the big bright green

reading machinebrought to you by

Yarra Libraries

in association with

The LibMark Marketing Award

The true story of

The Book Bike

The idea

Our community: diverse, creative, quirky, geographically small and oh so green

National Year of Reading!

Outreach!

LibMark grant competition!

Lasting value!Fun!

Staff involvement!

Sustainability!

Something different!

The Library Bike Project

Bike riders!

Research

Having secured some in-house funding to add tothe LibMark grant, we investigated various options and tried out some models

before settling on a customisedChristiania cargo bike.

Our new baby

We took delivery of our brand new bike at the National Year of Reading Launch at the State Library in February 2012.

L plates

We organised training sessions for staff who were willing to give it a go.

Riding a cargo tricycle is different to riding a normal bike…

…it’s stately, grand &

very conspicuous.We graduated from the park to the streets and had a lot of fun riding in convoy.

The name

We couldn’t keep referring to “the library bike” (unfortunate connotations!) so we asked our patrons to come up with a new name. There were some clever entries:

CyclopediTribrary

But the most popular choice was simply

The Book Bike

Spiels on Wheels

Yarra Barra

Book Pedlar

Books2You

Bike as signpost

And here’s the bike on the footpath outside the tiny shop front North Fitzroy Library →

One of the bike’s first appearances was as a signpost, directing the more than 100 people who attended the Elliot Perlman talk into the Fitzroy Town Hall.

Space and flexibility

The basic cargo on board the Book Bike includes:• a marine ply display stand• NYOR sign• umbrellas• stools• picnic rugs• promotional material

The bike fits well with a sustainablephilosophy. We showcase library resources such as Powermates, Lux meters, green books & magazines & our sustainability booklist.

We have developed a Sustainable Storytime Kit promoting reading & green living.

There is plenty of room to customize the cargo according to the event.

For example, we take sample board books & Baby Book Bags to new parent talks at Maternal and Child Health Centers.

Library promotion

The Book Bike enables us to promote our services and events to non-users by reaching them where they work, shop, study or play. We have service and event flyers, booklists, balloons, bookmarks and crayons to give away.

At a local shopping strip

Publicity

The bike featured on the front cover of the “Yarra News”, a monthly magazine produced by the City of Yarra & delivered to all houses in the municipality.

It has also appeared in the local paper - the Melbourne Leader - and in inCite.

A presence at major events

The bike provides a focal point at festivals and non-library events – a change from the usual tent or table.There is growing recognition of the Book Bike as a fun and colourful addition to a community event, especially if we are giving away merchandise or weeded books or reading stories. We are now fielding many requests to attend local events.

Some events we have attended• Emerge Festival in Collingwood• Harmony Day in Carlton• Sustainable Family Fun Day in

Richmond• Moon Lantern Festival at the

Richmond Housing Estate• Holden Street Neighbourhood House

Equinox Picnic in North Fitzroy• Collingwood Children’s Farm school

holiday activities

Outreach to families

The Book Bike is hugely popular with children. We have developed a Sustainable Storytime Kit for the bike, promoting reading and care for the environment

We visit parks, schools, after-care, kinders and Maternal & Child Health Centres

Children’s activities

This year we gathered a crowd around the bike in the park opposite Carlton Library for Simultaneous Storytime with guest author Meredith Costain.

The bike also fits beautifully with the relaxed setting for storytime at the Collingwood Children’s Farm

Strengthening ties

The Book Bike project builds on existing links between the libraries and other sections of Council, with the program receiving support from Yarra’s Green Team and Bicycle Users Group.The bike has been used as a focal point for community consultations on bike infrastructure and featured at a Yarra Staff World Environment Day Extravaganza.There is increasing interest from other Council Departments to book the bike for events

Benefits of the bike

• generates positive comments and a fun atmosphere wherever it goes.

• high visibility makes finding us easier • sustainable message reinforced to the

community.• portable, adaptable outreach vehicle • increased profile during the National Year

of Reading.• has attended more than 35 venues• so far we’ve reached over 2000 people.

Overwhelmingly people see the bike as a positive addition to the library.

Children in particular love the bike and ask lots of great questions such as:” how did it get here?” “ can I have a go?” “ is this a new library?’ and our favourite “ can you come back another day?”

Challenges

Along the way there have been some challenges in implementing the project:• Securing extra funding for the bike and other costs such as staff

training and overtime• Logistics – storage, transporting between library branches, fitting

through doorways• Empowering staff to feel confident to take it to the streets• Staff time • Juggling on-going requests from community and other Council staff,

particularly for weekend festivals and events • Creating and implementing a Cargo Bike Policy

The Book Bike’s very success is also its main challenge: it could appear at events on a daily basis if demand was to be met.

On from here…

Upcoming events and activities include:• Yarra Ride to Work Day Breakfast• Children’s Week celebrations at

the Collingwood Children’s Farm• Spring Hat Storytime in the park• Relax and read sessions out in the

community• An intensive school and kinder

visit program• Bulk loan deliveries• Summer Reading Club joint

events with Yarra Leisure (reading sessions at pools and parks)

Thanks

We would like to acknowledge and thank:• City of Yarra• Libmark• PS Bikes (bike supplier)• Kate Simnett (cargo bike training)• The original National Year of

Reading Book Bike Committee: Lindy, Melissa, Theary, Jill