History of Bookmobile Service in Trumbull County

The Warren-Trumbull County Public Library first instituted Bookmobile service in November of 1938 to provide books to residents in communities without a library.

The first Bookmobile was purchased for $2,223.48 and measured 15 feet long. The Bookmobile had inside and outside shelving to accommodate 2,000 to 2,500 books.

Within 6 months, the Bookmobile was traveling to 10 townships, with 15 community and school stops.

In March 1951, the library added a second Bookmobile. By 1968, three Bookmobiles were visiting 63 school and community stops during the winter and 73 stops during the summer. The Bookmobiles were circulating more than 190,000 books a year.

After the Bookmobile ended its visits to public schools in 1979, the fleet was reduced to one operating vehicle.

A new Bookmobile was purchased in 2007 for $250,000. This Bookmobile made over 90 stops each month until March 2020, when Bookmobile service was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2019, the library had begun the process to purchase a new vehicle to replace the aging Bookmobile, and in August 2020, the new truck-style Bookmobile arrived in Trumbull County. Bookmobile service resumed in September 2020, with a reduced schedule to allow time for staff to sanitize and re-stock the Bookmobile between stops and the implementation of additional health and safety protocols.