The Ipswich City Council officially launched its first Mobile Library in November, 1975. The first mobile library staff member was Mr Frank Noonan who also drove the air-conditioned, 10 metre bus known as the ‘Bookmobile’. Carrying 2,500 items including books and cassette tapes, the Bookmobile visited nine locations at Gailes, Goodna, Redbank, Riverview, Churchill, Amberley, Leichhardt, Booval and Brassall. The book limit was four books per adult and two per child.
A new fully air-conditioned Mobile library was launched in December, 1992, offering an improved library service. Costing $325,000, the rigid International Acco T1850E/210 6 x 2 low profile vehicle was converted to accommodate books as well as toilet facilities and administration space. The administration space was made up of a sliding capsule which when activated extended from the side of the truck to provide more inside space. Moreton Shire also purchased a new Mobile Library in 1992, an International Acco 1850E/210 4 x 2 prime mover with an attached trailer. Boasting similar features as the Ipswich Mobile Library, this vehicle also came with a hydraulic wheelchair lift for disabled access. When Moreton Shire amalgamated with Ipswich in 1995 this vehicle became part of the Ipswich Mobile Library fleet.
In 2003 Councils’ new $430,000 mobile library was unveiled. The graphics on the outside of the truck depicted the smiling faces of Ipswich people at home in the community. At this point in time the mobile library visited up to ten suburban and rural areas each week.
In 2015 the mobile library celebrated 40 years with a special event held at the Rosewood mobile stop. Visiting twelve locations across Ipswich per fortnight, members were able to borrow up to 20 items at one time.
On the 25th of July, 2016, the Ipswich City Council launched the newest $600,000 Mobile library with a celebration at the North Ipswich Railway Workshops. The new mobile library was unveiled and features large graphics showing fairy tale characters. This fourteen metre long purpose-built mobile library holds more than 6,500 items, and features the latest technology for borrowers including radio-frequency identification [RFID] self-service technology, Wi-Fi connectivity and a smart TV.
Information taken from ‘Mobile Library for Ipswich’, Strike 16 December, 1992; ‘Novel link between council/community’, Big Rigs 22 March, 1996; ‘Ipswich welcomes new mobile library’, The Queensland Times 17 September, 2003; ‘New page is turned for library service’, The Queensland Times 10 July, 1986; ‘Mobile Library Tops in State’; ‘Mobile library gets moving’, The Queensland Times26 July, 2016.