Thursday, July 14, 2011

Books on the Move

Everyone knows that independent book stores are in a bind.  With online sales rising and e-readers gaining fans left and right,  local independent sellers are having a harder and harder time keeping their doors open. However, a woman named Sarah Henshaw recently had a brilliant idea to help people fall in love with the book-shopping experience all over again: The Book Barge.
Check out Sarah's site for more amazing photos.
Think bookmobile turned bookshop turned boat.  (I know. It's amazing.)  Sarah writes, "In short, we hope to promote a less hurried and harried lifestyle of idle pleasures, cups of tea, conversation, culture and, of course, curling up with an incomparably good Book Barge purchase…"

This, of course, made me insanely nostalgic for the bookmobiles I used to visit.  I was such a die-hard fan.  In fact, I refused to go home from school after breaking my arm on the playground because it was Bookmobile Day.  (I was very tenacious.)

In order to stave off my thirst for hanging out in a mobile library, I gathered some of my favorite pics of Books on the Go! Is there anything sweeter than the arrival of new reads?

1) 1917 bookmobile. 2) Open-sided RV library.  3) I like to think of this as "girls' night out" 1953-style. 4) The most gangster bookmobile of all time.

If all of that doesn't make you want to get your read on, I don't know what will!

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

I LOVE THE BOOKMOBILE. If Bookmobiles came to my neighborhood, I would chase after them like the ice cream truck. Hehe, I have so many happy memories from the Bookmobiles as a child! So many Newberry Award winners, so many Babysitter's Clubs, so many Clifford the Big Red Dog erasers...

This post made me smile so much! I hope they have great success with their book barge- kids today need some more Bookmobiles in their lives!

Halley said...

That is fantastic! They definitely need to keep the medium alive.

Great blog!

amy said...

Oh my goodness. This is pure beauty. This spins webs in my head. How I wish I came up with something so simple, and delicate, and sweet.

This post brought great dimples to my cheeks. Love your blog.


sweetness xx
hope to hear from you*!
amyflyingakite.com

Erika Lee @ A Tiny Rocket said...

How AWESOME! It's like what won't they turn into a mobile cart. right? I do love books- and when I was last traveling I packed my books- and books are soo heavy- I ended up leaving books behind as I finished them.

I always give books as gifts also! I give them to all my little nieces and nephews because I am so concerned that young kids aren't reading.!

Meghan said...

You know this post touched my soul in a very special way ;) I have 7 more days at the library

Caroline said...

there is nothing WAS about your tenacity, darling.

TC said...

Love the book barge...there was one book mobile that would sometimes sit in the grocery store parking lot when I was a kid. I can't say I ever went into it, though--there was something about the cramped quarters of the RV (and the strange elderly driver saying, "Come in child, take a look!") that creeped me out.

Melissa at bubbyandbean.com said...

This is quite possibly the best idea ever. It breaks my heart when I see local bookshops that have been around forever here in Chicago close their doors. We need a bookmobile!

xo,
melissa

That's Ron said...

na na na na na bookman! that bookmobile is awesome!

Constantia Timotheou said...

Your blog is too cute! Could you follow my blog? xx http://thekeytoconstantia.blogspot.com/

punkychewster said...

oh my gosh! i love the concept of Bookmobiles! I love reading and i would never give up the physical book for the new-age digital readers. Nothing beats flipping pages and using bookmarks!

A Lost Feather said...

woah the book barge! that is amazing! i've never seen a bookmobile, but i would definitely shop in one if one drove by my house :)

A said...

I love that quote about the culture of print readership. I think my generation is missing out on that.

Kimia Kline said...

that bookmobile is SO gangster :)

Danielle said...

i loved the bookmobile as a kid! i looked forward to it everyday. i would probably be the one who broke her arm because she tripped trying to beat everyone there :) luckily i didn't though!

Rebecca said...

Oooh these are wonderful photos! I adore quaint book shops and collecting old/new/interesting books. It's a weakness of mine.... Great blog, btw! :)