Kentucky's Bookmobile Program
A Century in the Making

Kentucky's Bookmobile Program is recognized nationally for its excellence in providing service, and for its storied tradition and longevity. The Bookmobile Program was started by the Friends of Kentucky Libraries with help from many organizations, individuals and former Governor, Lawrence Wetherby. One hundred bookmobiles were presented to counties on September 16, 1954 as a result of the generous time and donations of this diverse group. Our state has led the nation in the number of bookmobiles from that time and continues to rank Number One today.

A Century In The Making

For almost a century some form of library extension service has been putting books and other reading materials in Kentuckians’ hands. What started as a traveling library project for a woman‘s club is now a fleet of 117 bookmobiles.

Traveling Book Project

Back in 1887, Mrs. C.P. Barnes of Louisville initiated a “Traveling Book Project” for a local literary club. Later known as the Monday Afternoon Club, the club shipped books in wooden crates to areas with no libraries. Once the books were read, they were packed again in the crates and returned. The “Traveling Book Project” met with so much success that the Kentucky Federation of Women’s Clubs sponsored a “Traveling Library.” Miss Fannie Castleman Rawson, a member of the Monday Afternoon Club, became chairperson of the “Traveling Library.” In one season, she traveled by muleback 96 miles taking books up creekbottoms, over mountain ranges, and across the headwaters of the Kentucky and Cumberland Rivers.

Kentucky’s Federation of Women’s Clubs also had another far-reaching effect on reading. The Federation and the Kentucky Library Association were instrumental in getting the General Assembly to establish the Kentucky Library Commission (The Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives’ predecessor) in 1910. Miss Fannie Rawson, who systematized and expanded the “Traveling Library”, was appointed Executive Secretary of the Kentucky Library Commission. Once the Commission was established, the Federation transferred its traveling library collection of 5,000 books and 100 wooden crates to the Commission. The Commission extended the service to the entire state and, by 1913, there were 182 traveling library stations operating from 81 counties.

Bookwagon Service

While the Commission was establishing traveling libraries, Berea College was initiating library service of a different form. A bookwagon, an early forerunner of the bookmobile, was started around 1916 to serve outlying communities. Even back in the 1890’s, Berea was sending reading materials “into isolated hills and hollows by mail train, river boat and muleback. At its peak the service had an annual circulation of 60,000 books.”

Just as the whole nation suffered during the Depression, so did library services. The Works Progress Administration (WPA), associated with the Federal Works Program, not only provided work for needy people, but also provided a shot in the arm for extension library services. Working with the Library Extension Division (formerly the Kentucky Library Commission), WPA initiated several programs designed to aid libraries. One of these was the Packhorse Library.

Packhorse Library

In 1934, Leslie County was the first county to have a Packhorse Library. Harlan County was the second. By 1939, there were 30 Packhorse Libraries in Kentucky. The following is a description of the Packhorse Libraries by Mr. Clarence Bingham of the Louisville Public Library in a letter to Marguerite Smith Westerfield quoted as part of her master’s thesis in 1938 entitled “A Study of the Services of the Kentucky Library Commission”:

"...Each one (Packhorse Library) is organized with a librarian who stays in the headquarters to collect, classify, and mend the books and magazines; and four to six carriers who travel up the mountain trails to carry these books and magazines to lonely mountain cabins and isolated schools.

Carriers travel on foot or on horseback or muleback and one carrier travels part of one route by rowboat. Books and magazines are carried in suitcases, saddlebags, or 'string-bags.'"

Bookmobiles

Through Miss Rawson's dedication of supplying books to underpriviledged areas

"a Citizens Library League in Horse Cave was formed in 1936. Just two years later it became Friends of Kentucky Libraries which has continued the work of helping struggling libraries throughout the state. In the late forties, Mrs. Mary Belknap Gray, one of the original "Friends," made the first major contribution, both in personal effort and funds to the work of the organization. Her inspiration was the natural outgrowth of the WPA Pack Horse "Libraries" and the limited bookmobile service, which at that time was provided to several counties, from Ary, in Perry County, Kentucky.

She [Mrs. Gray] decided that "Bookmobiles" were the best way to get books to people in rural areas. In 1946 she teamed up with Frances Jane Porter, Director of the State Library Extension Division, and traveled tirelessly from one end of the state to the other listening sympathetically to the needs and problems of small libraries, struggling for existence.

Among the counties which received Bookmobiles through the efforts of Mrs. Gray were Hart, Breathitt, Bell, Madison, Wayne and Bath counties. One was made from an used ambulance, another from a hearse and one from a jeep. Others were small paneled trucks.

In 1952, Dr. Victor Henry of Henderson, Kentucky was elected President of the Friends of Kentucky Libraries.

Kentucky author Jesse Stuart was guest speaker at the first Annual Meeting, pointing out that 80% of rural Kentuckians had no free public library service, and that 47 counties out of the state's 120 had no access to books at all.

Mr. Stuart's speech fired Louisville businessman Harry Schacter with a driving enthusiasm to obtain more Bookmobiles for Kentucky.

At a called meeting of the Friends, Mr. Schacter outlined plans to purchase one hundred Bookmobiles for the rural areas of Kentucky. As impossible as the project seemed to many, Mr. Schacter's proposal caught fire and Dr. Jacqueline Bull, President of the Kentucky Library Association and Dr. Henry, President of the Friends of Kentucky Libraries, cooperated in implementing Mr. Schacter's plan. A committee of five was appointed to take action -- composed of Mrs. Gray, Miss Margaret Willis, of the Louisville Library; Dr. Laura Martin, of the University of Kentucky; Mr. Paul Hughes, of the Louisville times; and Dean Hilda Threlkeld, of the University of Louisville.

Mr. Schacter assumed the responsibility for direction of the Project, and Mrs. Barry Bingham, wife of the publisher of the Louisville Courier-Journal and Times newspapers, promptly and unselfishly agreed to become chairman of the Kentucky Bookmobile Project. She worked tirelessly, traveling throughout the state to elicit the interest of industries, business, and individuals in donating all or part of a Bookmobile along with the necessary books to fill them.

In February, 1953 a meeting was held in Governor Wetherby's office, at which time Wendell F. Butler, Superintendent of Public Instruction endorsed the Kentucky Bookmobile Project and the Governor agreed to serve as its honorary chairman. The enthusiasm for the Kentucky Bookmobile Project spread across the state and from the beginning of the campaign the sense of urgency which prevailed signaled its sure success.

A "Citizen's March for Books" was organized for November nineteenth, between seven and eight p.m. in Louisville and Jefferson County under the chairmanship of Mrs. Harold Gordon; assisted by the local Bookmobile Committee, the American Legion, American Association of University Women, Boy Scout Troops and many others. Outside Louisville and Jefferson County the State Junior Chamber of Commerce, with the help of many local groups and other statewide organizations participated in the march. Over six hundred thousand books were collected in that one evening!

A special motion picture show for children was given on Saturday, November 14th between ten a.m. and twelve noon in every motion picture theatre in the State. There was no cash admission price; children could only attend by bringing two books for use in a Bookmobile. This event was made possible through the cooperation of the Kentucky Association of Theater Owners.

The Governor, in his budget message to the next General Assembly, singled out two items for particular support -- the Public School Fund and the Bookmobile Project. Members of the Teamster's Union collected the donated books; Jaycees organized trips to Wooster, Ohio to drive Bookmobiles down to Frankfort; the National Guard moved the Bookmobiles from Frankfort to Louisville the night before the presentation ceremonies and civic leaders drove them to their respective counties the following day.

So, the drive was a success and on September sixteenth, 1954, almost a mile of Bookmobiles circled the Old State Fairgrounds; Governor Wetherby and Mrs. Bingham presented them to representatives of their respective designated counties, in alphabetical order."

The Kentucky Bookmobile Project of 1954 was a turning point for Kentucky. The new bookmobiles created demands in the counties for full library service.

In 1962, state funds were provided to the Department of Libraries to begin a bookmobile replacement program.

In 1977, due to the increased cost of commercial bookmobiles, the Department (with the help of other state agencies) designed its own bookmobile. The result was a vehicle costing approximately half that of a commercial one.

Through these 100 years, books and other materials have traveled in boxes, on rowboats, on horses, in hearses, and finally in customized stepvans -- Definitely a century of committed and innovative people!!!