Fears of ‘death’ of mobile libraries as yellow vans disappear in Highlands

For those living in the most isolated pockets of the Highlands, the sight of the yellow library van coming into view has long been a welcome one.

But now, concerns for the future of the mobile libraries have been raised after the distinctive vans – complete with desk and bookshelves –dwindle in numbers.

Librarian Phil Preston has worked the Wester Ross route for the past six years and travels daily from his base Gairloch to places such as Garve, Torridon and Applecross, which is reached over the Bealach na Bà.

A yellow mobile library in the Highlands. The fleet has now dwindled from 10 to seven with Transit vans, with fewer books packed in crates, now filling the gaps. PIC: Contributed.

Mr Preston said a fleet of 10 yellow mobile libraries – plus a spare – has now been reduced to seven vans. Of these, five are standard Transits, which are now packed with crates, carry fewer books and have to be loaded and unloaded.

The librarian, whose yellow van did not return from the garage in April, said: “I am worried that the mobile library service will fizzle out and die.

“People love the service and they want to see it continue. A lot of the people I serve are single people living by themselves and they might not see people, apart from the postman, for two or three weeks and then the library arrives.

Inside the yellow mobile library. PIC: Contributed.

"I understand that the world is changing and that the service probably will fizzle out in time, kids are used to screens and not books, but a lot of people still rely on books.”

Megan MacInnes, a co-opted community councillor for Applecross, said the mobile library was “a hugely important service.”

"The range of demographics of folk who use it demonstrates that. We have to drive nearly an hour to get to the nearest library at Lochcarron. That is just not feasible for many.

The new-look mobile libraries with crates brought out of the van for customers. PIC: Contributed.

"Personally, I completely rely on the mobile library for my books and as a parent it has been hugely important in helping my son to read and become interested in books. The children at school love being able to use the mobile library and they come out with such a range, from history and geology to novels and cartoons and the latest David Walliams or Harry Potter.

"Everyone here is very aware of the financial pressures that Highland Council is under but when it comes to these lifeline services, we really urge them to be continued. We are so far from population centres that we really can't afford for our outreach services to go."

A spokesperson from Highlife Highland said it was working with Highland Council, which owns the vans, “to better understand how such services can be delivered including accessibility and customer needs. This will also help to inform replacement fleet requirements and to establish specifications and costs.”

A statement added: “High Life Highland is providing an alternative service for rural customers with the option of a drop-off of books to their homes to ensure that they have access to reading material and schools are also given the option of a drop-off of books to their building.

The book crates are loaded and unloaded to the Transit van.

"We recognise that mobile libraries are an essential part of life in the Highlands and while this service is not a like for like replacement, it may help to ease some of the difficulties for the most vulnerable and isolated service users during this time.”