Bookmobiles Vs Books by Mail

 Article from: Brenda MacDonald. May 30, 2011. Dartmouth-HRM East Community Herald. Technology speeds by the beloved but costly bookmobile. Pages 3 & 5.

       With our ever-changing world, our society seems to prefer getting things as easy as possible. With things like Netflix and iTunes we even seem to prefer things handed right to us. With that in mind, it is no surprise that libraries in Nova Scotia are now offering a service called books by mail. Books by mail is a service available to people who can not use the bookmobile or get to a branch library. For the most part it is for people who are disabled, in care of a disabled person, or just has no way to get to a bookmobile or branch library. Is it then no surprise to learn that libraries are offering books by mail service?

         Books by Mail is a free service that sends books to users through the mail. Sound familiar? In fact, Books by Mail is very close to the Bookmobile service. They both run the same way, essentially bringing the books to you. The differences between the two are rather small actually. For example Books by Mail doesn’t cost anything for late fees. Does this make it any better though?

       In trying to figure out if Bookmobiles are going to last we’ve come across similar services, and none seem as similar as Books by Mail. So are Books by Mail going to take over? In a study I found that investigated this within NS, PEI and Newfoundland said that Bookmobiles were seen as the better service. Of course this study was from 1976, making me wonder if almost 30 years later it would still be the same. 

        Books by Mail works the same as a book mobile or a branch library would. You can order books from within the library and have them shipped to you. Like with a normal library you have three weeks.  There is no late fee but you cannot get more books until the late ones are taken back. [1]In order to use this service you do have to sign up for it. Everything that you can get in a library is available to you with this service as well.

References

Cumberland  Public Libraries. (n.d.) Retrieved June 1, 2011, from www.cumberlandpubliclibraires.ca/index.php?pagecontenid+567&demoid=1&linkid=10

Eastern Counties Regional Library. (n.d.). Retrieved June 1, 2011 , from www.ecrl.library.ca.ca

Halifax Regional Library. (n.d.). Books by mail. Retrieved May 25, 2001, from www.halifaxpubliclibraries.ca/services/borrowing/books-by-mail.html

Pictou-Antigonish Regional Library.(n.d.) Books by mail. Retrieved June 4, 2011 from www.parl.ns.ca/locations/booksbymail.html.

 Article from: Brenda MacDonald. May 30, 2011. Dartmouth-HRM East Community Herald. Technology speeds by the beloved but costly bookmobile. Pages 3 & 5.