A New Mobile Library Service for Children at Theek5
Theek5, a library network in the province of Brabant, the Netherlands, recently began offering a mobile library service to serve elementary schools in the area. The mobile service, known as the ‘bibliobus', had been available to adult and juvenile borrowers in the past but will now serve children only. The service significantly improves the library's offerings to youth in smaller communities. The ‘bibliobus' provides children access to approximately 10,000 books on-site and to an online collection of nearly 390,000 items. In addition to its 10,000 books, the ‘bibliobus' also offers a large puzzle collection for toddlers and the library plans to add audio books in the course of the year.
The public computers in the bus are directly connected to the Vubis Smart system of Theek5. Through the Vubis Smart Web OPAC, users can renew items free of charge and borrow books, DVDs, audio books, games and magazines. Items may be returned to any of the Theek5 branches.
"The ‘bibliobus' brings the entire Theek5 collection to the younger readers in our communities," says Theo Peeters, Director at Theek5. "The service, which has been available since the beginning of the school year in August, allows children to search the online catalog, borrow items and reserve materials from any of the branches. Nearly 2,000 children use the ‘bibliobus', which provides easy access to a truly large and diverse collection."
Theek5 is a library network that includes the communities of Dongen, Drimmelen, Geertruidenberg, Gilze en Rijen, Oosterhout, Alphen, Chaam and Baarle-Nassau/Baarle-Hertog. The name Theek5 stands for the 5 central functions that the library network fullfills: information, recreation, education, meeting, and culture. More information about Theek5 (in Dutch) may be found at: http://www.theek5.nl/algemene_informatie/P_over_theek_5.htm
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