Celebrating a "long tradition" whose most recent incarnation is New York City's "Subway Library," Atlas Obscura shared a selection of "Vintage Photos of Traveling Libraries."
"One of the earliest mobile libraries was the Warrington Mechanics' Institution Perambulating Library in London," Atlas Obscura wrote. "In January 1860, Illustrated London News noted the difficulty 'of getting working men to wash their faces and come to the library bar and ask for a book.' Despite this, in its first year readers borrowed 12,000 volumes."