Picture of Leeds mobile library on Butcher Hill, Leeds.I have several times seen one of the Leeds libraries mobile library out and about but they were always on the road and going in the opposite direction. I was on a bus, the wrong one as it happened, so it was easy to jump off when the bus passed a mobile library parked up.
I was rather lost anyway, and had no good idea of where I was other than somewhere not too far from Headingley. The library vehicle was parked in a pub car park, the pub being the Dalesman on Butcher Hill.
I had once before been in a mobile library here in Leeds, the children's one which was parked outside the Civic Hall as a display for the day.
I noticed when I was looking on the web for details of the mobile libraries route that there is a photo of the mobile library right here in the pub car park from 1971 on the launch of the new service. Back then there was a driver and 3 assistant librarians to operate the service. Today the mobile library has one member of staff, who is both the driver and also runs the library. We chatted for a while and I learned something of the mobile library service and that we had both served in the military.
The mobile library visits Butcher Hill on Fridays between 1245 - 1445 and can be found at the Dalesman Pub, Old Farm Approach LS16 5DD.
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Mobile libraries are such a great idea! In my hometown, it has been operating (and still is) since the late 1950s, I think. I always loved going there as a kid!
ReplyDeleteI'm not at all surprised that the staff has been cut from four to one. I can well imagine the whole service being discontinued altogether in the present climate unless it's used to replace actual buildings that get closed. I wonder if the mobile library has internet access.
ReplyDeleteMobile libraries have all but disappeared around here. How wonderful they're still rolling out where you are.
ReplyDeleteLeeds Mobile Libraries do have internet access
ReplyDeleteA nice service.
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