The BiblioServiceBus goes to The Hague

On April 25th Dutch parliament discussed the economic, cultural and social situation in rural areas. Schools, shops, banks, healthcare, public transport are fast disappearing from many small villages and the population is aging. Public libraries cannot stop this process but can make a vital contribution to maintaining the social fabric in these villages and offer the inhabitants a share of the amenities city dwellers have at their disposal. In the province of Zealand a novel approach has been developed with the BiblioServiceBus. This is no longer an ordinary bookmobile, but a smart looking co-operative project between a number of service organisations such as a large bank, the labour office, health care organisations, and a public transport company.
Borrowing books and other materials is still an important function in the mobile. But besides that the mobile offers computers with a fast internet connection, banking facilities, postage stamps, a ticket service for public transport, an ordering service for cinema and theatre tickets, job information, health information, local information and even police services.

The Biblioservicebus has its own website : http://www.biblioservicebus.nl/
Dutch only, but check out their impressive list of sponsors !

For the text of a lecture in English look at:

http://jaguar.intrapoint.no/bibliotekforeningen/site/nordicmobile/article.php?id=38