Bookbus Service The Bookbus is a mobile library service dedicated to older people and people with disabilities. The service was launched in 1997 to visit residential homes, day care centres and sheltered housing schemes throughout County Durham. Since a new �100,000 vehicle was introduced in June 1999, more people are able to enjoy modern library facilities. Currently, we visit 57 homes, centres and schemes on a three week rota, with more waiting to be added as places become available. 
We designed the new Bookbus around the needs of people who use the service and it is based on an easy access bus chassis. The low floor makes it ideal for people with mobility problems, but it also lowers hydraulically to kerb height at the flick of a switch, making it accessible for wheelchair users. The facilities on board have also been improved: along with books and audio tapes for loan, we offer greetings cards, local history publications and gifts for sale, photocopying facilities and a video player showing information films.
Towards the end of 2000 we organised an author event at General Boucher Court which is visited by the Bookbus. The event was part of a countywide programme of Murder Squad activities. It gave residents the chance to meet authors Stuart Pawson and Margaret Murphy who read extracts from their works and answered questions varying from how did they think of character names to how much they were paid for each novel! The event was such a success that we are hoping to do more in the future.
One of Durham's original mobile libraries - we've come a long way since then but are still as proud of the service!
For more information on the Bookbus, please contact Denise Tyerman on 0191 383 4224 or email: Library Housebound Service. |
