Edinburgh Libraries Book Bus

Edinburgh’s first ever mobile library service especially for children and young people started on Monday 23^rd October 2006.  This service is unique in Scotland as it specifically targets children and young people who have additional support needs as well as those living in social inclusion areas, who might not otherwise use library services. 

It is managed by Access Services, part of Edinburgh City Council’s Services for Communities. We are a team that provides library services for those who cannot easily use building-based library services.  Our services include mobile libraries, library visits to care homes/sheltered housing/retirement flats, reading development support for children in residential care, a resource centre with adaptive technologies for disabled people, support for the prison library at HMP Edinburgh and a service to three hospitals.

It was decided from the start to target Child and Family Centres, Special schools and those Primary schools in SIP areas which are over one mile from the nearest library.

All proposed sites were visited to discuss suitable times, any special requirements and to check out parking arrangements. As a result of this consultation process, we now have a timetable of  29 venues which we visit on a three-weekly basis.  Included in the programme are services for looked after and accommodated children at St Katharine’s and Howdenhall Secure Services and Wellington School.

Our service vision is to “bring inspiring new reading experiences to the children of Edinburgh.”

Our aim is to encourage children to make use of their local library by introducing them to library services through the Book Bus. To this end all children are issued with two library tickets – one for use on the Book Bus and one for use at home.  The tickets have the same membership number so that any items borrowed on the Book Bus or the local library will show up against their record on the library computer.  The dual ticket means that if venue staff so wish, they can keep the Book Bus ticket at the venue and the child can still use their Home card from home.  Each venue is also entitled to a group ticket so they can borrow items for use in the venue.

The interior of the Book Bus has been created with children’s needs in mind – low shelving, low seating, attractive colours and a warm and welcoming ambience.   It is designed to be flexible, allowing library staff to change the way stock is presented to suit the particular venue and the reading interests of children.  The shelving can be adapted for face-out book display.  The vehicle has air suspension, allowing it to be lowered to kerb level, and a lift for wheelchairs.  

We carry a wide selection of popular stock in different formats.  There are picture books including dual language (Polish is particularly popular), board books which are tactile and interactive, nursery rhymes, cartoons, poetry and joke books, comics, popular fiction and teenage titles for use in the special schools, some of which have young people aged up to aged 18.  Popular information books such as the Horrible History and Horrible Science series are available along with books on football, cars, trucks, pets, etc.  There are books in large print, in cd and tape format, story sacks, large-sized books for use in storytelling.  Unfortunately for one cheeky boy who asked, we don’t have any “inappropriate books”!   

Since its first outing in October 2006, 900 children (of which two thirds did not previously use a library) have borrowed more than 4,000 books. As the service develops, we hope to offer occasional storytelling sessions as part of the visit.  Over the school holidays we plan to link into play schemes and do one-off visits to nurseries which will allow us to reach more children. When the service is not on the road we take the Book Bus to community events to promote the library service.

One of the centres visited by the Book Bus is Craigmillar Child and Family Centre which offers group care and outreach support for children up to nursery age.  Sheila Archibald, one of the centre’s nursery officers has already noticed the impact of the Book Bus. “The children really enjoy the opportunity to pick their own books and we read them together during circle time…we keep the books within the unit but it has encouraged several of the parents to take the children to their local  library so they can get more books to take home.”

This is the hope we have, that children will enjoy coming to the Book Bus and will be inspired to continue the reading habit as well as being encouraged to make use of local library services.  

To find out more, please contact Access Services, Edinburgh City Libraries and Information Services.