We’ve written briefly about OverDrive’s phenomenally impressive Digital Bookmobile in the past. But after stumbling upon an article about its current national tour on the website of The (Syracuse, N.Y.) Post-Standard, it occurred to me that many of our readers are probably not at all familiar with the Bookmobile.

And that’s a shame.

Because not only is the 74-foot, 18-wheel tractor-trailer quite possibly one of the most awe-inspiring bookmobiles to ever hit the open highway … it’s also at the very start of its 2012 National Tour. This years’ tour appears to have kicked off on August 2 and 3 with stops at two suburban branches of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Today, it’s paying a visit to the East Greenbush Community Library, which sits just outside Albany, N.Y.

Aside from serving as a rolling advertisement for OverDrive, one of the main purposes of the Digital Bookmobile is to demonstrate the processes of digitally downloading (and reading) a book. Those people who’ve never used an e-reader, in other words, are the Bookmobile’s target audience.

Here’s a brief description from DigitalBookmobile.com:

“Digital Bookmobile visitors will be able to browse a library’s download website; sample eBooks, digital audiobooks, music, and video on interactive PC and Mac computer stations; learn how to download; and test compatible devices including the SonyReader, nookTM, iPod, Zune, and Smartphones—all loaded with digital titles from the library.”

CLICK HERE to view the Bookmobile’s 2012 Tour Schedule.

Upcoming dates include stops in New York; Massachusetts; New Jersey; Connecticut; Washington, D.C. and Virginia. Tennessee and Texas will both be graced by the Digital Bookmobile’s presence in October, which probably means the tour will also hit a few other Southern and Southwestern states in the coming months.

  • Attn Readers: Have you ever been lucky enough to climb aboard the Digital Bookmobile? If so, please tell us about your experience in the comments, or send an email to deldridge at napco.com. (We may share a few of your stories in a separate post.)

2 COMMENTS

  1. We had the Digital Bookmobile in Peoria, IL, in late May. It was incredibly easy to accommodate. The only thing they really demand is space to park. The staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. Our patrons were surprised to see it in the parking lot and that brought more of them through the doors. The Bookmobile has different areas for audio books, eBooks, and video. You can try out several devices or sit on a comfortable bench and watch samples of videos offered by Overdrive. They also have computers set to your library’s digital catalog so that they can lead patrons through the process of checking out a book. Patrons who already had an ereader were eager to learn about Overdrive and patrons without an ereader had fun trying all the devices. One of the best things about the Digital Bookmobile is that we didn’t have to pay anything to host it!

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