Bookmobiles & Mobile Libraries of Ipswich & Moreton Shire (1975-2019)

On Thursday 6th November 1975, at Lobley Park, Churchill, Ipswich Libraries' Bookmobile was launched. 

Carrying 2,500 items, the Bookmobile visited Gailes, Riverview, Leichhardt, Brassall, Amberley, Churchill, Goodna, Redbank, and Booval, effectively extending library services throughout the Ipswich area.  The bus cost $36,000 at the time

Then Mayor Dave Underwood launched a new mobile library on 1st December 1992.  The body truck, rigid International Acco T1850E/210 6x2 low profile vehicle cost $320,000 at the time, and was decorated by Council signwriter Linwood Rae.

Also in 1992, Moreton Shire obtained an International Acco 1850E/210 4x2 prime mover with a trailer to use as their first Mobile Library.  The Moreton Shire mobile library carried over 6,000 items and visited 10 locations around the Shire.

When Ipswich and Moreton Shire amalgamated in 1995, both mobile libraries were used for a time, until the body truck, originally used by Ipswich, was sold.

In 2003, on the 15th September, a new mobile library was launched.  At a cost of $430,000 the vehicle measured 16.5m long and 4.2m heigh.  The exterior depicted many facets of community life.  On the shelves within were more than 10,500 items.  The mobile library visited 12 sites on a fortnightly basis. 

The final mobile library was purchased in 2016, costing $600,000.  Built by Victorian company Brimarco, the graphics were designed by Ipswich-based graphic designer Michael West of Motivart.  The mobile library featured an 8m long and 1.2m wide slide-out pod, increasing the internal floorspace.  RFID technology enabled customers to serve themselves and WI-FI connectivity in and near the mobile enabled customers to connect their own devices to the library internet.  When fully loaded, the vehicle weighed 22-tones, with the Scania prime mover pulling a 14m purpose-built library trailer.

In October 2019, the mobile library was redeployed to Rosewood, for use as a Library and Customer Service Hub, based at Rosewood.  The move was to have been temporary, until the Rosewood Library opened. 

As the three busiest mobile library stops at Springfield, Rosewood, and Karalee were replaced by permanent facilities (Springfield Library opened in 2018 and the Karalee Library Pod opened in 2019, with Rosewood Library opening in mid-2020), the continued viability of the mobile library service was questioned, with the decision made to cease the service by the end of 2019.