Mobile Specialty Vehicles: Bookmobiles
Mobile specialty vehicles are large vehicles that are used for a number of purposes depending on the geographical location. They were introduced during the second half of the 19th century and experienced a considerable success afterwards. Initially, mobile specialty vehicles were used as a means to help local residents become more literate. Indeed, mobility specialty vehicles were transformed into moving libraries that were carrying a variety of books. Sometimes referred to as bookmobiles, these categories of mobile specialty vehicles were mostly spotted in large metropolitan areas. However, owners of these vehicles ended up realizing that the demand for their products was not strong enough. Indeed, this was due to the fact that the individuals who were residing in metropolitan areas were already educated and had access to local public libraries. In other words, they did not need to be delivered books since they already knew where to find them and in a much larger quantity. Owners of mobile specialty vehicles thus decided to change their business strategy and relocated in more remote areas. The majority of the individuals who were living in remote areas such as countrysides did not have access to public libraries. So when they started to be provided with the opportunity to purchase books, they grabbed it without much hesitation. It is precisely after that period that bookmobiles started to experience a massive success. Indeed, they remained popular until substantial developments were made in the field of technology. With the advent of the Internet and the development of education, bookmobiles became less popular than they used to be. This is quite understandable since individuals who were viewing the concept as their only option to become literate were now offered other options to acquire knowledge. For example, there are many foundations that launched electronic learning initiatives via which interested individuals can learn about a given topic or subject without ever needing to attend a class physically. Despite all the changes that have occurred in the world from an educational point of view, bookmobiles have still remained popular in certain areas. It is important to note that bookmobiles also benefited from technological progress in some way. Indeed, early versions of these mobile specialty vehicles were hauled by horses. Modern versions of bookmobiles were featured in large buses. In addition to the competition imposed by other educational channels, bookmobiles were confronted to a number of challenges that ultimately affected their popularity negatively. From a cost point of view, bookmobiles are considered to be a relatively inefficient investment. Indeed, when looking at a series of costs such as gas, car insurance premiums, and other operational expenses, one can easily see that bookmobiles require a certain amount of money each month in order to remain functional. Individuals who conduct these kinds of activities must generate a certain level of business revenues each period otherwise they will be forced to close their business temporarily or permanently. From a different perspective, bookmobiles are a very effective way to help others become more cultivated. Bookmobiles are frequently competing against public libraries, which are located in brick-and-mortar buildings. Indeed, when comparing the cost of running a public library with the cost of running a bookmobile, one can see that the former is substantially higher. Over the past few years, many concerns have been raised about the need for societies to preserve the surrounding environment. In an attempt to display their compliance with the new set of environmental rules that have been established, owners of mobile specialty vehicles have applied considerable modifications to the vehicles in order to make them more sustainable from an environmental point of view.Share