that reason, the library co-operates with the local bookmobile initiative in order to better serve a wider swath of the community. Bookmobiles can arrange to park in front of houses, churches, apartment complexes, or other public buildings in order to position themselves in the best possible location for foot traffic. Bookmobiles not only make literature more accessible, but they can also bring library programs to the people that might need them most. For instance, bookmobiles have the potential to offer meal services to students in the summer with healthy packed lunches. These vehicles can essentially fill the role of school that students often miss out on in the summertime, such as school lunches, educational activities, and reading.
While bookmobiles offer great benefits, there are some potential issues with these services. For instance, since bookmobiles are vehicles, they can be prone to mechanical and electrical failures. These problems, in addition to the cost of gas and labor, make bookmobiles an expensive endeavor (San Diego Public Library). The bookmobiles that tend to have the most success are largely backed by grants as well as by local school systems (Calvert, K. 2019) with volunteers who handle maintenance. The issues with bookmobiles highlight the importance of community involvement in the promotion of assistive technology.
Work Cited
San Diego Public Library. "San Diego's Bookmobiles." https://www.sandiego.gov/sites/default/files/legacy/public-library/pdf/bookmobiles.pdf
Calvert, K. (2019). Beebe Badger Bookmobile ... Blazing a Reading Trail. Knowledge Quest, 47(4), 8+. https://link-gale-com.palomar.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A578440342/AONE?u=cclc_palomar&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=a3607bc4
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