Bookmobile lifespan

[Tracy Sumler]

Good afternoon!

Do you know what the average of a bookmobile is? According to very brief Google searches, it ranges from 10-15 years, but unable to locate specific citations. I thought that you, wonderful think tank, may have a site or idea of where to look.

Thank you,

Tracy

[Linda Lomeli]

Morning Tracy!

Based on our history, our bookmobiles have lasted 12-14 years, on average. Our current RV Bookmobile (servicing since March 2019) has made it to it's 7th birthday and on it's second wrap. With that we are starting to do soft research into a new vehicle as issues are starting to spring up more often with our second generator and swivel seats. At this time, we are a four day a week operation, making school stops in the AM hours and neighborhood stops in the PM hours. Maintenance takes place Fridays, if it is needed.

CNG (14 years) We previously had a CNG bus that had lots of issues and was a rather expensive vehicle despite it being energy-efficient. Per my supervisor, we really pushed this vehicle to continue service and broken down (literally) a day before we received our 2019 vehicle.

Tractor Trailer (14 years) Prior to the CNG, but also running in tandem with it, was our tractor-trailer vehicle which required Class B licensing. This vehicle style lasted much longer as the collection needed to be hauled versus living in the vehicle. The down side to this was that there was no AC, but that didn't prevent our patrons from boarding on as it was the highest circulating bookmobile in California between 2001-2005.

The prior two vehicles, one lasted 24 years (1970-1994) and the first vehicle (12 years). At one point we were a six day a week operation due to the needs our community.

What type of vehicle do you have?

Best,

Linda Lomeli

Anaheim Public Library

Mobile Library Services Librarian

llom...@anaheim.net; lindam...@gmail.com

[Tameka Roby]

I think you are asking about the lifespan of a bookmobile, and it honestly can range from 7 years to 30 depending on make, model, and upkeep/maintenance.  

I know the early versions of sprinters were only lasting about 5-7 years.  Now, that they have American counterparts and are ranging in sizes and capability they are averagin 7-10.  

Step-vans 10-15plus

Winnebagos and Bluebirds and larger, 12-20,  

Tameka Roby

East Baton Rouge Parish Library

Bookmobile and Outreach Services 

3434 North Boulevard

Baton Rouge, LA 70806

Bookm...@ebrpl.com

Office: (225) 302-5515 

Cell: (225) 939-3155

http://www.ebrpl.com/

 

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From: abos-o...@googlegroups.com <abos-o...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Tracy Sumler <sumtra...@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2025 11:26 AM
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Subject: [ABOS-Outreach] Bookmobile lifespan

 

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[Secretary ABOS]

Our last Book was 26 years old but did have extensive work done before I came on board. Our current Bookmobile is a 2011 and is still going strong with all original parts. So it does vary on so many things, example locations for weather, is it kept inside when not in use, How many miles you put on it in a week, ect. It also unfortunately can just be luck of the draw how well they hold up. 

Kim

Kimberly Jones                                     

2025 Secretary

Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services

Chemung County Library District

 

Chair-awards Committee

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[Sheri Miklaski]

We were wondering this same thing a year or so ago. Our bookmobile is now 13 years old and I do not think we will be replacing it in the next 2 years. Not sure this helps, but thought I would share (and also curious about other replies).

 

Be well,

 

Sheri Miklaski

Community Outreach Librarian

Georgetown Public Library

sheri.m...@georgetowntexas.gov

512-819-3106

TALL Texans Class of 2021

 

“The only thing that you absolutely have to know, is the location of the library.”
― Albert Einstein

 

From: abos-o...@googlegroups.com <abos-o...@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Tracy Sumler

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Subject: [EXTERNAL] [ABOS-Outreach] Bookmobile lifespan

 

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[Rebekah Wilce]

Hi!

We just ordered our third county-wide bookmobile that I know of (there must have been at least one earlier because the first bookmobile service began in 1957, but I haven't found any other details yet). Our county is 18,661 sq mi, and this bookmobile traverses all parts of it that have people and no library branch, four routes a week, about 48 weeks a year.

The first, a bread van style, lasted from the early '70s until 2005, so 30-some years, but was more off the road for repairs than on in the last years.

The second, a 2006 Thomas-built bus designed by Matthews, I'm writing you from right now at Kaibab Lodge on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon after climbing up from the Vermillion Cliffs this morning. It's still doing OK with a little less than 150k miles on it, although I have to be very careful not to overheat it. It's never been re-wrapped and is looking quite sun-faded and cracked and peeled and scraped by tree branches, etc. It spent 5 years off the road, from late 2019 to early 2025, and a good chunk of that time undergoing major repairs in order to make it last a few more years.

We just ordered an M2 from Farber and hope it will arrive within 2 years and the current bus will make it that long.

So our average is quite a bit longer than the national average of 10-15 or 12-14 years, depending on the source (I searched LISTA and the other library databases for less anecdotal information without any luck), but we've had to sacrifice years of service as a result.

Bekah

Rebekah Wilce

Bookmobile Librarian

Flagstaff City-Coconino County Public Library

(928) 213-2359

Book time to meet with me

The City of Flagstaff humbly acknowledges the ancestral homelands of this area’s Indigenous nations and original stewards. These lands, still inhabited by Native descendants, border mountains sacred to Indigenous peoples. We honor them, their legacies, their traditions, and their continued contributions. We celebrate their past, present, and future generations who will forever know this place as home.

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Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2025 11:39 AM
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[Camee Hart]

Our previous Bookmobile was a Farber Coach - it is 20 years old. We did keep it in a temperature-controlled garage the entire life of the vehicle. We had it on the road 5-6 days a week all day, mostly in town driving. It is technically still able to hit the road, will just need some major repairs here soon but that is for the next owner to handle :) 

Our new Bookmobile is also a Farber coach, we hope with maintaining maintenance and keeping it in a garage it will also give us 15-20 years. 

Camee

CAMEE HART

Outreach Services Manager

She/Her/Hers

DaytonMetroLibrary.org 

P: 937.496.8860 

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From: abos-o...@googlegroups.com <abos-o...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Tracy Sumler <sumtra...@gmail.com>

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Subject: [ABOS-Outreach] Bookmobile lifespan

[Tracy Sumler]

👍

Tracy Sumler reacted via Gmail

[Susan Parkins]

Hi Tracy,

You have already had many wonderful responses, but I thought I would throw out our bookmobile history. The bookmobile previous to our current vehicle was in commission for approx. 25 years, which was too long. While it ran okay, we needed to upgrade. Our current vehicle was purchased through a specific purpose tax in 2006 so it is 19 years old as of Oct. 16 this month! We are currently working on building our new bookmobile. This vehicle is still in great shape and will make a fine bookmobile for another library, especially one that would like to get started but can't afford to buy new.

	Susan Parkins
	Laramie County Library System  Bookmobile & Homebound Coordinator
	Email: spar...@lclsonline.org Phone: 307-773-7228 Website: lclsonline.org

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