This study describes a questionnaire survey of bookmobile staff across the United States via the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services (ABOS). The survey was conducted to determine if and in what ways do bookmobile librarians and staff perceive bookmobiles as important and relevant to contemporary bookmobile users and how do they perceive the bookmobile’s role in fulfilling patron’s informational, recreational, and educational needs? Their thoughts and opinions help to explain why bookmobiles exist and their role in the modern world.Forty-eight bookmobile staff persons from 22 states responded. From the survey, it is clear that they believe strongly in what they do. 75% expected to continue to increase their services in the next 5 years due to increasing needs of seniors, preschoolers, school children, and communities. A growing need was seen for more bookmobiles, more specialized bookmobiles for specific populations, more technology and more staff to serve more people.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the educational value of the bookmobile in the schools of Texas. In order to make the study, two Texas counties, Denton and Young, which have bookmobiles in use in the schools, were surveyed and a comparison made with a survey of Jack County which has no bookmobile.

Masters of Art / The study investigated the bookmobile library service of the City of Cape Town libraries as an information ground and the information seeking behaviour of Manenberg adult library users. The study explored the use of bookmobile services by identified information needs and information seeking behaviour of community members to identify whether the bookmobiles were able to meet them. The study underpinned the Information Grounds Theory by Pettigrew to understand how individuals visiting the mobile library seek, acquire and exchange information while waiting for the bus as well as when they are in the mobile library.

Bibliotekslagens ändamålsparagraf anger att bibliotek i det allmänna väsendet ska arbeta med att främja intresset för bildning. Det gäller således alla typ av offentligt finansierade bibliotek och uppdraget tar ingen hänsyn till resurser eller ekonomiska faktorer. Såväl bokbussar som biblioteksverksamhet på landsbygden kan ha begränsade resurser i förhållande till större städer och tätorter. Lagen har inte heller någon tydlig beskrivning av hur arbetet med att främja intresset för bildning ska gå till. Denna uppsats ämnar därför att undersöka hur personal på bokbussar på landsbygden ser på begreppet bildning, bokbussens betydelse på landsbygden samt hur de arbetar med bildning i den dagliga verksamheten. Den insamlade empirin består av samtalsintervjuer med sju bokbussmedarbetare. Uppsatsen har ett praktikteoretiskt perspektiv där bokbusspersonalens berättelser och dagliga arbete används för att synliggöra och fördjupa förståelsen för och arbetet med bildning. Som teoretiskt verktyg för att belysa skillnader och utmaningar med att arbeta på en bokbuss på landsbygden används Stein Rokkan och Derek Urwins teori om centrum och periferi. Studiens resultat visar att personalen på bokbussar på landsbygden arbetar med bildning genom att erbjuda låntagarna tillgång till ett brett utbud litteratur men även genom programverksamhet och det sociala mötet. Bokbussens funktion på landsbygden beskrivs som viktig, framförallt som en social mötesplats men även som en brygga för att överbygga den isolering som landsbygdens periferi kan uppleva i relation till centralorternas centrum. / The Swedish library act states that the public libraries should promote the interest for bildung. The act regulates all public libraries and does not consider how different libraries vary in resources or economic factors. Both bookmobiles and rural libraries could have limited recourses and funds in relation to larger libraries and libraries in larger cities and the library act does not describe how the libraries should promote the interest for bildung. This study therefore aims to investigate how staff working on rural bookmobiles consider the concept of bildung, the rural bookmobiles importance and how the staff implements bildung in their daily work. The study consists of seven interviews with library staff from four different rural municipalities. To gain a deeper understanding of how the rural bookmobile staff consider and work with the concept of bildung a practice theory perspective is used. Stein Rokkans’ and Derek Urwins’ theory of center and periphery is used as a theoretical frame intending to illustrate possible differences and challenges that may occur on rural bookmobiles. The result of the study shows that the rural bookmobile staff work with bildung by offering a wide assortment of literature but also by library activities and by being a social gathering point. The function of the rural bookmobiles is described by the staff as important, especially as a gathering point but also as a bridge to reduce the isolation that can occur between the rural periphery and the central centers.