When older are buses withdrawn from public service, they are either sold, scrapped, preserved, or one or two were repurposed as mobile libraries.

These buses swapped passengers for paperbacks and were a lifeline for those who did not live near a library.

Councils converted single and double decker buses into mobile libraries, bringing books to rural areas that did not have easy access to a library.

Inside, shelves lined the walls where seats once were. Children and adults alike climbed aboard to borrow their next read.

Preserved examples of older Library buses are few and far between, but there may be one or two sitting quietly in a bus museum somewhere in the UK. If you know of one, post a message in the Comments at the bottom of the page.

Libraries Taskforce, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ville de Vervier, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Jonathan Wilkins / Mobile library

Michael Westley / Mobile Library (Birmingham City Council)

UK Home Library Services

This service is run mostly by volunteers in some areas. If a resident is unable to visit a library either through disability or distance, books of their choice can be delivered to their door, including large print books and audiobooks, depending on the various councils’ resources.

You should check in your own area for which services are available to you.