CROATIAN MOBILE LIBRARIES

by Spomenka Petrović

ZAGREB CITY LIBRARIES

Republic of Croatia

Population of 4 800 000

Area of 56 542 km2

Coast long 5835 km

21 districts

Hundreds islands

Historical review

Karlovac 1911

the Education committee organized mobile service by coach

Rijeka 1935

the books were delivered in the villages and teachers borrowed them to users

Karlovac 1955

the books were delivered in wooden boxes in 1964 the van was bought

Rijeka 1969

a bus was adapted for book transport 2 employees 53 towns and villages 4000 books

Bjelovar 1972Split 1974Šibenik 1975

vans for transport of the books

At the end of 1976 the first bookmobile started in Zagreb In 1978 the second shift was organized This vihacle became a prototype for all Croatian bookmobiles

Founding a modern mobile library service

Zagreb

1980 another bookmobile was bought 1981 the second shift started

1982 Zagreb has:

- 74 stops- 10 853 members- 176 000 loans

1977 - 1980

15 bookmobiles were made for Croatia (in Maribor, Slovenia)

On bus chasses

3 types of vehicles

A 11 m long, 5000 books

B 8 m long, 3000 books

C 5 m long, 2000 books

Financed by The Ministary of culture and local government

In 1978 bookmobiles started in Pula and Karlovac

In 1979 - bookmobiles started in Čakovec, Đakovo, Koprivnica, Samobor, Slavonski Brod and in Delnice a van

In 1980 - Bjelovar, Duga Resa, Glina, Knin, Rijeka as change for the adapted bus from 1969, in Split and second bokmobile in Zagreb

15 mobile libraries 504 stops 30 000 members 300 000 loans of books 125 000 issues of books staff of 41

1986

10 year old bookmobile in Rijeka and 14 year old bookmobile in Zagreb were replaced with new ones

1990

Only 6 mobile libraries with 7 bookmobiles were remained (Bjelovar, Čakovec, Karlovac, Koprivnica, Rijeka, Zagreb)

war operations and devastations finances administrative reorganization

1994

1995 Zagreb – new bookmobile

made in Zagreb

on Volvo’s chasses

13 m long

financed by municipal government

The interior of new bookmobile

110 m book-shelves

6000 books

air-condition for the first time

1996 - Section for public libraries

Situation after the war:

4 of 7 bookmobiles are about 18 years old

many libraries are distroyed

Conclusions:

bookmobiles would be good substitution for destroyed libraries

it is urgent to change these 4 old bookmobiles

Round tables about mobile libraries 1999 Koprivnica: Bookmobiles now and

tomorrow

2000 Karlovac: Who needs mobile library?

2001 Čakovec: Mobile library: yes or no?

2001 Working group for mobile libraries was

founded

It is time for new bookmobiles 2002 Bookmobiles are 24 years old

2002 The Ministry of culture and district

governments finance 4 new buses

2003-2004 New bookmobiles, made in Zagreb, started to work

Čakovec December 5, 2003

Karlovac December 17, 2003

Koprivnica Ferbuary 27, 2004

Bjelovar September 8, 2004

2001 Osijek, bookmobile started to work - Donation from Netherlands

2004 Rijeka, new bookmobile for District of Gorski kotar

New bookmobiles - modern tehnology

Computers

CD & DVD players

CDs & DVDs

On-line catalogue

Internet access

Working practice

3-6 stops per day

1-5 hours per stop

2 weeks interval

2-3 workers in bookmobile

Zagreb: 2 shifts; other: 1 shift

Statistic for 2004

7 mobile libraries – 8 bookmobiles 225 bookmobile stops 11 904 members 108 364 visits 215 224 loans of books 150 000 books 25 employees

Future and visions

Vinkovci – new bookmobile till the end of 2005

Zagreb – new bookmobile insted of 15 years old one

Osijek – second bokmobile for The District of Baranja

Second shift for all bookmobiles

New mobile library services in districts without a good library network

Book-boats for islands

Thank you for your attention

Spomenka Petrović

Head of Zagreb Mobile Library

March, 2005