This digital collection preserves color photographs from the New Hampshire State Library's bookmobile program, featuring the Traveling Library vehicles that served rural communities throughout the state from 1939 to 1942.

Children surround the bookmobile.

Children Reading at New Hampshire Traveling Library Vehicle, 1939–1940

Description Color photograph showing a group of children gathered beside the New Hampshire Public Library Commission Traveling Library vehicle, eagerly reading books. The dark-colored panel truck bears gold lettering reading "New Hampshire Public Library Commission Traveling Library" on its side, with "Traveling" also visible on the front fender. The license plate number B5-373 is visible. The vehicle is parked in front of a weathered wooden building, possibly a schoolhouse or town hall, with an American flag displayed on a pole nearby. Several children in period clothing sit on the running board or lean against the vehicle while examining their books. Additional children and adults are partially visible at the edges of the frame.
Date 1939–1940
Format Color photograph (Kodachrome slide)
Subjects
Bookmobiles Children—Books and reading Library outreach Mobile libraries New Hampshire Public Library Commission Public libraries—New Hampshire Rural libraries
Geographic Location New Hampshire
Owning Institution New Hampshire State Library, 20 Park Street, Concord, NH 03301
Institution Website nhsl.dncr.nh.gov
The bookmobile stops at a rural house.

New Hampshire Traveling Library at Rural Home, 1939–1940

Description Color photograph showing the New Hampshire Public Library Commission Traveling Library vehicle parked beside a small home on a rural dirt road. The rear of the dark-colored panel truck displays "Traveling Library" in gold lettering, with "New Hampshire Public Library Commission Traveling Library" visible on the side. A woman wearing a dark hat, pink top, plaid jacket, and dark skirt stands at the open shelter, which appears to be a simple wooden structure with a shingled roof. The surrounding landscape shows overgrown vegetation and trees in early autumn foliage, suggesting a remote rural location.
Date 1939–1940
Format Color photograph (Kodachrome slide)
Subjects
Bookmobiles Bus shelters Library outreach Mobile libraries New Hampshire Public Library Commission Public libraries—New Hampshire Rural libraries
Geographic Location New Hampshire
Owning Institution New Hampshire State Library, 20 Park Street, Concord, NH 03301
Institution Website nhsl.dncr.nh.gov
The bookmobile stops at a rural house.

New Hampshire Traveling Library Visit to Rural Home, 1939–1940

Description Color photograph depicting the New Hampshire Public Library Commission Traveling Library vehicle parked outside a weathered wooden farmhouse. A man in a red plaid jacket and cap stands in the doorway examining a book, while a woman beside him also holds reading material. The dark-colored panel truck displays gold lettering reading "New Hampshire Public Library Commission Traveling Library" on its side. The rustic clapboard building with its aged wooden door and small windows suggests a remote rural location typical of the traveling library's service area.
Date 1939–1940
Format Color photograph (Kodachrome slide)
Subjects
Bookmobiles Library outreach Mobile libraries New Hampshire Public Library Commission Public libraries—New Hampshire Rural libraries
Geographic Location New Hampshire
Owning Institution New Hampshire State Library, 20 Park Street, Concord, NH 03301
Institution Website nhsl.dncr.nh.gov
Two women stand at the rear doors of the bookmobile.

Two Women at Rear of New Hampshire Traveling Library Vehicle, 1939–1940

Description Color photograph showing two young women standing at the rear doors of the New Hampshire Public Library Commission Traveling Library vehicle. The words "Traveling Library" are painted in gold lettering across the rear doors. The New Hampshire license plate reads "B5-373" with "NH-39-40" visible at the top, indicating a 1939–1940 registration. Both women are dressed in typical late 1930s fashion—one wearing a blue head covering with a gray sweater and burgundy skirt, the other in a light-colored blouse with a gray-green skirt. A white clapboard building is visible in the background.
Date 1939–1940
Format Color photograph (Kodachrome slide)
Subjects
Bookmobiles Library outreach Mobile libraries New Hampshire Public Library Commission Public libraries—New Hampshire Women
Geographic Location New Hampshire
Owning Institution New Hampshire State Library, 20 Park Street, Concord, NH 03301
Institution Website nhsl.dncr.nh.gov
New 1942 bookmobile with three women.

New Hampshire State Library Bookmobile, 1942

Description Color photograph showing the New Hampshire State Library bookmobile parked on a residential street, circa 1942. The vehicle is a dark-colored panel truck with "BOOKMOBILE" painted prominently on its side, along with the text "Presented by the New Hampshire Federation of Women's Clubs" and "Operated by the New Hampshire Public Library Commission." Three women in summer dresses are gathered at the rear of the vehicle. The license plate indicates a 1942 registration. Several other automobiles of the era are visible parked along the tree-lined street, and a portion of a house with a front porch is visible in the background. The photograph appears to have been taken from an elevated vantage point, possibly a second-story window.
Date 1942
Format Color photograph (Kodachrome slide)
Subjects
Bookmobiles Library outreach Mobile libraries New Hampshire Federation of Women's Clubs New Hampshire Public Library Commission Public libraries—New Hampshire
Geographic Location New Hampshire
Owning Institution New Hampshire State Library, 20 Park Street, Concord, NH 03301
Institution Website nhsl.dncr.nh.gov