Carl was not fond of groups of people: they made him uncomfortable. Besides, he was the Book Walker, not the Book Talker. But how much longer could that continue? In that moment, he could no longer avoid reality: only a very few more book rounds lay ahead of him. And without books, he would cease to walk. He delivered books: that was his life. Without books, that life would be no more.
--from The Door-to-Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn
I started reading Carsten Henn's lovely novel just after National Bookmobile Day snuck up on me. Appropriately enough, the Book Bus, Cincinnati, Ohio, had tipped me off with a Facebook recommendation: "Book Reveal! Here's the surprise book that the online Book Club received this month. This sweet little read is a German translation and has all the bookish vibes. The Door-to-Door Bookstore takes place in a small town in Germany and centers around Carl Kallhoff, who is a book seller at City Gate Bookstore. When he unexpectedly loses his job, he must find another way to fuel his passion for books. He soon meets nine-year-old Schascha and together they make a plan to get books in the hands of folks who need them. It's a delightful novel about the power of books and friendship."
Okay, it used to be National Bookmobile Day; now it's National Library Outreach Day. Celebrated during National Library Week, NLOD recognizes "library outreach and the dedicated library professionals who are meeting their patrons where they are. Whether it's a bookmobile stop at the local elementary school, services provided to community homes, or library pop-ups at community gatherings, these services are essential to the community."
For a little historical perspective, the New York Public Library Bookmobile posted on Facebook: "Did you know? The first Bookmobiles began in the early 1900s, bringing books to communities that didn't have easy access to libraries. Fast forward to today, and the NYPL Bookmobile is still on the road, delivering not just books, but also joy, discovery, and connection to neighborhoods across New York City! We're celebrating the legacy of bringing books right to your doorstep, and we couldn't do it without our amazing Bookmobile team!"
Independent booksellers were celebrating as well, of course. Indie bookmobiles come in a wide range of options: some are full-time bookmobiles, while others are part of a physical bookstore's own outreach operations. Many booksellers who launched their businesses with bookmobiles eventually expanded into bricks-and-mortar stores. Some, like the Book Bus, have literally combined them under one roof.
During the first couple years of the Covid pandemic, most booksellers became Book Walkers, as well as Book Bikers, Book Drivers, or any means of transportation to deliver books into the hands of readers, if at a safe distance.
Flash forward to National Bookmobile Day 2025, and several mobile indies have been checking in on social media, including:
Eureka Books, Eureka, Calif.: "We are so fortunate to have a bookmobile that serves those that may not be able to make it to the main branches of our Humboldt County Library. So Happy National Bookmobile Day today!"
Wandering Quills Bookshop, Columbus, Ohio: "Some detail shots of Wandering Quills Bookshop! I (Kristen) worked diligently with @elephantheadgraphics to create this absolutely incredible wrap for our trailer! We hope it brings the perfect woodsy, hedgehog-y vibes!! The books were also hand designed by me with inspiration from @stories.by.anne. it could not look better!! so excited to take this baby out onto the road!!"
Bloom Wild Bookshop, Los Angeles, Calif.: "BIG NEWS! Today, on National Bookmobile Day, I'm thrilled to finally share the name of the shop with you... Bloom Wild Bookshop. Bloom Wild is a mobile bookstore and native plant shop, carrying banned books, BIPOC literature, and California native plants. To bloom wild is to reclaim space, restore ecosystems, reimagine access, and nurture community with bold possibility."
Birdie's Bookmobile, Detroit, Mich.: "Woohoo! We are celebrating National Bookmobile Day with a new #Birdiesbookmobile! Thank you Arts & Scraps. We are proud to be the new stewards of the original Scrapmobile! We can't wait to hit the road this summer with a fresh design and lots of books.... Thank you, @sourcebooksellers and Griot Book Club, for hosting a book drive for #BirdiesBookmobile. We are in awe of the beautiful books you selected with love and care. We have shared them with children in Detroit who added these gorgeous books to their home libraries. It brings us great joy to know they can open the gift of a book again and again!"
The Book Bus also reminded me of another favorite read, perfectly suited to the National Bookmobile Day vibe: "How pleased was I to sit down with my Slightly Foxed Spring edition to find a musing on Christopher Morley's Parnassus on Wheels!! If you're new here, you may not know that The Book Bus was inspired by this book. And now I have a desire to reread this little gem of a book. It's been years since I've read it."
Morley published Parnassus on Wheels more than a century ago, and it still resonates with book people. "By and by I got this idea of a travelling bookstore," he wrote. "I had always been a lover of books, and in the days when I boarded out among the farmers I used to read aloud to them. After my mother died I built the wagon to suit my own ideas, bought a stock of books from a big second-hand store in Baltimore, and set out."
The notion of a bookshop that travels to where the readers are is still revolutionary, necessary, and logical. Happy belated National Bookmobile Day.
--Robert Gray, contributing editor