Taking Library Services on the Road: How Bookmobiles and Outreach Programs Serve the Underserved

Librarians and administrative staff do more than point people in the right direction to find books and information. Sometimes, they bring books and information to them. To aid in that effort — “to support and encourage library staff and leadership to provide quality bookmobile and outreach services to meet diverse community needs” — the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services (ABOS) was founded in 2007.

An overview of the 2024 annual conference program shared by Cathy Zimmerman, who became the association’s first executive director in 2023, underscores the outsize role libraries’ outreach services take in communities. Forty-eight sessions, many based on case-study examples, demonstrated how outreachers respond to the needs of Alzheimer’s patient caregivers, by providing kits that facilitate activities; neurodivergent individuals; those who are homebound; those who live in low-income neighborhoods and have limited access to public libraries; youth; and even incarcerated populations, bringing a love of reading to detained students through a unique set of programs.

Indeed, Zimmerman told Convene via email, ABOS members’ biggest opportunity is providing services to the underserved within their communities, and “teaching everyone that the library is a safe space with many things to offer beyond leisure reading materials.” But this group faces challenges, she said, including a lack of funding (for vehicles, collections, or programming), understaffing, and outreach “constantly having to justify their existence.” To help address the funding issue, a new Member Assistance Program was launched at the conference using monies raised from a raffle and exhibitor donations.

Another new initiative ABOS rolled out, which Zimmerman said was well-received, was a pre-conference event in which participants took the “Journey,” a mobile medical unit that provides health screening through the National Network of Libraries of Medicine. You could say that experience helped make ABOS 2024 one for the books.

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Nearly 50 sessions are offered — among them, moderated “Driven Discussions” on different topics driven by participants.

A unique feature of ABOS: 15-25 working vehicles — of all types and sizes, including bookbikes — are on display on site.

Michelle Russell is editor in chief at Convene. Illustration by Carmen Segovia.

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