Bookmobile - Extension Services

Hours:

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Brief History

Shortly after the Gary Public Library (GPL) was founded in 1908, it began to provide library service to a large area throughout Lake County, the city of Gary and eventually seven townships.  Gary Public Library not only opened up branches, but also began a traveling branch service.

The first traveling branch, started in 1937, was a small house trailer converted into a library. Having a capacity of 2, 000 volumes, it was a very cost-effective way of providing library service to the outlying areas without tying up a library vehicle. When it started, it was hailed by the press as "the only known trailer library in the U.S.A." It was successful enough that a second, larger trailer was put into service in 1942.

 In 1951 the library put its first bookmobile into service. This service continued to expand to the point that by the mid-1950's GPL  had the largest fleet of traveling branches in the state: two trailers, two bookmobiles, and two trucks. After the township service ended, however, the need for this service decreased and eventually GPL reduced its fleet to just one bookmobile. The current bookmobile was purchased in 1993.